Ardal Northern: West – Victory for Albion, Denbigh hit nine, Mountain held; East – great point for Corwen

ARDAL NORTHERN REPORTS – SATURDAY, JANUARY 16

LOCK STOCK ARDAL NORTH WEST LEAGUE

Llandudno Albion 2-1 Saltney Town (played at Saltney)

After three months and six games without a league win battling Albion finally got the victory they deserved on Saturday.

Forced to play all their matches away due Maesdu Park in Llandudno being unavailable, Karl Cheung’s side took three points at the Dragon Steel Stadium thanks to two goals in three minutes during the closing stages.

The match had a lively start when Adam Hold got in behind the Saltney defence following a flick-on from Dave Maddock and was taken out by keeper Alex Swindell.

Penalty awarded to Albion, but an assistant’s flag meant the decision was reversed for offside.

The game was fairly contested and evenly matched with both sides having a few chances but unable to convert.

However, it was Town’s Tom Rowlands who opened the scoring on 29 minutes, breaking through the Albion defence and finishing neatly underneath keeper Ashley Lavender.

The ‘visitors’ had further struggles with left-back Dani McIlvogue picking up an injury on 37 minutes and replaced by Dean Seager. From the substitution, Albion immediately looked a bigger threat on the Saltney goal.

Two minutes into the second half Albion had a Maddock goal ruled out for offside but the intention was set to chase the game with nothing to lose now- it was make or break.

Llandudno kept on pushing and the persistence paid off when Adam Hold converted a free kick with 12 minutes remaining.

Two minutes later Hold turned from scorer to provider for Lee Stokes to head home.

Saltney pushed for a late equaliser and came close, hitting the post. but Albion held on for a massive three points.

They are still third bottom, but now just a point behind Saltney immediately above them.

Many thanks to Adam Hold for assistance with match report

Denbigh Town 9 Brickfield Rangers 1

Nine-goal Denbigh had a night to remember as they hammered a young Brickfield side situated a place above them in the table.

A Nathan Brown hat-trick, a double from Jake Walker along with net-finders by Sion Jones and Ben Lockley, together with two own goals, saw Town take the three points in style.

New striker Matthew Worrall was straight into the action as within a minute of kick off he ran onto a long clearance from Dan Parry Jones, beat his defender and rounded keeper Bailey McHugh, only to be brought down by the glovesman.

Referee Stephen Jones pointed to the penalty spot and Brown coolly slotted home.

Town were two-up after seven minutes through an own goal via a Craig Pritchard cross.

The visitors had to make a substitution on 32 minutes when influential veteran and ex-Town player Matthew Cook pulled up and had to leave the field.

The change hampered Brickfield’s plans and before long Denbigh had their third as Ben Lockley found Sion Jones in space and the midfielder placed the ball home from 15 yards.

Just on the stroke of half time, Ben Lockley headed home unchallenged from a Brown delivery.

Half-time: 4-0

Soon after the restart Sion Jones provided a cross which Brown was on the end of, and with a strong deflection the ball looped away from McHugh and into the net.

Not long after the hosts made a triple substitution, Brickfield snatched a goal back after a scramble in the Town box saw substitute Jay Richardson slide the ball home.

On 70 minutes Dan Clarke pulled up with a leg problem and hobbled off the field meaning Town had to finish the game with 10 men as they used up their quota of substitutes.

This did not stop the goal-scoring. Firstly, sub Walker turned and shot from the edge of the box into the corner of the net.

It was 7-1 when a Craig Rogers cross from the left was sliced into the net by a Brickfield defender – own goal.

Young sub Luca Bennett then played the sweetest of balls through the defence for Brown to run onto and calmly finish for a deserved hat-trick.

Walker had the final say when he raced onto his own header to slot the ball through the keeper’s legs.

Flint Mountain 1 Nantlle Vale 1

Goalkeeper Gethin Roberts stood out for a Nantlle Vale side which earned an impressive point at the Essity Stadium.

In-form Flint Mountain took the lead through Kyle Smyth on 78 minutes, but after 82 the visitors won a penalty which Sion Parry converted.

LOCK STOCK ARDAL NORTH EAST

Bow Street 2 Corwen 2

A great result for bottom side Corwen but it could have been even better as they led 2-0.

Tom Williams put the visitors ahead on 37 minutes before Gruff Rhys Owen made it two after 64.

However, Llyr Davies pulled one back for Bow on 74 and a Dafydd Carruthers goal after 80 secured a draw.

Llanfair United 0 Llandrindod Wells 3

Jack Evans was a hat-trick hero for Llandrindod, who inflicted another disastrous result on Llanfair.

Evans found the net on 1, 17 and 59 minutes, his middle goal coming from the penalty spot.

Welshpool Town 2 Llangollen Town 2

Two Ben Duffy goals within the first 10 minutes put visitors Llangollen in command, but Richard Litchfield and Joshua Lenc responded to make it 2-2 at half time.

And that was the end of the goals.