ABERGAVENNY Town bounced back from a 3-1 midweek defeat at Croesyceiliog to claim a valuable point drawing 1-1 with Elite Stands UK Ardal South East leaders Caerphilly Athletic at Pen-y-Pound Stadium on Friday evening, reports STUART TOWNSEND.

Summer signing Ben Brooks headed the Pennies in front from Corey Mitchell's 37th-minute corner before Iwan John hit back for the visitors seven minutes later.

The hosts made a solid start when Brooks volleyed into the side netting from a third-minute cross, before Ashley Morris made an important save with his feet four minutes later to deny Troy Hiscock-Greening following a low cross from the left.

Abergavenny Town's Alfie Jones then saw his shot inside the penalty area blocked before Tye Duggan diverted the rebound over the bar.

Iwan John was denied by Morris in the 17th minute before Joshua Pope's shot was blocked four minutes later when a corner was only partially cleared by the home defence.

John flashed an effort wide of the target in the 23rd minute, followed by Caerphilly keeper Chris Alexander dropping a cross only for Harrison Reynolds' close-range effort to be blocked.

Brooks volleyed over from the edge of the penalty area in the 27th minute following a cross from the right, before Morris came out to block Jason Gardiner after he pounced on a mistake in the home defence.

John then fired an effort wide from 25 yards before Duggan's volley from inside the box was deflected behind for a corner.

But Brooks finally broke the deadlock from the ensuing set-piece, and nearly doubled the lead in the 40th minute, only to be denied by Alexander following a cross from the right.

The visitors were on level terms four minutes later though when John latched on to a well-timed through ball to cooly finish past Morris.

The visitors commenced the second half with Pope directing an effort wide from the edge of the box following a break down the left.

Abergavenny then responded with a Brooks free-kick taken just outside the left edge of the penalty area clipping the top of the bar.

Duggan's 56th-minute header was next saved from a cross on the right, and he then had a far post header blocked from a corner three minutes later, prior to John having a couple of efforts blocked and Pope striking an upright.

Gardiner directed an effort wide of the far post from a 70th-minute cross before Brooks saw a shot blocked on 82 minutes following a swift counter-attack by the Pennies.

However, it was the visitors who looked more likely in the closing stages, John pouncing on an error in the home rearguard and rounding Morris only to place the ball wide under pressure.

Dafydd Pearce then drove into the penalty area but his effort was blocked prior to a Hiscock-Greening shot from the edge of the box kept out in stoppage-time.

League rivals Goytre also bounced back the same night from a 1-0 midweek away loss at Caldicot Town, coming back from a goal down to beat Undy 3-1 through second-half strikes from Chris Ham (47), Lloyd Oliver (56) and Daniel Barnard (69), leaving the Plough Road outfit third.

And Blaenavon Blues also showed a positive reaction to a 4-0 midweek loss at Caerphilly, drawing 1-1 on Saturday at home to last season's runners-up Chepstow, Matty Burns with a 73rd-minute leveller that leaves Blues 11th a place behind the Pennies.

Abergavenny turn their attention to cup action with a trip to Ardal South East rivals Caldicot Town this Saturday (August 23) in the JD Welsh Cup.

Other second round qualifying ties the same afternoon include Blues at AFC Wattstown, Clydach at Clwb Cymric in Cardiff and Nantyglo at home to Penygraig United.