A GOAL from Matt Board secured a hard-earned 2-2 draw for Chepstow Town at Ardal South East leaders Risca United on Friday night.

The Jockeys led 1-0 at the break after Ashton Ajibola-Gleed pounced on a defensive slip to finish coolly on 16 minutes.

But a frantic five minutes after the break saw three goals, with Risca levelling through Zack Maher on 52 minutes, Leon Thomas putting them 2-1 in front two minutes later and Board hitting back three minutes after that.

That was how it stayed for the last half hour or so, with Chepstow now eighth having drawn three of their last five games.

Monmouth Town didn’t have a game at the weekend following a seventh straight league loss the previous week, where they went down 2-0 at home to high-flying Undy Athletic.

A Billy Wheeler own goal after 19 minutes set the Kingfishers back on their heels, but it was all to play for until two minutes from time when Undy’s Harris Thomas secured the three points for the visitors with a second goal.

With the drop zone hoving into bigger view beneath them, 12th-placed Monmouth will be desperate to beg, steal or borrow at least a point on Saturday (February 18) when they next host Caldicot Town, having not drawn or won since November 12.

Meanwhile, county rivals Goytre saw their promotion hopes take a dent on Friday evening when they were beaten 2-1 by Trethomas Bluebirds in a physical encounter under the Plough Road floodlights.

The visitors took the lead when defender Ross Davies’ 27th minute backpass take an unfortunate bobble, just as goalkeeper Kham Steventon went to clear the ball, and it rolled into an empty net.

Bluebirds doubled their lead on 70 minutes when Bobby Briers netted after seeing his initial spot kick kept out by Steventon.

Kallem Berry halved the deficit with six minutes left with a close-range finish following a free-kick played into the penalty area.

Ross Davies then saw a header cleared off the line in the 90th minute before substitute Rhys Lloyd-James headed wide moments before the final whistle.

A long-range strike in the 65th minute by Alex Haines also saw Caldicot Town go down 1-0 at home to Treowen Stars, leaving the hosts 10th.

But Abergavenny Town won 3-1 on Saturday at JD Cymru South high-fliers Cambrian & Clydach, despite going one down after 28 minutes.

Man-of-the-match Owen Taylor beat two defenders to fire into the corner of the net from a narrow angle shortly before half-time to level up.

Then on 59 minutes captain Jac Evans set Rhys Schwank free on the right to beat two defenders and drill his shot past the home keeper for 2-1.

And five minutes from time, Ryan Lewis-Hillier scored an outstanding first goal for the club when he picked the ball up wide and cruised past two home defenders before slotting the ball home to seal a magnificent away win.

Monmouth Town 2nds on Saturday

Aber’s 2nds also won a thrilling Cymru South East Reserves match away to Monmouth Town 2nds on Saturday.

Jacob Heckles, assisted by Liam Simmonds, put the third-placed Pennies ahead before Jacob Perrella and Craig Lewis hit back to put the Kingfishers 2-1 up only for Will Duggan to level before half-time.

Liam Simmonds made it 3-2 to the visitors after the break, with Dean Palmer bringing Monmouth back level minutes later.

But Corey Paton then scored the decider in the 69th minute, a result which leaves the Kingfishers second to bottom.

Chepstow Town 2nds moved 11 points clear of the basement zone though, leapfrogging hosts Croesyceiliog 2nds to go 10th after winning 3-1.

But Chepstow’s Thornwell R&W missed a chance to close the gap on Gwent Premier 2 frontrunners Mardy and Neuadd Wen, who drew 0-0, when they were held to a 1-1 draw at third-to-bottom Crickhowell.

Mid-table Usk Town also drew, two late goals from Alex Head, including a last-minute headed equaliser securing a 2-2 result at Cwmcarn Athletic.

Usk Town 2nds just weren’t at the races at home to Race though, losing 7-0 to stay firmly rooted to the bottom of Gwent Central One, with only a point from their 10 games to date.

Owen Walters, with a contender for goal of the season, and strikes from Mike Hayes, Ben Wiggins and Ben Johnson secured a 4-0 home win for third-placed Monmouth’s Rockfield Rovers over fourth-placed Portskewett & Sudbrook in East Gwent One.

Second-placed Sudbrook CC won 2-0 at home to Caldicot Town 3rds, while Undy Athletic 3rds won the basement battle 3-0 at Caldicot Castle.

It was a day of woe for Castle, whose bottom place 2nds lost 11-0 away to third-placed Chepstow Town 3rds in East Gwent Two, and still have just the one point from 13 games.

But Tintern Abbey’s prayers were answered, as goals from Jack Coleman, Geraint Reynolds and Darryl Reynolds fired them to a 3-2 win away to Portskewett & Sudbrook 2nds to go fourth.

Redbrook Rovers came a cropper away to North Gloucestershire League One leaders Lydney Town A though, losing 10-0 to slip into the drop zone.

Fixtures this Saturday (February 18) include – Monmouth v Caldicot, Chepstow v Newport City, Undy 2nds v Monmouth 2nds, Forgeside v Usk 2nds, Redbrook Rovers v Ross Juniors, Staunton & Corse A v Redbrook Rovers 2nds.

Abergavenny Town host Taffs Well on Friday night, while Goytre host Brecon Corries.