Newtown 3 Penybont 1

NEWTOWN climbed into the top half of the JD Cymru Premier table with a comfortable win over Penybont at Latham Park.

Nick Rushton claimed the limelight with two goals after Aaron Williams broke the deadlock with a penalty while Lufumpa Mwandwe, the scourge of the Barry Town defence a week earlier, was once again virtually unplayable.

Mwande was clipped on the edge of the area by Mael Davies inside the opening three minutes as the Robins began the match on top with Penybont immediately on the backfoot.

Newtown dominated the opening 20 minutes and it was no surprise when the pressure yielded a breakthrough with James Davies tripped in the area by Kane Owen for Williams to slot home the resulting penalty.

The Bridgend side eventually got into the game and enjoyed a spell of pressure of their own but struggled to find a way through a well-drilled home rearguard.

Rushton created room on the edge of the area to test Penybont goalkeeper Ashley Morris on 37 minutes before the visitors threatened with Ben Ahmun heading over a right wing cross from James Waite.

Two minutes later the Robins doubled their lead with Williams the creator as Rushton gave his side a two goal cushion at the break.

The second-half saw the home side on top with Callum Roberts' acrobatic effort from Craig Williams' corner failing to seriously test Morris with the visiting No1 also smothering a scuffed volley from Shane Sutton following another deadball from Williams.

County Times: Lufumpa Mwandwe in action for Newtown against Penybont. Picture by Tom Houghton.

Lufumpa Mwandwe in action for Newtown against Penybont. Picture by Tom Houghton.

However on 68 minutes the visitors were back in the game with Keane Watts drilling home after being picked out from the left wing by Waite.

Penybont came close to levelling five minutes later with Waite rattling the woodwork as the home faithful feared their side would throw away a two goal lead.

Such fears were put to bed with 15 minutes remaining when Craig Williams' right wing free-kick from the edge of the area was headed home by Rushton.

Newtown could have added to their tally with Rushton firing wide before Aaron Williams broke through only to be denied by a brave save at his feet by Morris.

However by now the Robins had already done enough to celebrate a richly deserved three points.

NEWTOWN: D Jones, Roberts, Mills-Evans, Sutton, Mwandwe (Evans 82), Rushton (Rowland 75), Davies (Edwards 88), A Williams, C Williams, Hughes, Walker. Subs: M Williams, Taylor, Thomas.

PENYBONT: Morris, Owen, A Evans, Jefferies, M Davies (Walsh 62), Harling (Watts 63), Ahmun, Wood, Waite, J Evans (Snaith 45), Reynolds. Subs: Goodwin, Wynter, Borge, Tweedy