North Wales Coast West League – Mighty wins for Menai and Gwalchmai

NORTH WALES COAST WEST LEAGUE REPORTS – AUGUST 12

PREMIER DIVISION

Glantraeth 1 Menai Bridge Tigers 4

Report and photograph: Robyn Cooke

Two early goals set Menai Bridge on their way to a highly impressive opening day win over Glantraeth.

Bridge took the lead after just 75 seconds. A move from kick-off resulted in Callum Davidson being fouled on the edge of the area.

The Tigers forward duly dispatched the free kick through the wall and past keeper Gwyndaf Owen.

The lead was doubled in the 13th minute, when Callum Graves drove into the area before squaring for Davidson to convert at the back post.

Those same two players combined just a minute later with a similar move but the roles reversed.

However, Graves’ close range strike was saved by Owen.

Glantraeth went close to halving the deficit after 20 minutes, but a lob from Steven Jones came back off the crossbar.

Graves appealed for a third goal when he was again found at the back post by Davidson, but the block from Arwel Williams was deemed to have stopped the ball from crossing the line. Davidson almost completed a first-half hat-trick moments later, hitting the angle of post and bar.

Tigers were again close to scoring on the half hour, a cross from wide by Harry Morgan Jones finding Lewis Clayton on the penalty spot but his header was tipped onto the bar by Owen.

The goalkeeper later denied the away side yet again with a fine low save from Graves.

Menai hit the back of the net for a third time just before the interval, however Clayton’s close-range attempt was controversially ruled out for offside.

The second half began with Glantraeth keen to pull a goal back, however the home side failed to make the most of a couple of early corners.

They were made to pay when Sion Hogan’s free-kick found Graves unmarked to head in the third in the 55th minute.

Graves made it four after receiving Clayton’s pass on the edge of the D, before turning and firing a low strike into the bottom corner.

Glantraeth pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute, Dylan Williams’s cut-back was flicked up high by Tigers centre-back Johnny Roberts, and substitute Aron Tudur Jones was on hand to head in at the back post.

CPD Penrhyndeudraeth 3 CPD Aberffraw 0

Goals from Gwion Davies, Liam Watson and a Callum Edwards OG – all in the first half – secured a comfortable home win for Penrhyn.

CPD Pentraeth 3 Gwalchmai 7

Last season’s Premier Division top-scorer is on the goals trail again.

Gwalchmai’s teenage wonder Connor Owen plundered a hat-trick in Craig Evans’ side’s 7-3 whipping of Pentraeth.

Sam Jones, Declan Jones, Gwion Thomas and Josh Owen also struck for the visitors, Matthew Williams, Dylan Jones (penalty) and Cian Lewis-Davies with consolation strikes for the hosts.

Talysarn Celts 2 CPD Llannerchymedd 1

James Burgess fired Llannerchymedd into a 53rd minute lead, only for Talysarn’s Jack Usher and Geram Jones to turn the tables with two goals in rapid succession before the hour.

And Celts held on for the win, Medd having Ben Hughes sent off for a second yellow after 65.

DIVISION ONE

Bethesda Rovers 4 Caergybi 1

Back to back wins to start of the new league campaign for an impressive Rovers.

A thoroughly deserved three points for the hosts against a very hard to beat Caergybi team, the home goals coming from Harry Jones, Leon Buckland, Reece Williams and Rhun Morris.

Bethesda chose Zac Williams as their man of the match.

James Ryan notched a consolation for Cergybi.

CPD Boded 2 Llanfairpwll 1

CPD Boded recovered from going a goal down to begin their home league campaign on a winning note.

Llanfairpwll looked on course to make it a long afternoon for for the hosts when they took a first half lead through substitute Adam Thomas in the 33rd minute.

Thomas had only been on the pitch for six minutes after replacing Jamie Patterson.

Boded upped their game after the break, edging ahead thanks to goals from Casey Boylan (penalty) and Casey Gregg.

Boylan converted a pen on 71 minutes to make it 1-1.

Both sides became frustrated by decisions going against them, leading to a fiery end to the contest.

The issue was decided in the 86th minute when a great ball into the box from Joe Caven was headed home by Gregg.

Boylan was sent off for a second yellow before the end, but the hosts held on for the honours.

CPD Gaerwen 3 Blaenau Ffestiniog Amateurs 1

A Nathan Moore double in the first half and a Calum Thomas single on 84 minutes sealed three points for Gaerwen.

Tomos Williams replied for Blaenau on 74 minutes.

Holyhead Town 2 Llangoed and District 1

This match was covered in depth by Grassroots North Wales at the weekend.

Llanystumdwy P CPD Cefni P