Goytre lifted the storm clouds circling the ground and the club by walloping Panteg to reignite their league title dream, reports Andy Gully.

The club were knocked off the top of the table earlier this month after being docked 15 points for fielding an ineligible youth player on the bench, an FAW decision they are appealing. But with two games in hand on leaders Abergavenny Town and nine points the difference, performances like this in a fixture rearranged from the previous Friday’s gale-force winds mean they are still very much in the hunt.

On a cold crisp Wednesday evening, a fair crowd turned out to watch the former league leaders take on the team third from bottom at Plough Road. Goytre had two forced changes from the game at Newport City due to players being unable to take time out from work. Referee Joseph Gibson got the game underway and the pattern of the game was set with the home side attacking and the visitors parking the bus. Makeshift Panteg goalkeeper Callum Wakeham made some great saves to keep it all square until the 39th minute, when Josh Graham scored with a fantastic strike from just outside the box after a great through-ball from strike partner Michael Murphy .From the restart Goytre went back on the attack and Wakeham fouled striker Chris Ham in the box resulting in a yellow card and a penalty which the latter confidently converted for 2-0 at the break.

Seven minutes after the restart Ham scored his second with a simple finish from six yards after a Josh Graham assist and just four minutes later it was 4-0 as Murphy got on the scoresheet at the second attempt after being played in by Graham, Wakeham making a great save but unable to hold the ball and the striker beating him to the rebound. Captain Warren Archer was replaced by Herman Yohanes in the 60th minute, but the goals kept coming, Graham firing his second within a minute with an assist by Chris Ham for 5-0. Murphy then made way for young striker Issac Wigley, while Panteg replaced Lloyd Pugh with Joe Thomas in the 62nd minute.

Youngsters Will Higgs and Kallem Berry were also soon in action, replacing the impressive Abu Sama and centre-half Ross Davies. Lewis Sweetland had to come off with an injury with 15 minutes to play, replaced by the imposing Thomas Wise. Then two goals in two minutes saw Chris Ham notch his hat-trick from an unselfish Wigley assist, quickly followed by the hat-trick goal for the superb Graham after some fantastic play from Nathan Gulley for the assist.With the hosts still hungry for goals, impressive young striker Wigley got on the scoresheet a minute into stoppage time for 8-0 after an assist from Chris Ham. Then in the 93rd minute Ham got his fourth with the best goal of the game coming from a pinpoint Tom Burridge free-kick. The referee brought the game which was played in good spirit throughout to an end with the final score 9-0. The result keeps Goytre in sixth having played 19 games, winning 16, drawing two and losing only one game with a mighty goal difference of 72 and 15 clean sheets, and 35 points after a 15-point deduction.

Goytre hope to keep the winning run going at Mid Wales basement side Rhayader Town tomorrow (February 26), while Abergavenny Town visit Newport City tonight (Friday, February 25), kick-off 7.30pm.