CATCH-UP: All the latest from the North East Wales Football League

The battle for honours in the North East Wales Football League looks set to be close-fought and hard to predict in 2025.

No-one is running away with the Premier or Championship titles and it may well be that many twists and turns await in the coming months.

Current Premier leaders are Coedpoeth United, but a whole host of clubs below them could push themselves into contention for top spots in the new year.

Second-place Mynydd Isa have yet to lose a game, while Ricky Evans’ Lex XI have looked really strong and capable of being a major player in the tussle for promotion to Tier 3.

Below the Lawmen are a number of teams – Castell Alun Colts, Greenfield, Penyffordd Lions, FC Queen’s Park, Hawarden Rangers, Saltney Town and even third-bottom Rhostyllen – with the potential to make waves in 2025.

This Saturday brings a fascinating set of final Premier fixtures for 2024 and it will be interesting to see who heads the table entering the new year.

PREMIER DIVISION TABLE & FIXTURES – SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14

Greenfield v Coedpoeth United
Hawarden Rangers v CPD Gronant
Penyffordd Lions v Mynydd Isa
Rhostyllen v Lex XI
Ruabon Rovers v Queen’s Park

As for the Championship Division, we have another cracking list of title contenders heading into 2025.

Newly-formed Broughton United have taken the league by storm, winning 13 out of 15 matches and scoring an astonishing 106 goals.

For all their heroics, Broughton hold just a three-point lead at the summit from resurgent Brymbo, with another illustrious name in Rhydymwyn third and just four points behind the table-toppers with two games in hand.

What a belter is in store this Saturday with Brymbo hosting Broughton.

Also in the frame are the likes of Sychdyn and Aston Park Rangers.

A number of the sides near the bottom have found life tough at times, but there is a lot to be said for strength in numbers, and the developing teams can form a league of their own of sorts which offers them an opportunity to pick up points.

WEEKEND CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE & FIXTURES

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13
Bellevue v Skippy
Cefn Druids v Overton Recreational
Rhydymwyn v Acton
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14
Brymbo v Broughton United
Deeside Dragons v Johnstown YFC
Deeside United v Aston Park Rangers
Sychdyn United v Cei Connah

RECENT REPORTS – NOVEMBER 30

NORTH EAST WALES LEAGUE

Premier Division

Coedpoeth United 3 Penyffordd Lions 3
Six goals and three late red-cards in a battle at Stansty Park which ended honours even.
Captain Marcus Davies (2) and Liam Williams were on target for Penyffordd, Adam Lloyd (2) and Oliver Lewis replying for Coedpoeth, who led 3-1 at half time.
In the 90th minute, Dion Lewis of Coedy and Lions’ Gareth Higgins and James Eastwood saw red.

CPD Gronant 2 Castell Alun Colts 2
Dylan Taylor and Sion King put Gronant two-up, but two goals in as many minutes from Niall Evans and Nathan Davies (pen) earned Casty a point.
Adam Woosey missed a 75th minute spot-kick for the hosts with the score at 2-2.

Ruabon Rovers 1 Saltney Town 2
Saltney grabbed the points with an 87th minute decider at Rovers.
Luis Hughes’ net-finder on the half-hour gave Ruabon the lead, but the hosts’ hopes of victory suffered a blow when Chris Bennion was shown a red card after 63 minutes.
J J King scored from the spot to level it and Cameron Ingaledis delivered the late winner.

Championship Division

December 4

Cefn Druids 3 Sychdyn United 5
Jordan Walker’s hat-trick helped Sychdyn bring an end to Druids’ three-match winning run.
Jac Robins and Joe Mitchell also found the net for the visitors, Chad Humpheys (2) and James Williams responding for the Ancients.

November 30

Bellevue 0 Holywell United 14
Holywell made it 12 points out of 12 in December after completing back-to-back double-figure pastings.
Owen Marley (4), Alex Harrison-Smith (3), Adam Brown (2), Kieran Durkan (2 – also 5 assists), captain Matthew Mullarkey and Tomos Dickinson split the away goals.

Broughton United 14 CPD Cei Connah 0
Luke Muir (4), Elliott Evans (3), Jayden Evans (3), Jake Jones (2), Ethan Evans and Lewis Hopwood combined to deliver another huge win for Broughton.

Overton Recreation 3 Johnstown YFC 0
Lewis Evison, Alex Williams and sub Blessing Osilaja supplied the goals for victorious Overton.
On 72 minutes, the home side had Nathan Pritchard red-carded, while Johnstown’s Gareth Poole received the same punishment.
Michael Bailey was also sent off for the visitors after being shown a second yellow on 94.

Skippy 3 Brymbo 4
A great effort from bottom side Sychdyn against second-place Brymbo.
The Steelmen edged the points with a Jack Smallman hat-trick (one penalty) and Toby Hughes single, Callum Edwards and Levi Davies among the home marksmen.

CPD Sychdyn United 6 CPD Yr Wyddgrug 1
Kieran Jones (3), sub Joe Robins (2) and Linden Puckey made up the Sychdyn six, sub Gethin Thomas responding for Yr Wyddgrug.

Rhydymwyn 4 Aston Park Rangers 1
Rhydymwyn brought an abrupt end to Aston Park Rangers’ impressive run of eight straight league wins.
Kallum Pierce’s 36th minute goal was all that separated the sides at half time.
Thomas Barbet equalised on 54, but Pierce struck again for the hosts on 67.
James Jones was red-carded for the visitors after 85, then Rhyd took a giant step towards victory when sub Aaron North made it 3-1 on 89.
Tomos Cumming put the seal on things with a 95th minute fourth for Rhyd.

NEWFL Premier Cup

FC Queen’s Park 2 Lex XI 1
Quite a battle at Queensway Stadium, the Park edging it thanks to Sam Molyneux’s decider a minute into the second half.
Ryan Jakovlevs struck first for the hosts in the 45th minute before Jonny Taylor equalised in added time.
The Park played with 10 men for well over an hour after Nicky Williams saw yellows on 17 and 26. Home manager Malcolm Wareham was shown a red after 64.

Hawarden Rangers 0 Rhostyllen 5
Fine win on the road for Rhostyllen, Tom Douglas (2), Liam Sklenar, Jack Brindley and Sam Chesters splitting the goals.

Mynydd Isa 2 Greenfield 1
Sam Wainwright (40 minutes) and Dylan Roberts (58) gave Isa a two-goal advantage before Ethan Evans bagged a late reply for Greenfield.
Red cards were shown to Wainwright for the hosts and Connor Hughes of the visitors in the 97th minute.

NEWFL Mike Beech Memorial Trophy

Castell Alun Colts Reserves 1 Connah’s Quay Town XI 5
Callum Woods, Liam Wild, Dylan Williams, Liam Wellings and sub Scott Gibbons guided Quay to a big win, Teddy Edwards with Casty’s sole reply.
Sub Jamie Connah was red-carded on 76 for the hosts, Sam Fairclough received two yellows for Town after 85.

Coedpoeth United Reserves 2 FC Queen’s Park Reserves 4
Luke Armstrong (2), captain Dan Roberts and Liam Lawrence pocketed the goals which brought victory for the Park, Josh Partington and Ross Hardy-Partington hitting back for Coedy.

Greenfield Reserves 0 Brickfield Rangers Reserves 2
Jake Barlow’s double was sufficient to see Bricky through.

Llangollen Town Reserves 2 Brymbo Reserves 0
Louis Dennis struck first for Llangollen on 38 minutes and sub Whalen Mwebe added a second six past the 90 mark.
Brymbo’s Jack Wakeman was sent off for two yellows.

Penycae Reserves 2 Corwen Reserves 2 (Corwen won 3-1 on pens)
After a 2-2 draw Corwen advanced on spot kicks.
Captain Josh Hughes and Tommy Hallam scored in the tie itself for Penycae, Ben Davies and Lewis Williams for Corwen.
Callum Dutton was shown two yellows for the home side.

CPD Rhos Aelwyd Reserves 0 Johnstown YFC Reserves 0 (Rhos won 4-3 on pens)

Saltney Town Reserves 0 Lex Reserves 1
Sam Colley notched an 89th minute decider for Lex.