JD Cymru North: Penrhyncoch soar to the top of the table

The manager of the month curse struck for Radnor Valley in their top of the table trip to Penrhyncoch when the hosts prevailed by a 4-1 scoreline to leapfrog the Goats to the summit.

The visitors’ managerial duo of Adam Jones and Matt Croose received the manager of the month award for October and November from league chairman Will Lloyd-Williams before kick-off at Cae Baker. However, this turned out to be the high point from their perspective, as the Roosters swept them aside.

The New Radnor outfit made the worst possible start when they failed to clear a second minute corner from their penalty area and the experienced Geoff Kellaway was on hand to sweep the ball past Otto Jones.

The hosts were an impressive force when on the attack in the early stages. Niall Coleridge saw his eighth minute shot blocked after the Radnor Valley defence had failed to clear the ball from their penalty area.

He went close again with a low 25-yard drive in the 17th minute before the home side doubled their lead two minutes later. Tom Evans picked-up the ball from a throw-in before driving infield to fire a rocket from over 25 yards into the top corner.

The hosts were looking rampant, as within 60 seconds of the restart Kellaway pulled his first-time wide of the target, but the Radnorshire men always looked dangerous on the break.

Joey Price saw his 25 yard free-kick fly narrowly over the crossbar in the 25th minute before the Roosters responded in their next attack when Courtney Perkins was played in on goal but could only strike the ball straight at Jones.

Kellaway saw his 15 yard shot on the turn pushed over the crossbar by Jones in the 34th minute prior to Dion Phillips latching on to a well-timed through ball from Kellaway two minutes later and composing himself to slide past Jones to extend the hosts’ advantage.

Radnor Valley defender Henry Shipley was unable to keep his header on target from a deep 38th minute free-kick into the Penrhyncoch penalty area.

The Roosters responded within a minute when Perkins saw his shot from the edge of the penalty area held by Jones before the Goats were presented with a great opportunity to find a way back into the match. Joey Price was picked out to run through into the penalty area in the 43rd minute but placed his ensuing shot wide of the far post.

It was the home team that nearly extended their lead in the opening minute of the second-half but Kellaway saw his fierce effort come back off the underside of the crossbar. The Ceredigion club were perhaps not the same force after the interval but that was not surprising given they held a healthy advantage.

Daniel Owen fired narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area after the Radnor defence failed to clear a corner on the hour mark. The Goats gave themselves hope two minutes later when Joey Price converted a penalty awarded by Aled Jones after being brought down whilst on a surging run towards goal.

However, the Roosters regained their three-goal buffer in the 75th minute when Gale’s shot took a deflection and looped over the head of Jones to nestle in the back of the net. The visitors suffered a further blow two minutes later, when Croose was shown a red card for pulling back an opponent through on goal, but it was too late to prevent Penrhyn overtaking Radnor Valley at the head of the table. The hosts had a further opportunity to extend their advantage, with seven remaining on the clock, when Phillips fired over from the edge of the penalty area.