FRIDAY night’s Abergavenny Town match under the Pen-y-Pound floodlights against Tredegar was rained off, although Ardal South East rivals Goytre and Blaenavon Blues managed to play at the weekend.

High-flying Goytre, with games in hand on leaders Caerphilly, missed the chance to close the gap with the midweek arrival of basement side Abertillery Bluebirds, only drawing 1-1 at Plough Road through an 80th-minute Lewis Iles equaliser.

But their killer instinct returned on Sunday at Canton in Cardiff, as four second half goals saw them run out 5-1 St David’s Day winners to close to just four points with three games in hand.

It was Canton who opened the scoring after seven minutes, but top scorer Chris Ham pulled Goytre level on the stroke of half-time.

And further goals from Daniel Paul (63), Josh Parsons (67), Thomas Pratt (79) and a second from the penalty spot from Ham (82) sealed an emphatic victory on the road.

Blaenavon drew 0-0 at home to Cwmbran Town, but despite no goals, fans inside Wales’ highest football ground were treated to a blood and thunder Torfaen derby match.

Player of the match Jake Bull was unlucky with the pick of the chances in the first half while the Blues rearguard stifled Cwmbran’s use of long diagonal balls.

On the two occasions Cwmbran broke through in the second period, Blaenavon keeper Luca Bullock pulled off an outstanding save, and the second effort saw Ben Parfitt make a last-ditch clearance.

The Blues always looked dangerous on the counter through Bailey Perry, Ben Ward , Nathan Watts and Burns, but it stayed all-square to the final whistle, with another mouth-watering derby at Goytre up next this Friday night (March 6), while Abergavenny travel to Cwmbran on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Clydach Wasps reached half-time level at 3-3 at home to Gwent Premier top tier visitors Newport Corinthians on Saturday thanks to two goals from Josh Baynton (5, 33 pen) and one from Ben Rogers (29), but then leaked three second half goals without reply, two in the last four minutes, to lose 6-3.

But four second half goals from Lewis Francis, Owain Evans, Jackson Thomas and Riley Hughes Williams lifted Nantyglo to a 4-2 win at Llanhilleth in GP1.

Usk Town held on for a 2-1 win at home to Riverside to climb out of the GP2 drop zone, a Jordan Loydall brace proving enough despite the visitors pulling one back in stoppage time.

Loydall put the Green Army 1-0 in front from the spot on 21 minutes and looked to have sealed all three points with a second three minutes from the end of normal time,.

But a Tom Humphries reply on 91 minutes made for an anxious end game until the referee blew for time.

Fourth-placed Crickhowell were downed 4-1 at GP2 high-flyers Fairfield though, Alex Aitken pulling it back to 2-1 just before the break, but the hosts marching away with it in the second period, former Blues player Jude Bull scoring a brace, to leapfrog Brynmawr to top spot.

Blaenavon 2nds also fell 3-1 away to Cwmbran Town 2nds in the GP Combination, Harvey Pritchard with the Blues goal.

Jake Field was on target for Forgeside 2nds however, his 58th-minute goal sinking hosts Clydach 3rds 1-0 for only a second win of the season in Gwent Central 2.

Other fixtures this Saturday (March 7) include – Brynmawr United v Trinant, Pontnewydd United v Crickhowell, Blaenavon Blues 2nds v Tredegar Town 2nds, Clydach Wasps 2nds v Sebastopol, Glascoed v Pontnewynydd 2nds, Forgeside v Fairfield Utd Dev, Clydach Wasps 3rds v Prescoed, Usk Town 2nds v Forgeside 2nds.