Aberystwyth Town 3
Airbus UK Broughton 1
TWO goals from the hard-working Luke Borrelli (35th and 75th minutes) and an 80th minute penalty, earned and scored by the effervescent Chris Jones, earned Aberystwyth Town a huge and potentially season defining victory over Airbus UK Broughton, in a close game, with Johnny Spittle responding for the visitors in the 57th minute before being sent off after conceding the penalty.
The victory catapults Aber up the table to fifth position in the Dafabet Welsh Premier League with 16 points from 13 games to date, and six of their remaining nine games before the split are at Park Avenue.
Starting with an unchanged side for the third game running, Aber started well with Borrelli bringing a great save from visiting keeper Ryan Nield with a glancing header from a right wing cross.
The lively Borrelli went close again soon after but his low shot crept wide, than back came Airbus to make a full contribution to an entertaining first half.
Ryan Fraughan was denied by Aber’s Chris Mullock from a good position, and went close again soon afterwards.
Borrelli again leapt like a salmon to meet Dan Alfei’s cross but missed the target, then at the other end Tony Gray and Ryan Edwards both sent shots wide of Mullock’s goal.
In a tight game, a crucial moment came 10 minutes before the break when Chris Jones sent in a peach of a cross from the left, and Borrelli arrived late at the far post to convert from six yards to gain Aber a crucial lead.
Town had to defend doggedly at times but were doing so as a team, and they saw out the half with their lead intact.
Aber upped the tempo after the break with Joe Clarke and Chris Jones sending long range efforts over the bar, and Fraughan also went close with a free kick.
Jones then hit the crossbar with a smashing volley, and Geoff Kellaway flashed a shot over the bar with Aber so close to killing the game.
They were then punished on 57 minutes when Spittle rose to head home Jamie Menagh’s corner for the equaliser, and for a time the visitors were on top.
Menagh played Gray in down the right channel with a brilliant ball and Mullock made a superb save to keep the scores level.
The importance of the save was underlined on 75 minutes when Man of the Match Borrelli hounded visiting keeper Neild into a terrible clearance before tapping in from a difficult angle for 2-1, much as he had against Rhyl two weeks ago.
Kellaway again went close and then, with 11 minutes left, Jones went on a thrilling run down the left and cut inside the box, only to be brought down by the errant Spittle, who was booked for the foul and then booked again for dissent – and dismissed.
Once Jones had confidently smashed home the penalty for 3-1, there remained time only for the peerless Sherbon to head over the bar, Gray to necessitate a tip over from Mullock with a goalbound free kick and the result was done – and what a huge result it was for the Black and Greens.
Saturday’s game was a tight and tense but very watchable affair, with the hosts edging things in front of goal and at the back.
They now have some real momentum with seven points from three games – and there is no better time to face second placed Gap Connah’s Quay on Saturday (Nov 5) at 2.30pm.
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