Monmouthshire Windows East Gwent League

Division Two

MONMOUTH Town warmed up for their semi-final clash at Undy Athletic this Saturday with an excellent 4-3 win at leaders Sudbrook CC, writes Bob Cypher.

After losing their first four league matches, manager Paul Perrella’s team is proving to be a match for anyone in Division 2 and their goal difference column shows a mighty +48, almost double those of the two clubs above them in the table.

On Saturday, the young team showed no fear of visiting the leaders in their own backyard and two early goals - a header by Greg Powell and a shot by Sam Williams after good work on the left by James Greaney - saw them take the advantage through to half time, although Sudbrook were twice denied a goal by the visitors’ woodwork.

Whatever was said during the break by Sudbrook boss Ricky Douglas and assistant Jon Clements seemed to work because within a minute of the restart, the home side had cut the deficit and then levelled with half an hour to play.

Despite losing the two-goal lead, Town kept plugging away and made it 3-2 when skipper Larsson Brown leapt to head home a corner from the left.

Back came Sudbrook and after they hit the woodwork for a third time, they levelled the score with under 10 minutes left.

The game, which had been end-to-end with neither side able to mount sustained pressure, was finally edged by Brown’s second goal for a win that sees them two points behind second-placed Chepstow Town with a game in hand and four behind Sudbrook CC.

Monmouth boss Perrella was pleased with his team's performance.

“I thought they showed a lot of character to keep looking for the winner on a difficult pitch in tough conditions,” he said later.

“With a team of players 16 to 18-years-old, they kept going for the three points after being pegged back.”

In other results, Chepstow Town were held 2-2 at Raglan FC while Chepstow Athletic won 4-0 at Portskewett & Sudbrook.

This weekend’s fixtures see Athletic at home to Caldicot Castle B, Chepstow Town welcome Thornwell Red & White B and Sudbrook CC host Raglan FC.