MATCH OF THE DAY 2: Nefyn storm to the top of the table after a tough test at Talysarn
NORTH WALES COAST WEST LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
CPD Talysarn Celts 1 CPD Nefyn United 3
Steffan Toplis made it 14 goals in nine games as his double helped Nefyn hit top spot in the Premier Division on Saturday.
The Penwaig knocked Menai Bridge Tigers off the summit on goal difference after an eighth straight league win.
A tiny blot on the copybook also saw the Cae’r Delyn outfit concede a goal for the first time in their eight-match victory streak.
The hierarchy of the league has a new leader. In a high-octane encounter at Gloddfa Glai, CPD Unedig Nefyn claimed their place at the top of the table, overcoming a spirited Talysarn Celts side in a 3-1 victory defined by early dominance.
From the opening whistle, Nefyn dictated the tempo. The lions’ share of possession belonged to the visitors, with Noa Griffith delivering a Man of the Match performance with some great deliveries and defensive work from the left.
Nefyn squeezed the visitors, eventually breaking the resistance in the 22th minute when Ifan Jones found the net, via a Toplis assist, to cap off a period of sustained pressure and good work by Tomi Jones-Evans harassing the home defence and keeper.
With the interval approaching, the “January Sensation” struck again. Toplis doubled the advantage in the 42th minute, Tomi Jones-Evans assisting, sending Nefyn into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead and the scent of the league summit in the air.
Football is rarely a straight line to glory. In the 82nd minute, Talysarn’s Gethin Jones pulled one back, the first goal Nefyn had conceded in around 750 minutes of league combat. sparking a frantic final ten on the clock.
The Celts threw everything forward, piling on the pressure in search of an equalizer that would have spoiled the party.
Nefyn’s character was tested, and they didn’t blink. Deep into stoppage time, as Talysarn committed bodies forward, Toplis struck again, Llyr Williams the supplier.
Toplis’ second of the afternoon acted as the definitive exclamation point on the victory, securing the three points and confirming Nefyn United as the new league leaders.