Ardal Northern reports: West – leaders 1876 made to battle for win at Nantlle Vale, East – Corwen hit form
ARDAL NORTHERN REPORTS – NOVEMBER 12
ARDAL NORTH WEST
Nantlle Vale 3 (J Jones 16, C Williams 50, R Jones 90+2)
Bangor 1876 4 (McGonigle 26 & 38 pen, Edwards 34, Thomas 77)
Although league leaders 1876 emerged with their unbeaten record intact they discovered again that in tier 3 there will be many more close games than was the case when they dominated at lower levels.
The visitors threatened early at Maes Dulyn, Les Davies heading against the crossbar.
However, it was Nantlle Vale, table-toppers themselves on occasion this season, who took the lead in the 16th minute via a Jamie Jones wind-assisted corner.
In the 27th minute a foul on Liam Morris resulted in a free kick near the home penalty area.
Corrig McGonigle caressed a curling shot past Owain Roberts in the home goal to equalise.
Michael Johnston’s side now began to exert a degree of control over the game.
Sion Edwards put 1876 ahead in the 35th minute when he unleashed a low level pile-driver from 25 yards into the bottom-right corner of the net.
McGonigle increased the away lead with a penalty in the 37th minute, his 34th goal in all competitions this season.
Half-time: 1-3
The second half began well for the hosts when Clive Williams connected with a long range free kick in the 50th minute and scored a headed goal.
It was now a real contest and both sides went close before the blues in red restored their two-goal lead in the 75th minute.
Morris dribbled the ball into the area and unleashed a shot that was well saved by Owain Roberts, but Gethin Thomas was on hand to put the ball over the line from close range.
1876 almost increased their lead on several occasions, but the home defence would not succumb.
And the away fans faced an anxious last few minutes as Namtlle used set pieces to great effect, one producing a close range goal via Richard Jones in the 90th minute.
However, in the end, 1876 had done enough to earn a hard-fought away victory.
Brickfield Rangers 3 Llangefni Town 2
A man down for over an hour after the dismissal of goalkeeper Caron Hughes, Llangefni put up a brave fight at Clywedog Park only to lose out to a 72nd minute winner.
Andy Vale put Brickfield ahead in the 29th minute from a penalty awarded for a foul by keeper Hughes, who was duly red-carded.
Nonetheless, the 10-men upped their game and equalised through Josh Stanley Williams a minute before the break.
Vale’s second goal put Rangers 2-1 up in the 56th minute, but just past the hour, Dan Thomas made it all-square again.
It was Kian Davies who notched what turned out to be the clincher for the Wrexham hosts.
Hawarden Rangers 0 CPD Y Rhyl 1879 2
Depleted Rhyl 1879 produced a mighty performance to pick up all three points at Gladstone Playing Fields.
Coming into the match off the back of a League Cup defeat in midweek, and with the squad decimated by suspensions and injuries, the visitors faced a real uphill task.
With manager Gareth Thomas suspended, 1879 also had Miles Todd, Aaron White, Alex Jones, Jack Higgins and Jonny Taylor serving bans with Tom Cain and Mike Walsh out injured.
Kieran Ellis and Jordan Worthington were both back in the starting line-up after late fitness tests and only Leon Atkins and goalkeeper Ryan Roberts were on the bench.
1879 started strongly and took a 13th minute lead, Ellis heading the ball down to Macauley Taylor who lashed into the roof of the net.
In no time it was 2-0, Dan Sim winning the ball back and then Taylor with a fine run down the left turned provider as he crossed for Ellis to double the advantage.
The injured Ellis was replaced at half time with Ryan Roberts filling in as striker.
Rangers dominated the half and it was a huge team effort that reduced the home side to very few chances.
Llanrwst United 4 Llandudno Albion 0
It was a bad day for Albion as they had two players sent off and suffered a crushing defeat at Gwydir Park.
Llanrwst, by contrast, were ruthless and comfortably held on to their top-half status, although they ended the game with 10 men.
Sam Jones (2), Leighton Griffiths and an own goal by keeper Liam Jones secured an emphatic home win. The Rwsters were just one-up at half time courtesy of opposing glovesman Jones’ misfortune.
Dean Seager was shown a straight red on 44 minutes for the visitors, while Dean Roberts walked for a second yellow after 63.
Llanrwst had Sam Roberts red-carded in the 44th minute.
Llay Welfare 0 CPD Y Felinheli 1
Seven days after suffering a 7-0 defeat at The Ring in a cup tie, Y Felinheli produced a remarkable comeback to win 1-0 on the same pitch in the league seven days later.
The game turned in the 82nd minute when visiting keeper Guto Hughes made a great stop and Felin broke up the other end to score through Rhys Parry.
Saltney Town 0 Denbigh Town 5
Paul Fleming (2), Nathan Brown (2) and Dan Clarke shared the goals in this thumping win for Denbigh.
This match was reported on in depth by Grassroots North Wales on Saturday.
Rhostyllen P Bodedern Athletic P
ARDAL NORTH EAST
Corwen 4 Rhayader Town 0
Report: Gavin Billington
It finally all came right for Corwen on an afternoon where they recorded just their second win of the season.
Lee Pope’s side had broken their duck against Llangollen five weeks earlier, but otherwise had suffered eight losses in 11 outings and sat third from bottom before Saturday’s encounter at the War Memorial Park.
The deadlock was broken in the 16th minute, when Scott Evans unleashed what appeared to be an unstoppable strike from distance, but goalkeeper Kham Steventon did equally as brilliantly to tip the ball onto the bar, only for it rebound into the path of Delwyn Jones, who fired home.
Steventon was less brilliant in the 24th minute, when he gifted possession to Gruff Evans, who ran with the ball before crossing into the path of Scott Evans, who could only knock it over the bar.
Just before the break, Matthew Pleavin started a Corwen move when he passed to Gruff Evans, whose clever dummy fooled the away defence and allowed the ball to run through to Scott Evans, whose bullet smashed against the crossbar.
Ninety seconds into the second half, Harry Pooler launched a long delivery which went beyond everyone, prompting Steventon to come off his line to clear, but he presented the ball straight to Scott Evans, who went around the Rhayader number one and slotted into the back of an unguarded net.
Scott Evans soon made it 3-0 via a penalty awarded for a push on Gruff Evans.
The hosts put the icing on the cake with three minutes to play, as Charlie Parkinson sent a quickly-taken throw-in to the feet of James Davies, who ran at goal before blasting the ball beyond Steventon.
Bow Street 6 Llanfair United 0
What a result for Bow Street – a real demolition job on high-flyers Llanfair.
Sion Ewart and Richy Ricketts scored two apiece, Steffan Richards and Iolo ap Dafydd adding singles.
Builth Wells 1 Cefn Albion 1
Lynton Jones’ 85th minute free kick salvaged a point for Builth against leaders Cefn Albion at Lant Field.
Dion Gibbins had earlier put the visitors in front midway through the second half.
Builth had to dig deep to claim a point.
The hosts made a strong start against opponents they had lost 2-0 against in Wrexham only a fortnight earlier.
Builth defender Chris Roff headed narrowly over the crossbar from a third minute corner before Chris Budrys flashed an effort off target for the travellers.
Wells went close twice when Lyndon Jones thundered a shot against the crossbar before summer signing Tommy Rowlands was denied by Albion custodian Joshua Roberts from the rebound.
The Wrexham-based visitors had penalty appeals for handball turned down by referee Alun Jenkins in the 41st minute before former Airbus UK and Flint Town United striker Budrys headed over in first-half stoppage time.
The pressure from Albion finally paid dividends in the 68th minute when the Bulls’ defence failed to clear from their penalty area and Gibbins met a dropping ball with a cleanly-struck volley that nestled in the corner of Duncan-McKane’s net.
The North Walians nearly doubled their lead when substitute Luke Griffin headed wide. Jordan Williams’ 25 yard free-kick clipped the outside of the Bulls’ goal just a minute later and that was to prove costly for the league leaders when Jones rifled his low 25 yarder into the bottom corner.
Both sides pushed, but there was to be no winner.
Caersws 5 Welshpool Town 2
Craig Harris and Neil Mitchell bagged a brace apiece and sub Ben Phillips also found the net for the Bluebirds in a convincing win.
Ethan Kinsey and Richard Litchfield responded for the visitors.
Llangollen Town 4 Llandrindod Wells 3
Benjamin Wilson (2), Joshua Pilgrim and sub Joseph Morris split the goals for narrow winners Llangollen.
Jack Evans’ first half hat-trick, including a penalty, had given the visitors a 3-1 lead prior to Pilgrim reducing the deficit just before the interval – probably a key turning point of the match.
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant 0 Rhos Aelwyd 0
Not a result for fourth-place Rhos to celebrate away to the winless bottom team.
Llanuwchllyn 4 Penycae 1
Three second half goals clinched victory for Llanuwchllyn after the game stood at 1-1 when the interval arrived.
Gwydion Ifan handed the hosts a 10th minute lead, but Alex Rowlands levelled on 39.
In the second half, Dan Roberts, Nathan Davies and Mike Pritchard provided the goals that mattered for Sion Tudor’s side.