CPD Y Rhyl 1879 were held to a 2-2 home draw by Saltney Town at Belle Vue on Saturday (November 11).

Prior to the game, stadium announcer Ryan Desmond gave a remembrance speech, before a period of silence which was impeccably observed by all in attendance

Rhyl lined up with only four on the bench and with captain Reece Fairhurst out with illness, James Jones wore the armband for the second game running.

As the half-time interval approached, both teams were struggling to get any rhythm going, but Saltney would finally make their tenacity pay off on the stoke of the break.

A counterattack which unlocked the Rhyl defence with ease saw 18-year-old James Stevens bearing down on goal, and with Ryan Woods closing in on him, he shifted the ball to John King who fired the ball in from close range.

Rhyl manager Gareth Thomas reacted quickly to the predicament and made two substitutions at half-time, with Adam Hold and James Cairns replacing Oly Staveley and Hari Williams, and the team moving to three at the back.

With 30 minutes remaining, the visitors relinquished their lead, as Adam Hold, who had been a thorn in the side of the Saltney defence since coming on, was brought down in the box.

Referee Mark James hod no hesitation but to point to the spot, and Mark Roberts stepped up and send the goalkeeper Josh Cooke the wrong way to bring the scores level.

Roberts was in the thick of action again 10 minutes later; after winning a corner, he would take the ball to the corner but former Lilywhite Hayden Hughes was agitated.

He approached Roberts by putting his head forward, which the referee deemed a second bookable for Hughes, who was sent off. who had been previously booked was shown a second yellow then a red card and the visitors were down to 10 men.

This appeared to galvanise Saltney and with 18 minutes left, King would get his second of the game, stealing the ball on the edge of the box before thundering the ball off the bar and into the back of the net.

With the clock ticking away, Rhyl struggled to get any momentum and were looking more and more frustrated.

And two minutes into eight which were added on, the Lilywhites were level again; this time, 1879 substitute James Cairns, who was constantly involved, received a laser-like ball from centre-back Miles Todd.

With a great bit of skill down the right, he beat his man and speared the ball across the six-yard box to find Oly Buckley unmarked in the box, who was able to take the ball in his stride and slot the ball home.

A point and other results going in Rhyl’s favour means a five-point lead at the top of the table.

Next week, the Lilywhites travel to Brickfield Rangers.