ABERYSTWYTH Town’s interim manager Wyn Thomas hopes that Chris Venables’ last-gasp brace at Port Talbot will provide the catalyst for the Seasiders to push on and secure seventh spot in their remaining four matches.

After their dramatic 2-2 draw with the Steelmen, Aber are three points adrift of rivals Bangor City and Carmarthen, who have a game in hand, as the race for the play-offs really hots up.

Thomas said he was hoping for a big crowd at Park Avenue to rally behind the side against Rhyl on Friday night (7.45pm), and he could take heart from a determined effort at Port Talbot.

“There was nothing much in that game, as you would expect,” Thomas told atfc.org.uk. “We always knew that it was going to be a tough place to come to, the pitch was hard and the surface was hard to play on.

“There were a lot of mistakes out there, and the last eight minutes were, as you say, a bit crazy.

“I think we started off well, but they got into the game and scored the free kick, and we should have defended it better. But we reacted well in the second half and came out stronger, and we got what we deserved.”

The Steelmen had led through Luke Bowen’s 27th-minute free kick, until a frenzied six minutes of injury time produced three more goals - with Venables scoring twice to take his season’s tally to 15 goals in 25 starts.Aside from long term absentee Luke Sherbon, Aber were back to full strength last Friday, and Rhys Griffiths' return up front is a big positive for them, whilst Craig Williams made a big impact off the bench.

Thomas said: “We changed it towards the end, and it worked. Venners got a great header from a long throw, and I thought we could still go on to win it as there was enough added time.

“But then there was a disappointment for us when we made a mistake at the back, and they went 2-1 up, and at that stage I thought it was all over for us.

“All credit to the boys, they put the shift in and got the equaliser, and there are lads coming off the bench and doing well for us. They’ve put the effort in, they’ve got the commitment and desire, and that’s what you get.”

After successive draws away at Bangor and Port Talbot, Thomas is looking for a return to winning ways in front of the home supporters on Friday evening.

Having beaten Rhyl twice, and drawn once this season, Aber will hope to improve a home record that has produced just three league wins in 13 matches at Park Avenue this season.

“We didn’t lose, and since the split we have only lost against Carmarthen,” said Thomas.

“We’ve grown in every single game, and I am hoping that we can now turn draws into wins.

“We need three points to put pressure on Bangor and Carmarthen and fight for that seventh place. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s not ours to have.

“They want it just as much as Aberystwyth Town do, and Rhyl in the next game is a big, big game for us at Park Avenue. Hopefully on Friday night we’ll have a big crowd and there will be a big noise to cheer us on.

“That is what we need to push us on, and we need to put in the kind of performance we did in the second half at Port Talbot.”Admission costs £6 for adults, £4 Concessions and £1 for children. The game kicks off at 7.45pm.