MATCH OF THE DAY 2: Osian a hat-trick hero as Bethesda edge a seven-goal thriller

ARDAL NORTH WEST – JANUARY 17, 2026

Bethesda Athletic 4 (Osian Hughes 10, 68, 90+4, Corey Lundstram 22)
Penmaenmawr Phoenix 3 (Dan Evans 56, 86, Harley Crossfield 83)

REPORT: SHAUN BEST AT PARC MEURIG

Hat-trick hero Osian Hughes helped Bethesda Athletic get by a spirited Penmaenmawr Phoenix at Parc Meurig thanks to a last-gasp winner on Saturday afternoon.

Ardal North West top-scorer Hughes boosted his league total for the season to 16 goals and has now netted 78 times in 148 appearances across all competitions for Pesda since 2021-22.

The hosts ended up shading a close encounter 4-3 to consolidate 8th place in the Ardal North West table.

The Phoenix remain second from bottom and deep in relegation trouble, but will take heart from their never-say-die attitude on display.

Phoenix goalkeeper Cameron Darling pulled off two fantastic early stops to thwart Bethesda. Corey Lundstram was as shocked as anyone when his rebound ricocheted off Darling’s upper body, resulting in the ball flying to safety.

Lundstram fared better with his next contribution moments later when he supplied Osian Hughes with a perfect ball for a close range finish.

Lundstram continued to haunt his former club and doubled Bethesda’s lead with an absolute rocket which flew into the top corner from just outside the 18 yard box.

Bethesda continued to press, but fell foul of the offside flag on numerous occasions and their frustration started to grow. Phoenix finally threatened five minutes before the break. Leigh Craven fed Daniel McIlvogue, with the attacker leaving his marker for dust before firing over from a difficult angle.

HALF-TIME: Bethesda 2-0 Penmaenmawr

Early in the second half, Tomos Hughes met a corner and saw a glancing header roll inches wide of the Phoenix post. The visitors were then unlucky not to pull a goal back. Kyle Cooper spun his marker and saw his effort thump the crossbar and bounce back down. The same player misjudged the flight of the rebound and lifted the ball over.

At the other end, Lundstram finally sprung the offside trap. His pull back was cut out, but the ball took a ricochet off Osian Hughes and rolled wide of the post.

The Phoenix’s luck was changing and they finally pulled a goal back from a set piece. Cooper’s searching free kick from just inside the Bethesda half found an unmarked Dan Evans in the box and he calmly directed his header into the net.

The pendulum swung once again when Osian played a one-two with brother Noa Hughes and his low shot squirmed under Darling and into the net. Phoenix rolled the dice and introduced four substitutes, with the gamble quickly paying dividends.

Harley Crossfield bundled in a second Phoenix goal from Cooper’s corner to set up a nervy finale.

Phoenix had their tails up and were now clearly in the ascendancy. Substitute Jay Sutton used his blistering pace to his advantage to get to the byline and into a dangerous position. His layoff was backheeled in by Evans and the comeback looked complete at 3-3.

Fans were anticipating one last twist and their hunch proved to be correct. Bethesda were on the ropes and were looking to steady the ship. Step forward their captain – Osian.

In the 94th minute, the midfielder collected a pass and his foray forward resulted in his shot taking a wicked touch off unfortunate defender Charlie Urquhart. The flight of the ball looped over Darling and into the net as an exasperated Urquhart had his head in his hands.

Taking the match ball home, Osian’s treble puts him on an impressive 16 league goals for the season and top of the scoring charts – two ahead of Bangor hot shot Corrig McGonigle.

The Phoenix still have games in hand, but will need to turn performances into points soon in order to preserve their Tier 3 status.

BETHESDA ATHLETIC

Gethin Hughes, Sion Bullock, Cai Evans, Osian Hughes (c), Caio Hywel, Cian Williams, Osian Pugh, Tomos Hughes, Corey Lundstram, Noa Hughes, Osian Price. Subs used: Kyle Hartleb, Louis Turner, Steffan Davies, Cameron Robertson.

PENMAENMAWR PHOENIX

Cameron Darling, Charlie Urquhart, Lewis Williams, Liam Griffiths, Ryan Vaughan, Kyle Cooper, Harley Crossfield, Adam Hold, Dan Evans, Daniel McIlvogue, Leigh Craven. Subs used: Billy Sieben, Ricky Jones, Sion Williams, Cody Williams, Jay Sutton