Top of the world after a first win
PUT your hands together for Mountain Rangers ladies football team who achieved their first-ever competitive victory last weekend.
The Rhosgadfan side triumphed 4-1 at Penrhyn Bay in Division Two of the North Wales Women’s League to break their duck at the fifth attempt.
In their first four matches, the newly-formed outfit had scored just two goals and conceded 25, but the tables turned last Sunday.
The Llamas went into the match without four key players who were unavailable due to work commitments and injuries, so manager Irfon Hughes had to make drastic changes.
A debut was given to Nicola Owen, who had been out through injury for the last three months.
With both teams looking for their first win, a hugely competitive game was on the cards and it was fellow newcomers Penrhyn Bay who opened the scoring.
A lapse in concentration in the Rangers defence saw Kelsey Morrey place the ball past the Rangers keeper.
They kept the lead until the 30th minute, when Rangers left-back Cara Jones picked up a loose pass on the halfway line and chipped the keeper with a thunderous longdistance strike.
With the game even at the break, Penrhyn started the brightest in the second half but could not get past the impressive Heledd Evans in the heart of the Rangers defence.
Rangers took the lead on 55 minutes. A wonderful corner by 16 year-old former Bangor City player Siwan Williams was headed powerfully into the corner of the net by captain Elena Julio.
A two-goal cushion followed 10 minutes later. A mazy run down the right flank by the impressive Williams and a inch-perfect cross into the six-yard area was met by the oncoming, unmarked Nerissa Owen, who lashed the ball into the net.
Rangers made it four on 85 minutes. The excellent Lisa Thomas cut in from the left wing, 25 yards from goal, and dispatched a rocket left-foot shot which whistled past the keeper. A great contest and a hard-fought victory secured by an Impressive Rangers performance.
● Bethel still lead North Wales League Division One on goal difference after a 6-3 verdict at Prestatyn.
League top scorer Ffion Williams bagged a hat-trick, Gwenno Gibbard-Bolton adding a double and Leonie Prytherch a single.
Llanfair United matched Bethel’s record of six straight victories and cut the goal difference gap to +8 after annihilating Pwllheli 13-1.
Gemma Jones (4), Sarah Ellis (3), Mary Griffiths (2), Sophie Cook (2), Liann Richards and Ffion Lewis brought up the baker’s dozen, Erin Parry with the solitary away reply.
Denbigh Town whipped Northop Hall 5-1.
The battle of the top two in Division Two was a tense encounter, but Bethesda beat Wrexham 2-1 to leapfrog their rivals to the summit.
Ceri Lois and Katie Midwinter struck for the home team, Lauren Reese on target for the away side.
Rhyl Development edged past Amlwch Town 5-4 in a thriller.
Sade Benjamin (2), Ceri Purvis, Charlie Skeffington and an own goal made up Rhyl’s tally, Lexi Crawley (3) and Cerys Gadd running the Anglesey side close.