League Match of the Day – North East Wales Division 1: Ruabon Rovers 3 Chirk AAA 2

NORTH EAST WALES LEAGUE DIVISION 1 – DECEMBER 13, 2025

Ruabon Rovers 3 (Penrose 21, Potts pen 27, 57)
Chirk AAA 2 (Harris 70, T Freeman 78)

REPORT: SHAUN BEST

We’ve been broken down
To the lowest turn
Bein’ on the bottom line
Sure ain’t no fun.
The only way is up!

I may be paraphrasing Yazz here, but the bottom of NEWFA Division One holds some parallels to the famous late 80s song.

The relegation battle took a huge twist as the league reached the halfway stage and paused for the Christmas break.

Basement side Ruabon Rovers gave their survival hopes a huge shot in the arm with a morale boosting 3-2 victory over Chirk AAA.

The result handed the Colliers a third consecutive defeat in all competitions and sucks them into the relegation dogfight. They certainly won’t want a third consecutive relegation on their CV.

Ruabon goalkeeper Ozan Topal snuffed out a couple of half chances during a cagey opening, before a quick fire double put the hosts firmly in the driving seat.

First, Alfie Penrose reacted quickest in the box to loft the ball over the onrushing shot stopper Matthew Hayes and into the net. Just over five minutes later, Chirk’s Brad Pearce chopped down full back Jake Jones in the box. The referee instantly pointed to the spot and booked Pearce, who had his head in his hands. Thomas Potts gave Hayes the eyes, before confidently slamming his spot kick right down the middle and in.

At this point, a contingent of Ruabon’s youthful ultras showed great improvisation by standing on top of a wooden park bench behind the goal cheering their team on. Before half time, they also unfurled a Welsh flag.

Chirk’s Portuguese winger Edgar Lima Teixeira was unlucky not to halve the deficit. Despite being tightly marshalled, Teixeira latched onto a through ball and lashed a first time shot against the top of the crossbar, with Topal reduced to a mere spectator.

Ruabon soaked up the pressure and almost made it three before the break, but Hayes cut out a dangerous low ball into the box.

Chirk introduced top-scorer Tom Freeman for the second half and he instantly set about testing Topal with a couple of efforts, before firing a free kick into the surrounding trees.

Almost against the run of play, Ruabon netted a third. Potts was afforded too much space and he struck a shot that was too hot for Hayes to handle. The ‘keeper got a touch, but couldn’t prevent the ball crashing into the net.

Ruabon’s Kyle Evans thought he’d put the game to bed, only to see his effort come back off the post. A couple of home fans left early, but could be heard saying “we’ve imploded from this position on many occasions.”

Those words were still trailing in the air when Chirk’s Alfie Harris channelled David Beckham from 1996 with an audacious lob from the halfway line. Topal was left red faced and could only help the hopeful effort into the net.

Nevertheless it was still a feather in the cap for the 17-year-old Harris who wasn’t even born when Becks scored his infamous chip.

Undeterred, the Ruabon ‘yoof’ set about carrying their bench to the opposite side. Think ‘to me to you’ by the Chuckle Brothers and you catch my drift.

They attracted a couple of new recruits from the neighbouring playground and went back to chastising the referee and trying to put Hayes off in the Chirk goalmouth.

Hayes brushed off the taunts and had a hand in Chirk’s second goal. A route one punt upfield was brought down by Liam Sklenar, who quickly threaded through to put Freeman clear. The substitute rounded Topal and coolly slotted in to set up a grandstand finish.

Potts hunted a hat-trick, but leaned back too far from 18 yards and punted his effort over. Late on, Ruabon’s Owain Price picked up a second yellow card for a bad challenge.

Chirk tried to play the advantage and Freeman put the ball into the net, but the referee called play back to dish out the red card. During the chaos, an incensed Chirk manager Ryan Roberts was also given his marching orders.

A relieved Ruabon bench along with their young fanbase poured onto the pitch when the final whistle blew. An exciting second half of the season awaits when the league resumes in early January.
Attendance: 50