ABERGAVENNY Town will be playing in a lower tier next season after relegation from JD Cymru South was confirmed with five games to play.

They fought hard at home to Ammanford Town on Friday night, but it was a familiar story as the Pennies lost out by a single goal.

The basement side will return to Ardal South East after only two wins in the league, while their visitors made it eight games unbeaten.

Lewis Reed’s header midway through the second half separated the two sides on an evening when Ammanford bossed possession, but faced stubborn resistance from a side battling for survival.

Several chances fell to the visitors in the first period which whistled over the bar, while Ammanford left back Ellis Williams’ powerful drive brought out a smart stop from Aber keeper Josh Winstone.

It was 0-0 at the break, and Ammanford continued to enjoy the majority of the ball after the restart, but last-ditch defending stopped them from getting clear sights at goal.

An Ammanford shot struck the inside of the post and bounced into the arms of the keeper, before two headers also went close.

But the pressure finally told when good interplay down the left set up Reed unmarked inside the area, who powered a header past the helpless Winstone to give Ammanford the lead.

The goal produced a reaction from Aber, but no one could get a touch to a dangerous ball whipped across the six-yard box,

But the visitors spurned more chances, with the ball fired wide from inside the area, another header flashing past and a shot blasted over the bar.

A last minute corner was hurled into the box for Aber, but the visitors repelled the danger and the ref called time on their stay in the higher flight.

Elsewhere, Blaenavon Blues hosted Trethomas Bluebirds on Saturday, a week after a narrow 2-1 loss to the unbeaten Ardal South East league leaders.

This time it was even-steven, as Blues' league top scorer Chris Ham equalised Gareth Tedstone's 40th-minute opener with a 77th minute penalty to lift them to ninth.

Ham, on course for a second consecutive Golden Boot, also hit the woodwork twice, with a big appeal from the hosts that the ball had crossed the line going unheeded.

The striker's former team Goytre played on Friday at basement side Treharris Athletic and ran out 2-1 winners.

Aron Davies put the seventh-placed Penperlleni side in front on 21 minutes, before the hosts hit back five minutes later.

But Curtis Scotto Dabusco put the visitors back in front on 63 minutes and the visitors held out to secure all three points.

Abergavenny Town travel to Baglan Dragons on Saturday (March 16), while Blues host Caldicot Town and Goytre travel to Trethomas.