PENRHYNCOCH gifted their home supporters a solid 3-1 win over mid Wales rivals Llanfair United in the JD Cymru North at Cae Baker, to ensure that they went into Christmas in great spirits.

Manager Gari Lewis will feel well-satisfied with their top eight position so far, and with games in hand on teams above them, they are well-placed to push on in 2020.

After back-to-back league defeats to Llanrhaeadr and Ruthin, as well as a Welsh Cup exit at the hands of Prestatyn, it was a pleasing end to the year for the Roosters.

Goals from Jack Rimmer and Ifan Burrell ultimately claimed the derby spoils for a 10-man Penrhyn, after Karl Seliarts cancelled out Jonathan Evans’ opener.

The Roosters had to overcome a numerical disadvantage against the basement battlers, however, after Steff Davies was shown a red card early in the second half, with the game finely balanced.

Ifan Burrell had come closest to opening the scoring when he fired over from close range as Penrhyn began to take a grip on the game.

Llanfair worked hard to limit their chances, but the breakthrough arrived 10 minutes before the break, as Jonathan Evans got his head onto an in-swinging corner from Jack Rimmer to score.

Two minutes later Rimmer unleashed a thundering strike from outside the box that hit the bar, but the hosts were stunned two minutes before the half-time interval when Karl Seliaerts headed home Llanfair’s equaliser.

The visitors were handed another boost as Steff Davies was harshly shown the red card, after a challenge on goalkeeper Danny Foulkes, but a 10-man Penrhyncoch made the perfect response.

Rimmer restored their lead from a free-kick, and there was to be no way back for still-winless Llanfair, before a decent cross from Rimmer found Burrell, to tap home the killer third goal in the closing minutes.

Penrhyncoch will now turn their attentions to facing seventh-placed Guilsfield away on New Year’s Day, and with matches at lowly Corwen and Gresford to come in January, it promises to be an exciting start to 2020.

PENRHYNCOCH: Jenkins, Rimmer, T Evans, O James, S James, Pugh-Jones, Gittins, Rees, S Davies, J Evans, Burrel. Subs: Morgan, M Evans, Meredith, Keyworth.

LLANFAIR: Foulkes, R Stephens, Hughes, Griffiths, G Stephens, Spencer, B Jones, Bumford, Astley, Seliaerts, McVeagh. Subs: James, Gregory, Roberts, Bowen.