Newtown 2 Penybont 0

NEWTOWN hit the ground running with a comfortable home win over Penybont tonight.

Latham Park played host to the first domestic league fixture since before Christmas as the JD Cymru Premier season was revived.

The Robins welcomed back the familiar faces of midfielder Alex Fletcher and defenders Shane Sutton and Callum Roberts following their return to the club last month.

All three made an impact with Sutton and Kieran Mills-Evans at the heart of a home defence while denied the Bridgend visitors a solitary strike on goal in the entire match.

Meanwhile Fletcher slotted into home defence like he had never been away, dictating play from the first whistle.

However it was not just the returning players who helped ensure a winning start to life after lockdown.

Tyrone Ofori was bundled over by Matthew Harris inside the opening eight minutes but his penalty was saved by goalkeeper Ashley Morris.

It did not matter and 10 minutes later Ofori met Craig Williams' right wing cross on the near post to glance his side into the lead.

Five minutes later Fletcher released Jordan Evans who dragged his shot wide from 14 yards as Newtown continued to dictate the game.

Nick Rushton twisted and turned on the edge of the area before his shot was palmed over by Morris on 32 minutes.

It was a similar story after the break with Penybont full of craft but finding no way through the well organised home defence.

Oliver Dalton's dangerous left wing cross was cleared by Mills-Evans in Penybont's most threatening move of the game.

Newtown saw two strong claims for handball in the area rejected on the hour while James Davies also fired over.

Davies was not to be denied and on 63 minutes he rose on the far post to head home a weighted right wing cross from Fletcher to double Newtown's lead.

Both sides made a flurry of substitutions with quarter of an hour remaining.

However Newtown saw out the game comfortably with Penybont failing to test goalkeeper Dave Jones who had his quietest night of the season so far.

NEWTOWN

Jones, Mills-Evans, Rushton (McAllister 86), Evans (Mwandwe 78), Davies (Phillips 90), Williams, Ofori (Breese 79), Hughes, Sutton, Fletcher, Roberts. Subs: Steventon, Kelly, Letford

PENYBONT

Morris, Owen, Evans (Walsh 78), Jefferies, M Davies, Georgievsky (Clutton 87), Harling, Ahmun (Snaith 66), Wood, Dalton (C Davies 66), Harris. Subs: Goodwin, Borge, Griffiths