It was first versus third. A Monmouthshire derby. Goytre beaten only once and with pedigree in their team and in the managerial hot seats. Monmouth Town – a bunch of chums.

Goytre prolific in attack and Town's defence lately putting up as much resistance as a doormat.

The visitors were expected to wipe their feet and fill their boots, but a strange thing happened.

A normal football match broke out and was enjoyed by all who saw it.

No silly score lines, no sendings off, managerial walkouts, no spectators sent to Chippenham or outbreaks of poisoning.

Just a good old fashioned blood and guts football match, one of only three in the Welsh League to survive the cold snap, played by two teams looking to keep the round thing on the deck and compete for it when they lost it. No dramas, just players.

The Kingfishers were expected to ring the changes following the previous week's shipping of six to Treowen and although there were some they weren't wholesale and on the face of it cosmetic with Smith restored to defence and Lewis earning his call up with his attitude-full 15 minutes in the Treowen debacle, McCoy in for the injured Palmer and Davies returning from taking to the Malvern waters.

Would it be a case of rearranging the Titanic deckchairs? The opening exchanges proved only that Town would still look to attack and Ford again got some joy down the right before his suspension next week, Bowen looked full of running and Lewis was keen to enjoy his first start for ages.

Goytre for their part as the table-toppers looked sound rather than spectacular, with Williams looking safe in the visitors' goal pulling off a couple of smart saves early in the game.

In attack former Welsh premier striker Prosser was also showing flashes of dangerous intent bringing a couple of sharp saves from Town man of the match Lee Williams.

And so it proved with a swift break on 27th minutes as Smith was beaten, Davies blocked a shot but the rebound found it was from Prosser's boot into the far corner beyond Williams in the home goal.

Barely five minutes later and an almost carbon copy finish in the opposite corner to beat Williams again.

At this point Town could have crumbled as they had on previous occasions.

It was now a test of character as much as anything and Smith just escaped his marching orders after his five foot four frame and 42-centimetre chest had floored the six-foot Prosser, who collapsed in a heap; shot from the grassy knoll.

He was felled again in similar fashion in the second half, this time by the six stone Rhodri Lewis from the nearby book depository.

Ref Curtis saw conspiracy both times.

It was inevitable then that half-time had to see changes as Smith was getting bullied and outnumbered by Goytre strikers.

Luckily, Town did get to half-time with no further damage inflicted but it looked a long way back against the leaders.

Smith was duly moved to midfield, with the Town reverting to a back four and suddenly the Kingfishers looked more solid and fluid with Alderdice, anonymous in the first half, showing his true form.

Bowen was denied a clear penalty and raids down right and left exposed the usual reluctance of Town strikers to shoot, but at least they were giving it a go.

Nobody was laying down on this job.

Another raid by Ford was ended by a left back's boot in the area and Smith scored from the spot. Minutes later he warmed the keeper's hands with a rasping drive from distance and Dean Palmer bounced a corner off the top of the crossbar.

With Town clearly in the ascendency everyone waited for the inevitable. Yep. The unforced error at the back.

It never came. Instead, the defence held firm, Williams was inspired; jumping and catching, diving and holding, tipping and blocking.

Then Smith rattled another one in from the edge of the box, Bowen put his back side in the way and Gwent's top scorer was in raptures as his bum flick sent the 'keeper the wrong way.

From there the Kingfishers could have won it. They should have lost it when Prosser missed a clear header. It ended all square and a fair result from a good quality Welsh league game.