Cardiff Met scored a stoppage time winner as they came from behind to triumph 2-1 over JD Cymru Premier title chasers Penybont at Cyncoed on Friday night.
Chris Venables fired Bont ahead from the penalty spot four minutes into the second half following Tom Vincent’s foul on Ben Morgan, but Met levelled in the 64th minute when new captain CJ Craven picked out the bottom corner with a strike from the edge of the area after Vincent had nodded down Jack Veale’s long throw into the box.
The Archers won a penalty of their own four minutes later as Bont defender Billy Borge was shown a straight red card for clumsily bringing down Lewis Rees in the box, but Craven was denied from 12 yards by Adam Przybek.
It looked as if the points would be shared in the capital, but there were dramatic scenes in the fourth minute of stoppage time when a loose ball on the edge of the area fell to Veale, whose curling effort sailed through everyone in the box and beyond Przybek to earn victory for Met.
Defeat for Bont means that they remain one point behind league leaders The New Saints, who now have a game in hand after their Friday night fixture against Caernarfon Town was postponed due to storm damage at The Oval.
Newtown missed the chance to climb out of the relegation zone as they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Briton Ferry Llansawel at Latham Park on Friday.
The Robins made a fast start to encounter and were 2-0 up inside 23 minutes as Aaron Williams headed home Jason Oswell’s cross before Oswell did the same from Zeli Ismail’s delivery.
However, Ferry halved the deficit in first half stoppage time when Corey Hurford sent a superb free-kick into the top corner from the left hand side, before Luke Bowen completed the comeback midway through the second half as his deflected effort wrongfooted Newtown’s debutant goalkeeper Julia Schwarzer Garcia.
Flint Town United moved three points clear of the relegation zone as they won 2-1 over Connah’s Quay Nomads on Saturday – a first Flintshire derby win for the Silkmen in nearly 14 years.
Lee Fowler’s side took the lead nine minutes before half-time when Elliott Reeves flicked on Jake Phillips’ free-kick to Izaack Lambert who volleyed home from close range.
Flint continued to threaten after the break, with Luke Mariette hitting the post with a header, and the former Blackpool midfielder eventually grabbed his side’s second goal in the 76th minute when he was played in by Josh Jones and kept his composure to fire past George Ratcliffe.
Nomads substitute Dan Roberts pulled a goal back for the away side in stoppage time with a neat finish at the back post from Rhys Hughes’ free-kick, but it was not enough to save Billy Paynter’s side from falling to a fourth consecutive league defeat.
The Nomads’ loss means that Barry Town United are now seven points clear at the top of the Play-Off Conference after their 2-1 win away at Aberystwyth Town on Friday night.
Ollie Hulbert opened the scoring four minutes into the second half when he raced onto Evan Press’ glorious trivela through ball and calmly slotted past Sebastian Osment – who had come on for his Aberystwyth league debut after a first half injury to Dave Jones.
Keenan Patten doubled the advantage in the 71st minute when he slotted home after Aber failed to deal with a number of loose balls.
Seasiders captain Jack Thorn got his side back into the contest when he volleyed home Jonathan Evans’ cut back, but Antonio Corbisiero’s men could not find a late equaliser so are now eight points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table.
Third-place Haverfordwest County made it three wins from three games back at Ogi Bridge Meadow as they triumphed 3-2 over Bala Town on Saturday.
The Lakesiders took the lead on 31 minutes when Osebi Abadaki headed home from Louis Robles’ cross, but Dan Hawkins levelled for Haverfordwest a minute before half-time as he smashed home from close range after Bala failed to deal with Rhys Abbruzzese’s corner.
Hawkins grabbed his second of the afternoon in the 64th minute with a fierce low drive just inside the box and the hosts had a two-goal cushion five minutes later when Zac Jones’ long ball upfield was collected by Ben Ahmun who fired past Joel Torrance.
Aeron Edwards pounced on a loose ball to score for the first time since September and get Bala back into the game with 10 minutes remaining, but a straight red card for Lakesiders captain Nathan Peate six minutes later – for a rash challenge on Greg Walters – ultimately ended hopes of a comeback.
Weekend results in full:
Caernarfon Town P-P The New Saints
Cardiff Met 2-1 Penybont
Newtown 2-2 Briton Ferry Llansawel
Aberystwyth Town 1-2 Barry Town United
Flint Town United 2-1 Connah’s Quay Nomads
Haverfordwest County 3-2 Bala Town
