A 30TH-MINUTE Curtis Methven goal secured a huge three points for Abergavenny Town at Croesyceiliog in their battle to beat the drop on Saturday.

The 1-0 win moved them fifth from bottom of the Ardal South East League, four points clear of the bottom two with two games to play.

All four teams beneath have games in hand on the Pennies, and Aber need to put more points on the board in their final matches and hope other results go their way, starting with mid-table Abertillery Bluebirds at Pen-Y-Pound this Friday night.

A week later (Friday, April 18), at home again, they'll finish off by playing bottom side Treharris Western, who will be even more desperate for a result, currently sitting six points from safety.

The Pennies will have to potentially then wait until the end of the month to see how things pan out, but another six points on the board should be enough to secure their status.

Elsewhere, Blaenavon Blues pushed into the top five leap-frogging visitors Brecon Corries after securing a thumping 5-1 win late on.

Matt Burns fired the Blues to all three points with a blazing hat-trick in the Memorial Ground sunshine, putting them in front after five minutes.

Corey Evans levelled five minutes later for Corries, and it stayed all-square until a mad last 20 minutes saw Blues take complete control.

Burns put the hosts back in front on 71 minutes with his second, and an own goal four minutes later compounded Corries' woes.

Jake Bull then grabbed a fourth eight minutes from the end of normal time, before Burns secured his hat-trick two minutes into stoppage time to complete the late rout, taking his tally to 18 for the season.

Blues briefly jumped to fifth above local rivals Goytre, who reclaimed the place on Sunday with a 3-2 win in at Canton in Cardiff.

Chris Ham made it 2-1 with his second on 69 minutes, but the hosts looked to have secured a share of the points levelling three minutes into stoppage time, only for even later drama when Ham set up Jac Evans for the winner 10 minutes into added time.

Blues 2nds lost 3-0, though, at Abercarn United and stay rooted to the bottom of the South East Reserves League.

Clydach Wasps also crashed 3-1 at home to lowly Lucas Cwmbran in the Gwent Premier top tier, having led 1-0 with just 15 minutes to play after a George Hughes 37th-minute goal.

But after Lucas levelled, two goals in the final three minutes cost Clydach any share of the points, leaving them eighth.

Nantyglo were on Cloud Nine though in GP1, firing that many against basement hosts Rhymney's three in a 12-goal extravaganza that saw them lead 6-1 at half-time and a man from each side sent off right at the death.

A Jack Watkins hat-trick and a Dwain Hunt brace backed up by a Ross Davies penalty and strikes from Jackson Thomas, Brogan Southway and Jordan Pettet secured the win to go fifth, following up a 1-0 win at top-four Pentwynmawr in midweek.

Usk Town had already finished their GP2 campaign and had to wait to see Riverside Rovers' Saturday result at Pontnewynydd to see whether they avoided the bottom two.

Thankfully, the basement side lost 3-2, leaving Usk third from bottom a place above Trinant on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Forgeside bounced back from a 5-0 midweek loss at Tranch to secure a vital 2-0 home win at Govilon over Gwent Central One basement rivals PILCS 2nds on Saturday, despite a 51st-minute red card reducing them to 10, Tyler Harris (45+2) and Jamie Parfitt (58) the marksmen.

Clydach Wasps 2nds fell 4-1 away to Pontypool Town 2nds in a third v second battle that saw them swap places though.

While Aber Town are in action this Friday, fixtures on Saturday (April 12) include – Blaenavon v Undy, Treharris v Goytre, Abergavenny 2nds v Goytre 2nds, Aberbargoed Buds v Nantyglo (Gwent Amateur Cup SF), Forgeside v Talgarth.

Abergavenny 2nds also visit Croesyceiliog on Tuesday night (April 15), when Forgeside host Race.