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HALKYN UNITED 3 BLAENAU AMATEURS 4.

The Amateurs consolidated their top 5 position in the Design2Print Welsh Alliance League with this win at Halkyn and in the process completed a quick fire double over the Clwyd side having beaten them 3-1 at Cae Clyd a few weeks ago. This time they made heavy weather of it after coasting through the first half and leading 3-0 at the break only for the home side to draw level before substitute Rhys Jones with his first touch of the ball slotted home the winner in the last 10 minutes of a match that had about everything. Some of the soccer the Quarrymen played in that first half was a joy to watch as time after time they stretched the home defence, created chances and thoroughly deserved their intereval lead. Mel Roberts had four players missing in keeper Geraint Hughes, Terry Hughes, Gareth Evans and Neil Reynolds the latter looking as if he will miss a few more matches as he has a small fracture in a foot. In came Carwyn Ephraim in goal with Keiron Ellis and Geraint Owen fit after illness and injury and from the start they looked the most likely side to score and it was no surprise when following a John O'Donovan free kick the ball was flicked on for young Carwyn Jones at the far post and he stroked the ball past the Halkyn keeper Ben Patterson on 12 minutes to open the scoring. The home side were physical and some of their tackles were crude to say the least and there was an almighty clash between the players which resulted in Halkyn's Steve Burke and Shane Rain as well as the visitors John O'Donovan seeing yellow which by another official could easily have been red. The visitors then doubled their score on 33 minutes when Ceri Roberts scored after a fine move by the visitors with Gareth Roberts and John O'Donovan promoinent and the two combined just before the break to release Gareth and he raced past a hesitant home defence to place the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Within the first 3 minutes of the second half the home side were back in the match with the Amateurs giving away two silly penalties with Shane Francis converting both and the home side were right back in the match and sensing they could after all get somedthing out of it. Gareth Roberts had an effort ruled out for offside before the home side drew level half way through the half. First Blaenau gave away a needless free kick just inside their own half and from it the ball was eventually moved to the left side and Jordan Ellis's cross was gathered cleanly by Carwyn Ephraim and Francis was on hand to complete his hattrick and now the pressure was really on the visitors. They defended well and were the most likely side to score when going forward and then on 81 minutes having just come on in place of Keiron Ellis, substitute Rhys Jones scored what turned out to be the winner and the small Blaenau band of loyal supporters who made this trip to Clwyd went home happy though for a while in that second half they thought the worse and all their side's good work of the first half would result in nothing. This Saturday they have a home League match against Llandyrnog United whom they drew 1-1 with earlier in the season. The kick off is at 2pm.

Meirion Ellis