Caerphilly Athletic - 3

Goytre AFC - 2

GOYTRE suffered a blow to their promotion hopes following a 3-2 stoppage-time Elite Stands UK Ardal South East defeat to Caerphilly Athletic.

Played at the CCB Centre for Sporting Excellence, the Plough Road club came into the match on the back of a surprise 1-0 home reverse at the hands of Canton four days earlier.

The opening stages of this summit encounter were relatively cagey as neither team looked to be overly adventurous.

The hosts had the first clear opportunity when Richard Greaves fired a low shot narrowly wide of the far post after seven minutes before Ellis Quarterly responded five minutes later with a half-volley from the edge of the penalty area straight at Ben Haines in the home goal.

Drew Perrett's effort 15 minuted in was saved by Joe Massaro before the hosts had the ball in the Goytre net 20 minutes later but it was ruled out for offside.

Athletic went close less than 60 seconds later as Finley Skiverton's effort was defected behind for a corner.

Mal Graham's 25 yard drive was blocked in the thirty ninth minute before the hosts proceeded to break swiftly and Massaro had to be alert to deny Iwan John when he was played through on goal. The final 15 minutes of the first-half was more action packed than the opening half-hour, with Greaves string an upright from close-range in the forty fourth minute, but the teams would head to the changing rooms on level terms.

Caerphilly Athletic made a positive start to the second-half as Will Toms struck a 25 yard drive wide of the target in the 50th minute before going close from a tight angle three minutes later. It was the visitors who finally broke the deadlock when Dan Barnard headed home from Graham's fifty eighth minute corner at the near post.

Goytre doubled their advantage within two minutes of the restart when Leon Thomas curled a shot into the far corner of Haines' goal from just outside the penalty area.

Caerphilly Athletic halved the deficit when Josh Pope eventually forced the ball over the goal line from a seventy second minute corner to provide his team with some hope.

The league leaders were on level terms when an eighty ninth minute cross slipped through the hands of Massaro and Pope was on hand to score his second of the evening from close-range. Just when it appeared the two rivals were heading towards a stalemate, there was a late twist to the proceedings, with Iwan John netting a winning goal after the visitors had failed to clear a ninety seventh minute corner from their penalty area.

Goytre will be looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats, after enjoying a 17-match unbeaten run in the league, when they host Caldicot Town on Friday evening.