Ardal North West – late strike rescues a point for leaders 1879, Saints up to third, Bricky edge epic

LOCK STOCK ARDAL NORTH WEST – NOVEMBER 11, 2023

CPD Y Rhyl 1879 2 (Roberts 71 pen, Buckley 90+2)
Saltney Town 2 (King 45+1, 82)

While a 2-2 draw for the leaders at home to a team near the bottom may be viewed as a disappointing result, Rhyl 1879 manager Gareth Thomas was satisfied with the overall outcome at Belle Vue.

It could have been worse for the Lilywhites as they needed an injury-time leveller from Oli Buckley to snatch a point.

With close challengers Llanrwst United and Nantlle Vale both losing on Saturday, 1879 are five points clear at the summit and now undefeated in seven matches.

After the game, Thomas said: “It could be two points lost, or it could be a point gained.

“They (Saltney) came with a game plan and defended superbly.

“I wouldn’t have paid to watch that today to be honest; I think when the ball’s been in play for about 45 minutes of the 90…

“We had a lot of possession, but I don’t know if we did enough to win.

“We weren’t great, but it could be a good point.

“One thing we’ve got here is character and togetherness. I said to the lads after we haven’t played well today but we’ve picked up a point.

“You come off disappointed you haven’t got three but then you look at the other results and they’ve gone our way. We’ve played a game extra, we’ve got a point, a couple of the chasing clubs haven’t got a point today.

“That’s the one good thing about today – we kept going, we got one point out of it, so we’ll take that.”

While putting on plenty of pressure in the first half, Rhyl were unable to make the breakthrough and from a quick counter beyond the 45-minute mark, poor home defending allowed John James King to edge the Bordermen in front.

The Lilywhites continued to be frustrated in the second half until they earned a penalty on 71 minutes that Mark Roberts put away.

When Saltney’s Hayden Hughes was dismissed for a second yellow card after 80, the odds strongly favoured a home win.

However, just two minutes later a wonder strike from King gave the visitors a shock lead for the second time in the match.

Rhyl pressed hard for the leveller and it finally came on 92 minutes when James Cairns set up Buckley to score.

Brickfield Rangers 4 Llanrwst United 3

Despite a hat-trick from Llanrwst goal machine Callum Parry, Brickfield came out on top in an end-to-end thriller.

Aidan Fox gave Rangers a first-minute lead, but Parry struck on 19 and 28 for the visitors to hand them a 2-1 half-time advantage.

Andy Vale levelled 10 minutes into the second period, but Parry completed his treble and made it 24 goals for the season when he nudged the Rwsters 3-2 up with 62 gone.

Sub Cameron Thomas made it three-apiece on 66 and with 81 on the clock Vale bagged the winner for the Wrexham side.

Holyhead Hotspur 2 Conwy Borough 0

A good three points for Hotspur pushed them up to ninth in the table.

Dylan Summers-Jones made the breakthrough with his seventh league goal of the campaign in the 11th minute, benefiting from an Alex Jones assist.

Harry Lewis then set up Cory Williams for the second home goal in the 56th minute.

Borough’s miserable afternoon was made complete when they had Ryan Vaughan dismissed for a second yellow on 90 minutes.

CPD Llannefydd 4 CPD Pwllheli 4

An eight-goal cracker ended honours even.

Lewys Turner edged Llannefydd in front on 14 minutes, but goals from Steffan Toplis after 41 and Ashley Ainsworth in first-half added time put Pwllheli in the lead at the break.

Morgan Jones made it 2-2 from the penalty spot on 61, then Sam Jones put Llan ahead on 65 only for Meical Williams to restore parity at three-apiece a minute later. What a game!

There was no way of knowing which way this one would go. Pwllheli bagged the next goal via Ainsworth on 73, but Llion Morris made it 4-4 after 75 and that is how it ended.

St Asaph City 2 Nantlle Vale 0

Saints made it three league wins in a row to prove again they are capable of being among the leading pack this season.

Taking on a Nantlle Vale side pushing for the top themselves. Asaph broke the deadlock on 43 minutes through a Jake Walker penalty.

Captain Liam Grayson doubled the home total on 64 from a Tyler Joyce assist. The victory edged Saints up to third place.