PICTURE BY Richard Gregson shows scenes of celebration in Bodedern’s win over Bangor 1876.
IN THE battle of the North Wales Coast West Premier giants, it was Bodedern Athletic who came out on top v Bangor 1876 on Saturday.
Ricky Williams’ side moved top of the league as they beat their title rivals 3-2, inflicting 1876’s first-ever league defeat since the club was formed in 2019.
Boded, who have won all 13 of their league games to date, struck first as Asa Thomas scored nine minutes in with a powerful low shot.
Talented young midfielder Sam Gregson , 18, went close for Boded but was denied by a great save from 1876 keeper Ben Heald.
Sion Edwards had some good chances to bring the visitors level but his sensational lobbed effort went just over and another shot went right across the face of the goal.
In the second half though, 1876 showed that class which has seen them go unbeaten for so long in their league matches.
Following a handball, Chris Jones stepped up to equalise from the penalty spot on 54mins, sending Boded goalkeeper Carl Jones the wrong way.
The game was turned on it’s head on the hour-mark as determined 1876 went 2-1 up. Jamie Petrie was tackled well before the ball fell to the vastly-experienced Edwards who made no mistake to net his 2nd goal in as many matches since joining 1876, poking the ball through Jones’ legs.
But, in front of a crowd of around 350 people, Bodedern kept believing and got their reward of 3 points in the end.
Marc Evans levelled proceedings by converting a penalty on 73mins to set up a tense finale in what was a sensational battle between two fantastic sides.
Following this fourth goal, Sion Edwards again showed his pace down the left but pulled up with an injury and had to be substituted.
With five minutes left, the home side again broke into the box and were awarded a second penalty after Ben Heald was adjudged to have committed a foul. Evans once again kept his cool to put Boded back in front with what was his 39th goal of the season in all competitions.
The scoreline remained the same throughout the remainder of the game and Boded claimed a historic win which could prove to be the difference come the end of what should be a brilliant season in tier four.
Elsewhere in the league, Aberffraw picked up a big 3-2 win of their own over Nefyn United.
Goals from John Jones, Stephen Jenkins and Gary Bolton put Berffro 3-0 up on the hour mark and they were seemingly cruising to victory.
However, two stoppage time goals from Ifan Jones will have got their hearts racing a bit – but they did hang on for what was a huge 3 points away from home.
Penrhyndeudraeth and Pwllheli played out an 8-goal thriller with the former coming out on top 5-3 winners.
Jason Banks fired the visitors in front 8mins in but a hat-trick from the experienced Kevin Lloyd in the space of 20 minutes saw Penrhyn go 3-1 up before Meical Williams pulled one back for Pwll before the break.
The goalscoring action continued in the second half as Steven Jones made it 4-2 on 55mins but an own goal from Carwyn Price made it game on once more 10mins later.
Cai Henshaw was sent off following a second yellow card on 68mins but that failed to stop the home side in their tracks as they found a fifth goal moments later through Dylan Owen to seal the 3 points.
Glantraeth enjoyed a dramatic last-minute win over Gaerwen.
Before the game, both teams held a minutes applause as a mark of respect for a former player of both teams – Tom Wyn Roberts – on the 10th anniversary of his death.
Donations collected for a charity selected by Tom’s family currently stand at £825.
Meurig Evans had fired the visitors early on in the second half before 46-year-old Paul Bryant levelled the match on 68mins.
Glan pushed for the winner and were rewarded in the dying moments of the match when talented midfielder Tudur Williams popped up to make it 2-1. Gaerwen’s Christy Pritchard was sent off at the end also.
Pentraeth fell to another heavy defeat as they lost 8-0 at Llanberis.
Kurt Hellfeld (8’), Callum MacDonald (17’), Gethin Maxwell (27’) and Ifan Mansoor (38’) put Llanberis 4-0 up at the break at Ffordd Padarn.
Four more goals followed in the second half Ryan Owen (58’), MacDonald (63’), Maxwell (70’) and Mansoor (77’) as Llanberis moved up to 7th in the Premier table.
In Friday night’s encounter at Treborth, Menai Bridge Tigers beat Amlwch Town 5-1.
James Parker gave the visitors the lead early on before a Craig Roberts brace turned the tie around before half time.
The Tigers took it up a gear in the second half and found themselves 3 more goals through Callum Thomas (52’), Dean Redmond (63’) and Callum Davidson (82’) who was sent off two minutes later.
This is how the North Wales Coast West Premier standings look at the end of this week (matches played in brackets) …
- 1 Bodedern Athletic – 39pts (13)
- 2 Bangor 1876 – 37pts (14)
- 3 Pwllheli – 33pts (16)
- 4 Nefyn Utd – 31pts (15)
- 5 Penrhyndeudraeth – 28pts (12)
- 6 Menai Tigers – 25pts (16)
- 7 Llanberis – 23pts (13)
- 8 Llanrug Utd – 18pts (11)
- 9 Aberffraw – 18pts (16)
- 10 Mynydd Llandegai – 15pts (14)
- 11 Glantraeth – 13pts (14)
- 12 Gwalchmai – 13pts (15)
- 13 Amlwch Town – 9pts (15)
- 14 Pentraeth – 3pts (14)
- 15 Gaerwen – 2pts (14)
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