Monmouth Town 3 Caerau Ely 0

MONMOUTH Town’s Kingfishers put Cardiff’s Caerau Ely to the sword with a blistering first half display and a sound defensive second 45 to take them second in the Welsh League and in the mood for the visit of leaders Haverfordwest tonight (Weds).

Out of the blocks against a skilful and enterprising Caerau, Town took an early lead as Rob Laurie ghosted in at the far post to nod home the first from a corner and soon after the marauding Adam Davies struck the bar with a venomous strike.

The Kingfishers were flying and, despite some neat play from the visitors, in no mood to let them dictate play.

Harrhy got the second, beating the keeper to a through ball, rounding him and slotting home and when Harrhy set up MacDonald for a sublime strike on the half hour to make it three it was game over.

Harrhy still had time to claim miss of the season when he rolled a cross from MacDonald wide with the goal at his mercy, an honour he won’t mind as once again his overall play was superb.

Caerau had shown enough in the first half to make sure Dan Clare, Jack Alderdice, Adam Davies and the returning Josh Brown had to stay awake and they were nearly undone in the first minute of the second half but Blackburn was equal to the strike and not worried by a rebound that upset the crows’ colony in the Chippenham Fir trees.

Blackburn was called upon to make a number of other important saves as the visitors attacked and it is to his credit that his long periods of inaction don’t affect his concentration.

At certain times the visitors played with four up front hoping to get a lifeline but Clare was putting in a man of the match performance and Davies was having his usual excellent game at right back.

Jenkins is also growing into some player at this level leaving defenders for dead with an amazing turn of speed. Harrhy could have had another after a blistering run by MacDonald somehow eluded his lunge and Lee hit a post when on another day he would have got some reward for his efforts.

But Town are well placed in second with games in hand for a first ever Welsh League title.

Stand in manger Andrew Smith however was having none of it perhaps remembering darker days. He said “We were great for most of the game but it’s still just three points. Of course I’d rather be in our position than anyone else’s but we still have to go and win games. It was a good game of football”

Haverfordwest top the table following a 1 - 1 draw with Pontardawe and make the trek to Monmouth this evening knowing defeat will be a perilous blow to their ambition to gain promotion to the Welsh Premier League.

Town Chairman Lee Robson hoped the town would get behind the team “It’s top v second in the Welsh League. It simply doesn’t get bigger than this at a semi pro Welsh football level. Home support could be the 12th man so come along and cheer us on."

The game kicks off at 6pm