TWO goals in six minutes midway through the first half provided Porthmadog with their third straight win and a home-and-away double over Caersws.

Gareth Jones-Evans found the visitors’ net after 28 minutes, and Joe Chaplin doubled Porthmadog’s lead on 34 - and there was to be no way back for the Bluebirds.

Porthmadog’s opening goal came from a surging dash by Sion Edwards along the left flank to the byeline, where he lobbed into the goalmouth for Jones-Evans to head beyond keeper Alan Hawthorne.

Jones-Evans was in on the start of the second goal soon after, releasing former Bangor City man Edwards, who this time offered a low cross for Chaplin to turn the ball into the net with a 12-yards’ shot.Porthmadog, who had beaten Llandudno Junction 7-0 and Rhyl 5-4 in their post-Christmas outings, should have opened their account against the mid-Wales opposition twice in the opening stages.

Edwards burst into space soon after the kick-off, moving clear at an angle on the left, only to fire into the side-netting, and then Julian Williams looked likely, cutting in from the right, but he dragged his shot across goal, beyond the far post.

Meanwhile, Caersws’ only significant attempt around this stage involved Luke Sherbon, who blazed over from 16 yards, and later the same player wasted a simple chance from close in, prodding a tame shot into Richard Harvey’s hands.

After Porthmadog had established their two-goal lead, further pressure by the hosts created several chances, notably in the approach to half-time, but Williams’ chip was grabbed by the goalkeeper and Iwan Lewis fired into the side-netting.

Caersws also bemoaned miscues, and these included an Aaron Hughes-Jones blast that flew wide and Elliot Jones’s free-kick that sailed way over the target.

Porthmadog produced half-a-dozen or so further opportunities in the second half without success, as substitute Meilir Williams went close on three occasions, Edwards twice and Cai Jones once.

Caersws found the home net midway through the period, but the referee whistled for offside and, towards the end, a couple of dangerous situations for Porthmadog were relieved by timely tackles by Tomos Emlyn and Daniel Roberts to protected their clear winning margin.

Three points and a clean sheet marked another solid afternoon’s work, ahead of the visit to third-placed Denbigh Town.

PORTHMADOG: R Harvey, T Emlyn, J Banks, D Roberts, T Taylor, G Jones Evans (R Evans 65’), I Emlyn, I Lewis, J Chaplin (M Williams 55’). J Williams, S Edwards (C Jones 70’). Unused subs; S Bradley, Papirnyk.

CAERSWS: C Hawthorne, J Parr, A Hughes-Jones (P Jones 81’), E Jones, R Davies (D Lloyd 81’), G Jones, R Davies, L Jones, S Blenkinsop, L Sherbon, C Harris. Unused subs: G Evans, D McPhee Referee: A Jones (Deganwy). Att 217.