Ardal South-East League

Monmouth Town 2

Abertillery Excelsiors 1

A goal after two minutes from former Hereford United striker Nick Harrhy set the Kingfishers on their way to a third win this season over Excelsiors, with a late strike from Lyndon Jones securing the points.

Bottom-of-the-table Excelsiors were looking for a win that would lift them up two places, but the home team proved too strong at Blestium Stadium on Saturday, extending their unbeaten league run to three games.

The Kingfishers hit the ground running and an early corner whipped in by Jones saw an unmarked Harrhy score with a lovely placed header.

The home team continued to knock on the door and missed several chances to extend the lead, with the Excelsiors’ keeper saving some four attempts in the first half. While the chances went begging for Town, against the run of play Excelsiors won a free-kick 25 yards out a minute before half-time.

And Lewis Jones struck a sublime dead-ball shot into the top corner, leaving Travis Wood in the Monmouth goal no chance to make it 1-1 at the break.

The second half started flat for the hosts with some scrappy play, but around the 60-minute mark they who took control of the game again and began to pressure the away goal.

Dogged defending and a bit of luck saw the scores stay level until the 82nd minute, when captain Ash Ford set up Lyndon Jones to smash home and give his team a deserved victory.

The result leaves the Kingfishers sixth, with 10 league games to play.

And team boss Scott Russell said: “We controlled large parts of the game without scoring, and eased off just before half-time and they scored a great free-kick.

“However the lads didn’t stop and we left it late, but got what I think was a deserved win.

“Excelsiors defended really well and showed that playing any team in a relegation fight isn’t easy as they fight for everything.

“We didn’t give them many chances to score and the pleasing part for me was the chances we created.

“On another day we could have been four or five up at half-time.”

Elsewhere, a 66th-minute goal by Josh Parsons secured all three points for Chepstow Town with a 1-0 Friday night win at Newport City - their third win in four unbeaten games that lifts them to 11th.

Monmouthshire rivals Abergavenny Town extended their lead at the top of the league to four points with six games to play with a 2-0 win at Rhayader Town, Dan Macdonald scoring after 12 minutes and in second half stoppage time.

Fourth-placed Caldicot Town kept up their challenge for a top spot with a 2-0 win at Panteg thanks to a first-half penalty from Ben Smith and a late goal from Matt James, but fifth-placed Goytre’s game at Treowen Stars was off due to a waterlogged pitch.

In the FAW Cymru Reserves League, Abergavenny 2nds won 2-0 at home to Abertillery Excelsiors, while second-placed Caldicot won their home table-top clash with leaders Undy 2-1 to make it a one-point championship race.

Fixtures this weekend (Saturday afternoon, March 19 unless otherwise stated) include – Croesyceiliog v Monmouth, Chepstow Town v Panteg, Caldicot Town v Rhayader Town, Abergavenny Town v Tredegar Town (Friday, kick-off 7.15pm), Goytre v Trethomas Bluebirds (Friday, kick-off 7.45pm), Monmouth Town 2nds v Croesyceiliog 2nds, Abertillery Bluebirds 2nds v Abergavenny Town 2nds.