AFTER what seemed an eternity, CPD Y Rhyl 1879 returned to Belle Vue after a month on the road which saw them win all four games, scoring an impressive 17 goals while only conceding one.

The visitors, Glan Conwy, came into the game following a 4-1 defeat to Meliden a week earlier.

1879 manager Gareth Thomas (Perry) rang in the changes prior to the North Wales Coast Football Association (NWCFA) East League Premier Division match, with what must have been one eye on the Cookson Cup final.

The game got underway, with neither team taking control for the first few exchanges, and saw play disrupted after only 10 minutes when a late challenge left Dan Sim immobile and would force him to be replaced by Danny Edwards on 17 minutes.

Following some positive play by the Lilywhites, they were awarded a throw-in midway down the left wing.

Up stepped Kieran Ellis to launch one of his signature throws into the box, and first to meet the ball was leaping Oliver Staveley, who headed the ball past Owen Booth in the Glan Conwy goal.

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20 minutes later, it was almost a carbon copy of the first, except Ellis saw his throw headed back to him, only for him to float the ball over the defence where Jordan Worthington was waiting to head in and double 1879’s lead.

At the break, Rhyl were forced to make their second substitution, when Staveley was replaced by Elliot Evans, due to a knock sustained late in the first half.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first; 1879 continued with strong possession and Glan Conwy defending well.

It took an effort on 64 minutes by new signing Danny Edwards to put the game to bed.

A great move down the right by Tom Cain saw him deliver the ball across the box to Edwards who unleashed a thunderbolt of an effort from outside the box in to the top right hand corner of the goal.

Carl Lamb came close to adding a fourth on 68 minutes, with a great team move ending in him seeing his effort go just wide.

With top-of-the-league rivals Prestatyn Sports not in action, the win against Glan Conwy saw 1879 go just two points behind Sports with four games in hand and seven matches remaining.

Rhyl play their first final of the season this coming Wednesday (April 20) in the Cookson Cup, against league rivals CPD Llannefydd at the Four Crosses Construction Arena, Colwyn Bay (kick-off 7.30pm).

Manager Perry said after the game: “It’s an important time for us now; a lot of the lads, you could see from the warmup, had their minds on Wednesday, so it was important to get three points ticked off.

“We kept another clean sheet, made a few changes, and tested a few.

“My only concern would be the early injury to Dan Sim where we had to take him off after 10 minutes, so we hope he’ll be alright for Wednesday.

“But all in all, it was a comfortable performance and we could have had a few more goals, but it’s three points.

“I think we need 13 points now to clinch the title; we just keep going. It’s another one ticked off.”