Ardal South East

Brecon Corries 2 Goytre AFC 2

GOYTRE made a strong start to Saturday’s derby clash of two top-six teams as defender Chris Parry saw his effort on goal blocked in the fourth minute after the visitors broke quickly down the left flank, reports STUART TOWNSEND.

And the Plough Road club should have gone ahead five minutes later when Lewis Green rounded Corries custodian Steve Price, only to see his shot cleared off the line.

Goytre were presented with another good opportunity to take the lead within 60 seconds, as leading scorer Chris Ham latched on to a long ball and beat the advancing Price, but again the ball was cleared to maintain the status quo.

The Monmouthshire visitors finally broke the deadlock though on 15 minutes when Price saw his clearance charged down by Green and the Goytre player turned the loose ball into an empty net.

The lead was doubled 11 minutes later when Tom Meechan found the back of the net with an unmarked header from a Lewis McCauley cross back into the danger area, after the Corries' defence had failed to clear the ball from their penalty box.

But Paul Keddle's far post effort from a 42nd-minute Joe Cooper corner was then turned behind for another Corries corner from which Joel Evans bundled the ball over the line to make it 2-1.

Goytre nearly regained their two-goal buffer when Daniel Barnard's close-range effort from a 44th-minute corner was blocked, before Cooper went close from a free-kick just outside the penalty area in first-half stoppage-time.

The visitors demonstrated why they were enjoying a six-match winning run in the league as they pressed to add to their tally following the interval.

Green drove into the Corries' penalty area but his ensuing effort was bravely blocked by Price.

Ham then went on a similarly surging run two minutes later and was denied at the near post by the hosts’ goalkeeper.

The Monmouthshire outfit went even closer in the 63rd minute after Connor Hanford struck an upright after a corner was only partially cleared.

Corries midfielder Jack Biggs had an effort blocked following a 69th-minute corner before Ham went close at the opposite end four minutes later with a shot on the turn from the edge of the box.

Craig Evans was then picked out in space on the left before driving towards the penalty area and seeing his subsequent strike deflected behind off a Goytre player.

But the hosts levelled the scores moments later when former Hay St Mary's midfielder Biggs netted from the ensuing set piece for 2-2.

Corries’ Joel Evans headed over the bar from an 83rd-minute corner as they pressed for a winner, but the visitors could have secured victory in the closing sages.

Ham was presented with two good opportunities, but firstly struck the woodwork from Green's low cross on the right before being denied by Price with a crucial close-range save after an inviting low cross into the danger area.

The result leaves Goytre sixth with at least four games in hand on every team above.

They next welcome third-placed Canton to Plough Road this Friday evening (February 7).