PORTHMADOG, one of only two teams to have taken Cymru Alliance points from Prestatyn Town this season, in a 1-1 away draw in September, were unable to repeat the feat in the home return as they went down 3-1 at the Traeth.

Craig Papirnyk’s side nevertheless stretched the champions-in-waiting fully, despite being reduced to 10 men for the closing half hour - and they were beaten only by the third goal right at the end.

Frontrunners Prestatyn, who have gone 23 games for 21 wins, two draws and no defeats, with 97 goals amassed, opened as the more menacing force at The Traeth.

Porthmadog had an escape when Jack Kenny slammed his first time shot just over goalkeeper Richard Harvey’s bar.

The hosts countered when Gareth Jones-Evans set up Cai Jones on the right, and the forward surged clear, only to lose out in the one-on-one with keeper Carl Jones.

Prestatyn produced their opening goal on 21 minutes when James Stead drilled the ball into the net off the post, following a debatable free-kick decision in a central position on the edge of the penalty box.

Porthmadog, however, rued a miss by Chris Jones, who swept the ball into the keeper’s hands after a Cai Jones creation.

At the home end, Harvey was called on to save from Prestatyn’s Ben Maher, after a mistake by a co-defender, and then, close to the break, the keeper again intervened to deny Kenny from a few yards.

Porth were back in business through their equaliser on 54 minutes by Dan Roberts, who swept home a 12 yard shot in the follow-up to a corner by Sion Bradley and a shot from Rob Evans that was blocked.

Celebrations were short-lived, however, as the league title favourites regained the lead within four minutes, through Maher, with an edge-of-box drive after a partial clearance was seized on by Jack Lewis.

Porthmadog then found themselves down to 10 men on the hour, when Jones-Evans was dismissed by the referee for committing a foul on opponent Stead in the melee that ensued from a free-kick.

Prestatyn’s Kenny headed the ball just beyond the post, after connecting with a cross from the right, whilst Porthmadog’s Iddon Price swept over an inviting ball that sped across the face of the target, until it was cleared by Rees Fairhurst.

Prestatyn sealed the points with their third goal on 89 minutes, from sub Jack Higgins, who had only just joined the action off the bench. He headed into the net, after Kenny’s shot had clipped the bar.