Elite Stands UK Ardal South East League

Abergavenny Town 3 Abertillery Bluebirds 1

ABERGAVENNY Town maintained their good run of league form iwith a 3-1 victory over local rivals Abertillery Bluebirds under the Pen-y-Pound floodlights on Friday night, reports STUART TOWNSEND.

The Pennies made the perfect start to the local derby, played in damp but mild conditions, when Harrison Reynolds curled a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner of Andrew Hargreaves' goal after just two minutes.

The early goal boosted the hosts as another Reynolds close-range effort was blocked from a corner just two minutes later, before Ben Brooks raced clear on goal, but his low shot was comfortably saved.

But the Bluebirds responded in the ninth minute when Josef Baker's low 25-yard shot skidded off the wet surface and nestled into the far corner of Joseph Porter's net.

Abergavenny Town nearly regained their lead nine minutes later, when a Curtis Methven effort was blocked after Reynolds crafted the opportunity following a swift counter-attack.

The visitors responded within 60 seconds but James Watkins blasting over from 25 yards, before Methven's shot was parried by Hargreaves on the half hour after being played in on goal by Reynolds.

Abergavenny Town regained the lead in the 33rd minute though, when Tye Duggan's shot was blocked on the line and Methven pounced on the rebound to score.

Methven went close to adding a second goal within three minutes, but directed his effort narrowly wide of the far post.

It was 2-1 at the break, and Abertillery Bluebirds nearly levelled three minutes into the second period when Watkins diverted an inviting cross from the left narrowly past the far post.

Baker then had an effort blocked from the edge of the penalty area in the 50th minute before Ben Ward was denied by a close-range save five minutes later.

However, it was the hosts who increased their lead when Brooks found the bottom corner of the net in the 61st minute with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area.

Josh Rippon next had an effort blocked from the edge of the penalty area six minutes later after a corner was only partially cleared by the Bluebirds, before Alfie Jones' 20-yard chip over Hargreaves came back off the crossbar and was scrambled away to safety.

Substitute Oliver Bruton was then denied by a well-timed challenge inside the penalty area with 10 minutes to play, when he was just about to make connection with an inviting cross from the right flank.

The visitors continued to push until the final whistle as Nathan Tunley's low 25-yard drive was parried by Porter but James Thompson directed the rebound wide.

However, the Pennies had done enough to secure victory to go fifth, and will be looking to continue their current run of form on Saturday afternoon (November 15) at basement club Tredegar Town, who were hammered 5-0 away to Blaenavon Blues at the weekend.

Blues opened the scoring after 13 minutes thanks to a great individual goal by Jude Bull, but it wasn't until the 60th minute that they added a second, Matt Burns hitting a sweet volley to double the lead.

That seemed to open the floodgates, as skipper Kai Burton made it three with 20 minutes to play, before two pin-point lobs in two minutes on the counter, the first from Burns, and then from Bull, made it 5-0, with the hosts going eighth.

Table-topping neighbours Goytre also ran amok in Newport, licking 10-man Lliswerry Lizards 8-1, including two in stoppage time, with four from Leon Thomas, a Chris Ham hat-trick and a goal from Dan Barnard.

Goytre host Canton on Friday night, while Blues visit Cwmbran Town on Saturday.