Comeback leaves Town with the blues (From Free Press Series)

Comeback leaves Town with the blues

Monmouth Town 2 Blaenavon Blues 4

IF Andrew Smith's brilliant shot hadn't been somehow saved by Blues keeper Chris Jones then Monmouth Town surely would have been celebrating a rare victory and a vital three points.

Two-nil up after a blistering opening half and Town were in the driving seat playing some of their best football of the campaign so far and looking odds on favourites for a valuable win.

Striker Sam Palmer opened the scoring with a neatly taken shot, before dynamic central midfielder Andrew Smith made it two with his penalty goal.

And when Smith pushed through the midfield to fire a sledge hammer of a shot goal bound, for a few short seconds it looked as if Town would have the three points wrapped up before half-time.

Add on another couple of seconds and a brilliant match saving stop from keeper Chris Jones and the pendulum was about to swing as the Blues clawed their way back to 2-1 at the break, before sealing the result with three second half goals.

Gutted Town assistant manager Andrew Lewis rued the missed chance.

"If that shot had gone in, I think it would have sealed it for us. We were playing so well and didn't deserve to slip up like that. I can't take anything away from the lads, the commitment was all there.

"In the first half, we were all over them and absolutely destroyed them. Maybe our fitness is what let us down in the second half. You need it in big games like this, but who knows. Luck just hasn't gone our way," said Lewis.

Town still languish in the wrong half of the table, locked deep in relegation. They have only five games left - all away from home - to salvage their season. Lewis, however, remains ever optimistic.

"We've got a vital game away at Fairfield this Saturday. We have to win. We can take all three points off them if we play the same way we played against Blaenavon.

"We need to out-muscle them and out-play them and if we do that I'm confident we'll get the right result," said Lewis.

Monmouth Town kick-off at 3pm away at Fairfield United on Saturday.