DERBY rivals Goytre and Abergavenny Town FC shared the spoils on Friday night in a 1-1 draw under the Plough Road floodlights, reports STUART TOWNSEND.

Goytre thought they had broken the deadlock after 16 minutes when top scorer Chris Ham slid the ball past pennies keeper Joseph Porter, but it was somehow cleared off the line.

Home skipper Daniel Paul then headed over the bar from a deep free-kick before Lewis McCauley fired over the bar from the edge of the box.

But the Pennies opened the scoring on the half-hour when Oliver Bruton converted Rudi Griffiths' cross from the right from close-range.

Leon Thomas then raced through, but placed his shot wide before the Ardal South East leaders hit back to level two minutes before the interval when Lloyd Oliver ran on to a Thomas through ball to finish past Porter.

Aber’s Harrison Reynolds pounced on a poor backpass five minutes after the interval but was denied by a brave save from Joe Massaro.

And the hosts’ Paul then thought he had put his team ahead when he forced the ball over the line from a 53rd-minute free-kick, but it was whistled out for offside.

Thomas' shot then slipped through Porter’s hands five minutes later but the ball was cleared off the line, before Oliver raced on to a 74th-minute through ball but fired wide.

Another Thomas effort from the edge of the box was spilled by the Aber keeper three minutes later and cleared off the line, with a 79th-minute header from Oliver also just kept out.

And deep in stoppage time, Ham's 93rd-minute header was deflected for a corner as the Pennies held out for a point,

Caerphilly Athletic beat Abercarn United 4-0 on Saturday to draw level on points with Goytre, but the Plough Road outfit have a game in hand and five points on third-placed Cwmbran Town, who host them on Saturday, December 13.

Elsewhere, Blaenavon Blues were downed 3-0 at Caldicot at the weekend, with a 23rd-minute Alex Bull own goal setting the Swans on their way.

Abergavenny visit Caldicot this Saturday (December 6), while Blues visit Cardiff Corinthians in the Ardal South Cup (kick-off 1.30pm) the same afternoon, with Goytre hosting Tredegar the night before.

Meanwhile, Clydach Wasps’ winless run stretched to six matches as visiting PILCS moved away from the Gwent Premier League top tier basement with a 3-1 victory.

The visitors opened the scoring when Ashley Jayne headed home Josh James’ ninth-minute free-kick at the far post.

Jayne then thought he had doubled the Glassmen's lead in the 24th-minute when he raced through to slide the ball past Natt George, but was deemed offside.

And Wasps were back level in the 36th minute when Josh Baynton netted courtesy of a 25-yard free-kick that went in off the bar.

But PILCS regained the lead just four minutes later as Jayne converted an inviting Daniel Williams cross from the right at the far post.

Jayne had a potential hat-trick ruled out for offside in the opening minute of the second period when Williams' strike was parried by George into his path.

But the hosts then saw appeals for a 78th-minute penalty for handball turned down by referee Robert Rosen as they pushed forward.

However, the Glassmen sealed victory in the 91st minute when Kian Nightingale latched on to well-timed through ball to clinically finish past George.

Elsewhere, a depleted Mardy travelled to Gwent Premier One leaders Graig Villa Dino with a mix of first and development players.

And in a flying start, they led 2-0 inside 14 minutes thanks to two goals from returning skipper Nathan Price, and it could have been three when a beautiful Owen Vaughan effort was controversially chalked off.

The hosts pulled one back on the half-hour before Dino’s assistant manager was banished from the touchline.

But the leaders seized the momentum making it all-square two minutes before the break.

And with Mardy going down to 10 men due to injury and no subs left, Dino took advantage to win 5-2.

Mardy MoM was Alex Cavalli, who stepped up from the development and put in an exceptional performance, even finishing in goal.

Elsewhere, Forgeside were tonked 10-1 at Thornwell R&W in the Gwent Amateur Cup, despite taking the lead after 15 minutes., with a red card for Kenz Williams on the half-hour mark seeing them reduced to 10 men, from which point the floodgates opened.