ABERYSTWYTH Town were left stunned as they crashed to a remarkable 10-1 defeat at home to defending champions The New Saints on Bank Holiday Monday.

Two four-goal salvos at the end of each half produced a humiliating score for the Seasiders - their heaviest ever Welsh Premier League defeat.

Billy Whitehouse scored a hat-trick, before substitute Greg Draper weighed in with a brace, with Jon Routledge, Dean Ebbe, Adrian Cieslewicz Kurtis Byrne and Adam Hughes completing the rout.

Aber’s reply came from Marc Williams, who stepped off the bench to make it 5-1 on 46 minutes, but it was soon forgotten.

“I just wanted to apologise for our team performance today,” commented scorer Williams after the game on social media.

“Not only did we let everyone associated with the club down, but ourselves. Thanks go out for the continued support - the beauty of this game is there is always next week to put things right.”

Incredibly, Aber had created chance after chance in the first 25 minutes, with Luke Boundford’s header from Joe Phillips’ cross being parried to safety by Paul Harrison, who also denied Wes Baynes.

Whitehouse, however, opened the scoring when Blaine Hudson picked out his smart run down the right wing, allowing him to dispatch a low shot under young debutant goalkeeper Alex Pennock.

Phillips almost created another chance for Boundford, and Alex Boss sent in a super cross to pick out Phillips, whose low goalbound drive was also saved.

Phillips then hit the post with a back post drive, and Boundford had another goalbound effort parried over dramatically by Harrison - but four goals in nine minutes left the hosts shell-shocked.

Whitehouse turned creator by picking out Routledge, whose header doubled the lead, before then scoring again with a snap shot inside the area to make it 3-0. Cieslewicz then picked out Ebbe down the middle for the fourth, and he then scored the fifth himself from inside the area.

Dan Redmond twice went close with a free kick and a lob, and Pennock did well to save Ryan Brobbel’s free kick and yet another Whitehouse effort to restrict the Saints to five goals at the half-time break.

Aber made a spirited start to the second half and Williams scored from close range within 15 seconds of coming on. The Saints, however, won a penalty three minutes later, which Whitehouse converted confidently for his hat-trick.

Cieslewicz was denied by Ryan Wollacott’s last ditch clearance, and Pennock saved from both Draper and Ryan Harrington, before Ryan Edwards brought a rare save out of keeper Harrison, and Williams curled wide for the Seasiders.

Byrne had a headed goal disallowed for offside, but then four more goals in the final nine minutes completed the rout. Draper scored twice, assisted by Cieslewicz and Redmond, Cieslewicz crossed for Byrne for the ninth, and Hughes stormed down the left before curling in the 10th to complete the Seasiders’ agony.

ABER: A Pennock, W Baynes (M Williams 46’), S Edwards, R Wollacott, R Edwards, P Mendes, L Boundford, E Vaz (L Jenkins 46’), S J Jones, A Boss, J Phillips (P Ahmadi 62’). Subs not used: B Birch, G Kellaway, R Ricketts.

SAINTS: P Harrison, C Marriott (A Hughes 68’), K Davies, J Routledge, D Ebbe (K Byrne 59’), R Brobbel (G Draper 62’), D Redmond, A Cieslewicz, B Hudson, R Harrington, B Whitehouse. Subs not used: S Spender, B Clark, A Edwards, L Dutton (gk). Att: 357. Ref: T Owen.

Barry Town United 3 Aberystwyth Town 1

ABERYSTWYTH Town fell to a disappointing 3-1 defeat away to UEFA Europa League qualifiers Barry Town, for whom Kayne McLaggon proved the difference with two clinical match winning strikes.

McLaggon opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a superb 30 yard volley, and then Clayton Green edged Barry further in front on 32 minutes.

When McLaggon notched his second with 12 minutes to go the game seemed over, but Aber rallied and Paolo Mendes grabbed an 83rd minute consolation.

An early Aber chance saw Wes Baynes’ deep right wing cross met by the outstanding Matthew Jones, whose header brought a save from George Ratcliffe.

Geoff Kellaway was denied by a last-ditch tackle, but then McLaggon burst forward and unleashed a super 30 yard volley, which keeper Connor Roberts, on loan from The New Saints, could only watch sail into the far corner of the goal.

Roberts then did well to deny Tom Fry and McLaggon again at close range - and suddenly Barry were looking good. Matthew Jones delivered a ball for Stuart Jones to head wide, but Roberts had to push Jack Compton’s free kick wide. Clayton Green, however, then saw hopeful shot hit into the far corner of the net for 2-0, and Aber were up against it.

Ratcliffe made a double save to deny Mendes’ close range header, and Kellaway’s snap volley, before Marc Williams saw a shot blocked, whilst for Barry, Robbie Patten’s shot was deflected wide.

Kellaway saw yet another shot blocked after the break, and Roberts again denied McLaggon, before Aber brought on Rio Ahmadi and Alex Boss to freshen it up.

Matthew Jones created chance after chance, with hard working Luke Boundford heading one opportunity just wide. With 12 minutes to go, however, McLaggon turned in the box and sent a low volley into the net to seal the points at 3-0.

Boundford flicked on a header for the tall Mendes to nod home Aber’s response with just seven minutes to go, but there was to be no way back for the Seasiders.

BARRY: G Ratcliffe, C Hugh, L Cooper, R Patten, K McLaggon (E Phipps 85’), L Cummings, J Compton (D Fahiya 70’), K Reffell (C Sainty 73’), C Green, E Press, T Fry. Subs not used: P Morgan, C Watkins.

ABER: C Roberts, W Baynes, S Edwards (A Boss 63’), R Wollacott, G Kellaway (P Ahmadi 63’), P Mendes, M Williams, L Boundford, E Vaz (J Phillips 84’), S J Jones, M Jones. Subs: A Pennock (gk), B Birch, L Jenkins. Att: 467.