PORTHMADOG, whose form on the road last season was more rewarding than their home fixtures, maintained their away form with a five-star show against Caersws on their own ground.

Four goals clear by half-time, Craig Papirnyk’s team were virtually certain of the three points by that stage, and the marksmen who delivered early were Cai Jones, with the first goal, and then Joe Chaplin with a hat-trick.

The second period became an anti-climax, and what scoring did happen came eventually in five minutes at the end, with two replies by Caersws and Porth’s fifth goal by Meilir Williams.

Papirnyk’s men, who had lost 3-1 in the corresponding fixture last season, began with good intentions, and Cai Jones produced a shot on 10 minutes that was deflected out for a corner.

Jones made the breakthough on 15 minutes with the opening goal, having chased a through-ball from Ceri James behind the Caersws back division on a 30 yards’ run to beat keeper Luke Evans from 12 yards out.

A timely second goal followed within two minutes from Chaplin, in similar fashion, as he fastened on to a pass from debutant Tom Taylor, a new signing from Midlands club Shawbury United. Chaplin broke clear along the right wing, darted inside and beat the keeper at the near post with a powerful 15 yards’ finish.

The scoreline became 3-0 on 21 minutes thanks to Chaplin again, this time the build-up involving Sion Bradley, who skipped past two opponents on the left to offer a cross, which Chaplin met to score with a diving header.

Chaplin completed his treble on 43 minutes, chasing a lofted ball from James over the Caersws defence to make inroads into the box and tuck a confident shot beyond keeper Evans.

In other promising situations for Porthmadog in a one-sided first 45 minutes, Bradley headed just over the target and shot into the side-netting.

Josh Banks also went close when he saw his goal-bound header strike Chaplin on the line and fly clear.

With Caersws scarcely offering a threat, Porth coasted through the second spell until being rocked by the home team’s two replies out-of-the-blue on 85 and 88 minutes, with both their goals scored by sub Phil Jones.

Porthmadog’s stinging reaction was to take play to the other end, where substitite Meilir Williams pounced for goal number five from 15 yards, after meeting Bradley’s left-wing cross.

PORTHMADOG: R Harvey, I Price, J Banks, D Roberts, T Taylor (J Jones 78), R Evans, C James, G Jones Evans (I Emlyn 64), S Bradley, J Chaplin (M Williams 73), C Jones. Subs: T French (gk), C Papirnyk.

CAERSWS: L Evans, J Parr, J Hughes, E Jones, G Samuel, G Jones, R Davies, L Jones, S Blenkinsop, L Sherbon, C Whitfield. Unused subs: P Jones. T Bethell. Unused: L Vickers, G Evans.