PWLLHELI were short of several key players to face Welsh Alliance title contenders Llandudno Junction - and were unable to prevent the visitors moving within seven points of leaders Llangefni, with three games in hand.

The first half had been evenly contested and Pwllheli, who were notably without manager Jason Jones, John G Jones, Carl Jones and keeper Jiri Kober, initially did well.

They were stunned when Junction gained the lead on 20 minutes through Brian Roberts, whose low half-volley dissected the home defence and sped past stand-in keeper Jamie Underwood to enter the net off the post.

Pwllheli’s counter-attacks saw Mark Jones cutting inside from the left to despatch a shot that flew just past the far post, Jamie Banks being denied by keeper Gwydion Owen and also Rhodri Scott having his drive blocked.

Another inspired attack by the home side early in the second spell saw Banks’s fine effort parried by the keeper and Scott’s follow-up was also blocked by a defender.

With more luck the scoreline could have been 1-1, but Junction escaped to race upfield, where Chris Quinn doubled their lead to 2-0 on 55 minutes, when heading home Ricky Jones’s corner.

Pwllheli were a spent force after that and Junction proceeded to secure a comfortable 3-0 win with Adam Hall’s close range goal on 85 minutes from a left wing cross.

The visitors’ euphoria was tempered, however, when Dean Segar got embroiled in verbal exchanges with referee Gareth Jones, and was shown first a yellow card and then a red card for dissent.