Welsh League Round-up – Penybont stay top of Division One, Llanelli Town in hot pursuit; Llantwit Major hit eight at Jenner Park
Penybont remains top of Welsh Football League Division One after a comprehensive 3-0 win over Port Talbot Town at the Kimco Stadium.
A Marcus Griffiths double, sandwiching an Owain Warlow strike, gave Rhys Griffiths’ outfit the three points.
It was a vital win because Llanelli Town were also on the winning trail, a Lee Trundle double helping them to a 4-1 win over relegation-threatened Caerau (Ely) at Stebonheath Park. All five goals were scored in the first half, with The Reds’ other goals coming from Joe Clarke and Chris Jones.
It’s Llanelli Town’s second win in a week after going three games without a victory; the defeat ends Caerau’s recent revival under Mark Sampson having won consecutive games for the first time in 12 months ahead of the contest. They remain 14th in the table; four points adrift of safety.
In another weather affected weekend, only one other Division One match took place: Cambrian & Clydach Vale BGC beat Cwmbran Celtic 1-0 at Cambrian Lakeside Academy, courtesy of a second-half strike from Cameron Keetch. The win consolidates the Rhondda side’s grip on 5th place behind the main Welsh League title contenders.
At the top of the table, Penybont have 51 points (pending a 3-point deduction), trailed closely by Llanelli Town just 3 points behind but with five games in hand. Afan Lido and Haverfordwest County – who meet at the Marston’s Stadium next weekend – occupy 3rd and 4th positions respectively and both retain realistic hopes of winning the Welsh League title.
In Division Two, Risca United moved up to 3rd behind STM Sports and Pontypridd Town thanks to a 4-2 win over Abergavenny Town at the Caerphilly Centre of Sporting Excellence on Friday night. Goals from Tom Pratt, Tom Berry, Liam Head and a long-range strike from Daniel Battle earning the points for the Cuckoos.
On Saturday just two matches survived the weather. Ammanford defeated Croesyceiliog 2-0 at the Recreation Ground and climb four positions to 5th. After rain waterlogged their Windmill Lane pitch, Barry Town United’s Jenner Park hosted Llantwit Major’s fixture with bottom club AFC Porth. It was a memorable and enjoyable day for the Vale of Glamorgan outfit as they ran out 8-0 winners, with Anthony Rawlings scoring four goals in the rout.
Llantwit Major (7th) travel to title favourites Pontypridd Town (2nd) next weekend in what should be a stern test of their own promotion credentials.
Due to the weather across South Wales, no matches were played in Division Three. It means Swansea University remain top of the table ahead of Trefelin BGC. However, Trefelin travel to Ely Rangers in midweek and could resume their position as league leaders before the weekend.
(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell)
