A SUPERB late strike from Porthmadodog’s Gruff John Williams earned his side an action-packed 3-3 draw with Buckley Town in atrocious conditions in the Huws Gray Cymru Alliance last weekend.

All square in incessant rain at half-time, with Buckley’s Jake Roberts having cancelled out Dan Dascalu’s opening goal, two quick-fire goals from Roberts and Shaun Tinsley put the visitors 3-1 ahead.

Rob Evans kept the hosts in the game, but it wasn’t until deep into added time that Williams earned his side a point.

“We had fantastic support, and the result wasn’t good enough for the numbers that turned out in the awful conditions,” said Porthmadog boss Craig Papirnyk. “Credit to Buckley, they battled well and got the point they deserved, but it was nowhere near good enough from us.”An early threat came from Julian Williams, whose back post header was tipped over by goalkeeper Joe Makaruk with a fine reaction save, and a minute later Shaun Cavanagh, struck inches over the bar from an Ifan Emlyn corner kick.

Buckley forced a couple of corners, but Port continued to dominate possession and it was no surprise when they scored.

The conditions played their part in the goal as defensive indecision allowed Dan Dascalu to fire in from a narrow angle, with the ball going in off the back post.

Port went looking for a second and Gruff John forced Makaruk into a good save - and when Buckley’s 39th minute equaliser came it did so as something of a shock.

Jake Roberts broke to the edge of the box and chipped a ball over Paul Pritchard into the far corner of the net to make it 1-1.

Port were stung into a response and following an Ifan Emlyn corner, Gruff John had a powerful shot deflected just wide, but the half ended with an Aled Bellis corner being headed narrowly over the bar.

With the rain relenting at the start of the second period, Iwan Lewis went close and Dan Dascalu had a shot deflected wide, while at the other end Josh Jones was not far off target with a 25 yard strike.

On 57 minutes, however, a quick break down the right saw Buckley’s Shaun Tinsley time his run into the box to meet the cross, and turn it into the back of the net.

Port responded strongly as Julian Williams came close, and Lewis Hone saved a certain goal with a header off the line.

When Ceri James was penalised for a last-ditch tackle on the edge of the box, however, Jake Roberts stepped up and cracked a 20 yard free kick beyond Paul Pritchard into the corner of the net for 3-1.

Soon after Pritchard made a good diving save to keep out Aron Williams , but then Port threw themselves a crucial lifeline.

A quality Gruff John cross from the left to the back post saw Rob Evans - a few minutes after coming on - do really well to squeeze his header inside the post.

It was game on and home supporters were convinced that they should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Rob Evans, but the referee judged the offence to have occurred just outside the area.

At full stretch, keeper Joe Makaruk pushed away a Mike Sharples header for a corner, but in added time, with defeat looking likely, Gruff John finally struck.

From the edge of the box, he struck with power and accuracy into the bottom corner of the net for a deserved equaliser.

PORTHMADOG: P Pritchard, T Emlyn (J Banks 66’), C James, M Sharples, G Williams, I Emlyn (K Hilditch 81’), D Dascalu, I Gareth (R Evans 59’), I Lewis, S Cavanagh, J Williams, Unused subs: S Edwards, C Papirnyk (gk).

BUCKLEY: J Makaruk, L Blizzaed, D Roberts, J Jones, C Humphries, L Hone, A Williams. K Moore. J Roberts,. A Bellis (P Molyneuz 85’), S Tilsley, (A Eden 90’) Unused subs: L Douglas, R Jones. Ref: Aled Rhys Williams. Att: 205.