Jay Richardson scored a late brace as Novira Cymru North leaders Brickfield Rangers secured a 3-1 victory over Buckley Town at The Globe on Saturday.
Brickfield took just six minutes to find the breakthrough as Dennis Bates met Lewis Wynne’s low cross and poked past Bryn Owen from close range for his first ever Novira Cymru North goal.
The Bucks drew level near the hour mark as Luke Mariette’s free-kick delivery was tipped away by Carl Jones, but only as far as Dylan Proctor, who fired low into the net with Jones off his line.
Richardson replaced Brickfield’s top scorer Andy Vale with eight minutes remaining though, and his introduction proved decisive as he ran onto Josh Evans’ through ball and slotted into the bottom corner to restore the visitors’ lead just one minute after coming onto the pitch.
Richardson made it a quickfire double moments later to fully wrap up all three points for Brickfield as the forward received a short pass from Gerson Silva Neto, turned inside the area and squeezed his effort beyond Owen. Brickfield have now won their last four away matches in the league and maintain their four-point lead at the top, while ninth-place Buckley suffered their third straight defeat.
There was even more late drama at Central Park as Jacob Duffy’s stoppage-time equaliser salvaged Denbigh Town a point in a 2-2 draw with third-place Mold Alexandra.
Denbigh made a dream start to the contest and took the lead inside just eight minutes as Alfie Vaughan converted the rebound from Tom Kelly’s strike which bounced back off the post.
Mold were denied by the woodwork in first half stoppage time as Vaughan’s opener remained the difference at the break, but the visitors had turned the game around by the 64th minute as Luca Hogan placed his effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the area before Sam Duffy came back to haunt his former club with a clinical volley, also from distance.
It seemed Mold were going to clinch all three points as the clock ticked into stoppage time, but they did not fully clear a corner from the left, which allowed 17-year-old Duffy to find the net from the loose ball and secure Denbigh a point with his first senior goal for the club.
Second-place Newtown kept pressure on leaders Brickfield as the Robins triumphed 2-0 against Ruthin Town at the Memorial Playing Fields on Friday.
Gareth Evans struck the crossbar for Newtown early on, but the away side were not to be denied in the 15th minute as Hanoch Boakye met Jamie Hyne’s threaded pass, rounded Dan Goldston and rolled the ball into an empty net for his sixth goal of the season.
Josh Astley added a second goal in first half stoppage time as he held off his marker and finished calmly. Impressive saves from Dave Jones ensured Newtown took home all three points and their fourth clean sheet in five matches.
Declan McManus scored a hat-trick as Bangor City 1876 stormed to a statement 9-0 win over Gresford Athletic at the Bangor City Stadium on Friday.
Blaine Hudson got things rolling for Bangor with a towering header from Isaac Godwin’s corner before McManus quickly netted his first goal of the evening by forcing the ball home from Godwin’s initial effort.
Sam Parry also made no mistake in firing past Gresford goalkeeper Ryley Berry from close range to make it three before Godwin remarkably recorded his fourth assist with just over half an hour played as his corner once again found Hudson, who prodded in to bag a brace.
McManus’ second goal made it 5-0 to Bangor heading into half time, and there was no let up from Huw Griffiths’ men as Josh Carey received McManus’ through ball and rounded Berry to add a sixth before Gresford failed to clear Godwin’s free-kick, which allowed McManus to head home and complete his hat-trick on the hour mark.
Corrig McGonigle also got in on the act as he scored from fellow substitute Jack Burman’s corner and produced a calm finish to round off an emphatic home win, which strengthened Bangor’s position in the top half.
Rhyl 1879 moved back out of the relegation zone as Dan Cockerline salvaged a 1-1 draw against Holyhead Hotspur at the Hops and Barley Community Stadium in Barry Owen’s first league match in charge on Saturday.
Owen, who was appointed Rhyl manager following his swift departure from Mold Alexandra last week, was stepping into the dugout on Rhyl’s home turf for the first time, but his new side trailed heading into the break as Novira Cymru North Player of the Month nominee Connor Owen put Holyhead in front by running onto Jamie Jones’ quick free-kick and firing into the net via the underside of the crossbar from a tight angle.
Rhyl levelled the contest through Cockerline in the 67th minute as he produced a stunning finish from an outswinging corner. Holyhead goalkeeper Guto Hughes made a crucial late save to deny Ben Lightfoot’s free-kick and ensure his side extended their unbeaten streak to seven matches in all competitions.
Caersws also continued their strong unbeaten run as they beat bottom-of-the-table Penrhyncoch 3-0 at Cae Baker on Friday.
Caersws were left frustrated heading into the half time after hitting the post and having two goals disallowed for offside, but the visitors eventually broke the deadlock three minutes after the restart thanks to a piece of brilliance from Jake Humphreys, who curled his free-kick from distance over the Penrhyncoch wall and into the bottom corner, leaving Leigh Jenkins little chance of the save.
Humphreys’ stunning strike remained the difference for the majority of the second half, but Caersws fully put the result beyond doubt with six minutes remaining as Rhys Hesden converted from the penalty spot following a foul on Jake Morris inside the area. Hesden then turned provider in stoppage time as he slipped through Callum Francis-Jones, whose four league goals this season have come in his last five games.
Penrhyncoch’s woes increased in the closing seconds as substitute Cai Williams was shown a straight red card, with another disappointing result for the Roosters leaving them 11 points adrift of safety. In contrast, Caersws have now gone two whole months unbeaten in the Novira Cymru North.
Novira Cymru North
Bala Town ended their frustrating losing run with a narrow 1-0 win over Guilsfield at Maes Tegid on Friday.
Bala’s winning moment arrived within the first two minutes of the match as veteran striker Craig Lindfield controlled Aron Williams’ cross inside the area and clinically picked out the far corner for his sixth goal of the campaign.
Lindfield had the ball in the net again midway through the first half, but he was deemed offside and the goal was ruled out. The Guils improved after the restart, but struggled to test Bala goalkeeper Rhys Williams, who kept his first clean sheet for the Lakesiders.
Porthmadog bounced back to winning ways as Darren Thomas’ late goal proved decisive in a 1-0 win over Llanuwchllyn at Y Traeth on Saturday.
Thomas was introduced as a substitute shortly past the hour mark and he came up with the moment of magic needed as he brought down Ryan Williams’ pass, cut inside Kyle Jones and curled clinically into the bottom corner beyond the outstretched Rob Dascalu. Port are still fourth in the table and seven points behind leaders Brickfield Rangers whereas Llanuwchllyn dropped to 12th-place.
Novira Cymru North results in full:
Bangor City 1876 9-0 Gresford Athletic
Bala Town 1-0 Guilsfield
Denbigh Town 2-2 Mold Alexandra
Penrhyncoch 0-3 Caersws
Ruthin Town 0-2 Newtown
Buckley Town 1-3 Brickfield Rangers
Rhyl 1879 1-1 Holyhead Hotspur
Porthmadog 1-0 Llanuwchllyn
