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Sport

Rali Ceredigion delivers thrilling BRC double header

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THE fight for the Probite British Rally Championship crown will go down to the wire at the final round, after the merciless Welsh mountain stages of the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion saw a dramatic rise and fall of several title challengers at the weekend.

The Aberystwyth-based event featured on the FIA European Rally Championship [ERC] roster for the first time and brought some of Europe’s fastest drivers to Wales to go head-to-head with the BRC regulars.

Two points scoring opportunities across the tricky three-day closed road event meant that the approach to the weekend for BRC contenders could well be a tactical one and two top scores for several of the front runners could significantly shape the championship standings. Points were allocated after Saturday’s stages, with another opportunity to score on the final day.

Over 184km of flat-out driving would ensure that crews would need to be on their “A-game” across the daunting asphalt tests and it was undoubtedly shaping up to be the toughest event of the year.

A qualifying session kicked off proceedings on Friday morning to determine road order for the following day and it was series leader William Creighton who took his Pirelli shod M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 to third fastest overall and top BRC time against the ERC regulars.

After the afternoon’s sell-out ceremonial start on Aberystwyth seafront, two blasts around the promenade street stage were in order and the short sharp test saw Chris Ingram set the pace with two scratch times despite this event marking his debut on asphalt in the Michelin-backed Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

Behind him, a fascinating battle for the overnight honours unfolded with ERC regular Jon Armstrong receiving a late call-up from the M-Sport squad to score points for the team and making an instant impression, taking second overnight.

Just 0.1s behind would be Creighton with an under-the-weather James Williams setting an impressive pace to finish the day fourth in his Hyundai i20 N Rally2. Keith Cronin escaped a first-stage clash with the stage furniture in his Fiesta Rally2 to round out the top five.

Whilst the opening day was brief, Saturday offered up a stark contrast with over 124km of special stages and eight tests providing the bulk of the competitive driving.

The opening Brechfa test saw a masterclass performance from Williams, who recorded a breathtaking pace which was not only the scratch BRC time, but also the fastest time overall, his maiden European stage win. Sadly, that would be all undone on the very next test when he and co-driver Ross Whittock left the road, tipping the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 onto its roof.

Punctures for William Creighton and Jon Armstrong over the opening loop of the day threw the leaderboard into chaos and positions would change with every passing stage.

Heading into the mid-point service it was Ingram out front, Cronin second and Osian Pryce in third with Ingram almost 19s to the good from the Irishman.

Armstrong would be the man of the moment over the repeat loop, setting the fastest BRC time over each one of the afternoon’s five tests but his earlier puncture meant that fourth would be the best he could manage.

Despite just one stage win, Ingram was uncatchable and ended the day in second overall, giving him his third maximum BRC score of the season.

“I’ve been so careful this afternoon with so many guys getting punctures,” said a delighted Ingram.

It’s been tough to keep everything together today and keeping it clean and tidy has been important. Scoring maximum points today means the pressure is off slightly [for tomorrow] but we can have a push”.

Ingram and co-driver Alex Kihurani’s result meant they headed into the final day with the BRC title within reach; a win could be enough to seal the crown. Second went to Cronin and Mike Galvin with Osian Pryce and Rhodri Evans rounding out the podium in third.

With the clocks reset for points purposes, Sunday would be a short, sharp blast of just four stages, kicking off with the treacherous Bethania test. Creighton was one of the first on the road and would set the pace but behind him, the drama unfolded in spectacular fashion.

Braking for a fast right-hander, Ingram’s Yaris rear end stepped away and launched him off the road and into instant retirement. If that wasn’t enough, just a few minutes later Cronin clipped the inside of a wall and rolled his Fiesta spectacularly, meaning once again the BRC leaderboard was thrown into disarray.

Eager to capitalise, Armstrong was quickest on the next test to move into the lead for Sunday’s points. Three-time British Rally champion Matt Edwards’ return to the series was a testing one, but the fastest overall time on the Bethania repeat was some consolation for a difficult weekend in his Fiesta Rally2.

Another scratch time from Armstrong on the final stage of the rally gave him the win on paper, before electing to check into the finish time control late to incur a 20second penalty – enough to hand teammate William Creighton the round six win and a vital top score for the Irishman’s Championship aspirations.

“It’s been great to be here and compete against the BRC regulars and compare our pace, especially William [Creighton] & Matt [Edwards], said Armstrong.

Equally happy was Creighton, who now heads to the final round in the lead of the standings, by just one point over Ingram.

“Yesterday wasn’t great from me, some small mistakes that had costly errors and that put us behind, but we reset ahead of today and we’ve done a pretty good job” he said. “Thanks to all the team who got behind us after yesterday’s issues.”

Edwards did enough to clinch third with Pryce fourth. Meirion Evans hurled his Yaris to fifth over the closing day, with plenty to take away from a good performance over this home event.

The title fight now goes down to the wire at the Cambrian in October, where a handful of BRC1 contenders still have a chance of clinching the crown.
 
Junior British Rally Championship and BRC4
Home hero Ioan Lloyd was unstoppable in the Junior BRC, taking his Peugeot 208 Rally4 to a convincing round-five victory with Sion Williams alongside. The Welsh pair finished a staggering 1m 17s ahead of Ryan MacHugh in his Fiesta Rally4 as early contender Keelan Grogan exited early with an off-road excursion. Kyle McBride rounded out the podium in third after switching to an Opel Corsa Rally4 for the weekend.

MacHugh enjoyed the top spot on Sunday’s sixth round, with Lloyd electing to take it easy and maximise his chances of a top Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK score, eventually taking second place. McBride’s Opel suffered a water pipe failure, taking him out of third and ensuring Grogan could leave Wales with some points for his efforts. Robert Proudlock and Steven Brown still head the championship standings with one round remaining.

In BRC4, James Lightfoot and Ula Budzyńska completed their first international rally and in the process became class champions in their Fiesta R2T.

Open Rally Title & National Rally Title
Callum Black and Jack Morton were unstoppable in the Open Rally Title, claiming both round five and round six wins in their Fiesta Rally2. Eventual second-placed man Neil Roskell mastered the Aberystwyth Street stage to lead overnight on Friday before Black hammered in fastest stage times throughout Saturday to end the day with over 2m 34s in hand and newcomer Dylan Davies rounding out the top three. The sixth round was a carbon copy, which means like its BRC1 counterpart, the title race goes to the final round of the season.

In the National Rally Title, Nathan Evans and Rhys Edwards took their Renault Clio RS to victory at round five, following it up with second spot on Sunday. Sunday’s victory went to Nathan Bolton and Phil Kenny in their Mitsubishi Evo. Series leader and Vauxhall Nova driver William Mains secured third on both occasions, to come within a hair’s breadth of the title.

The last round of the season heads back to the gravel and the popular Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally in October. With one and a half times points available, it’s all set to be a thrilling final encounter.

Catch up with all the action from Rali Ceredigion with the BRC highlights on ITV4, ITVX and ITV4+1 at 8pm on Wednesday 11 September.

Sport

Narberth and Crymych suffer humbling defeats

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Heavy losses dealt to both Pembrokeshire sides

PEMBROKESHIRE rugby teams Narberth and Crymych endured punishing defeats on Saturday (Mar 29) as both clubs came up against dominant opposition in their respective leagues.

Welsh Premiership: Merthyr 78–17 Narberth

In the top tier of Welsh club rugby, The Otters were overwhelmed by a clinical Merthyr side who ran in 12 tries. Despite the heavy defeat, Narberth showed flashes of resilience, with second-row Will Blackburn scoring twice and fly-half Jonathan Rogers adding a conversion.

There was a sliver of consolation for Narberth as fellow relegation rivals Bonymaen also lost, though the Swansea-based club managed to secure a valuable bonus point.

Championship West: Llanelli Wanderers 68–12 Crymych

Crymych’s afternoon was equally difficult as they were soundly beaten by Llanelli Wanderers. The home side dominated from the outset, racking up a 32–0 lead by half-time. Despite tries from flanker Tom Taylor and hooker Lee Griffiths in the second half, Crymych were unable to mount a serious comeback.

Adding to their woes, relegation rivals Gowerton produced a big win over Maesteg Quins, piling further pressure on Crymych as the battle for survival intensifies.

Both Pembrokeshire clubs now face uphill tasks in the final weeks of the season as they fight to maintain their league status.

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Sport

Goodwick United seal third consecutive league title

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Goodwick United 2 – Pennar Robins 0

GOODWICK United have been crowned league champions for the third season in a row, following a composed 2-0 victory over Pennar Robins.

Manager Chris O’Sullivan praised his side for getting “over the line” and is now urging them to complete the season unbeaten. Should they win their final two matches, Goodwick will have lost just once in three league campaigns—an extraordinary run that underlines their dominance in Pembrokeshire football.

After a tightly contested first half, the deadlock was broken three minutes after the restart. Will Haworth delivered a pinpoint cross that was met with a superb 12-yard volley from Matthew Delaney. The lead was doubled in the 68th minute when midfielder Rhys Jones curled a trademark free-kick into the bottom corner, sparking early title celebrations.

Goodwick’s dominance in recent seasons has been nothing short of remarkable. With just one league defeat in three years, they are now pushing to go down as one of the county’s all-time great sides.


Merlins Bridge cruise as Milford United turn attention to Cup

Merlins Bridge 4 – Milford United 1

MERLINS Bridge made light work of struggling Milford United, sealing a comfortable win at the Pembrokeshire Sports Village to claim their eighth league victory of the season.

The Wizards took control late in the first half, with Jason Griffiths smashing in a volley from Nathan Evans’ cross before Jordan Thomas added a second moments later, glancing in a Hayden Dimond free-kick.

Milford showed some resilience after the break and pulled one back on 63 minutes when Scott Reid slotted home following a clever assist from Joey Jones. But the hosts hit back almost immediately, with Nathan Evans finishing from close range. Substitute Ben Davies, returning from injury, completed the scoring in stoppage time after an unselfish square ball from Dimond.

Although league survival appears unlikely for The Robins, their attention now turns to the Senior Cup Final, where they face fierce rivals Hakin United in a bid to salvage their season with silverware.


Devonald’s late equaliser lifts St Ishmaels in relegation scrap

St Ishmaels 2 – Kilgetty 2

A LAST-GASP strike from captain Brennan Devonald kept St Ishmaels’ survival hopes alive, as they clawed back a vital point after trailing Kilgetty by two goals.

Teenager Mason Abbott looked to have secured all three points for the visitors with a goal in each half, putting Kilgetty firmly in control. But Tish weren’t done. They reduced the deficit when Kyle Marsh scored past his brother—Kilgetty goalkeeper Kurtis Marsh—in a family twist to the relegation drama.

Then, deep into stoppage time, Devonald pounced on a loose ball to fire home a dramatic equaliser, sparking jubilant scenes and securing what could be a crucial point in their battle for safety.

St Ishmaels are now three points clear of the drop zone, but must await other results to confirm their survival.


Leahy double pushes Carew closer to danger

Tenby 3 – Carew 1

TENBY delivered a commanding second-half performance to defeat local rivals Carew, who now sit just two points above the relegation places.

Shaun Whitfield set up Jonty Bennett to open the scoring for the hosts in the 17th minute, but Carew responded swiftly. Former Tenby man Curtis Hurlow levelled matters after good work from Jerome Williams.

The second half, however, belonged to Joe Leahy. The Tenby striker struck in the 57th and 81st minutes with two composed finishes, sealing all three points for The Seasiders and leaving Carew looking nervously over their shoulders.


Relegation picture: Advantage Tish as Milford target cup glory

St Ishmaels’ dramatic draw leaves them in a stronger position in the fight for survival, three points clear of the relegation zone with just one game remaining. While their fate isn’t yet sealed, the late equaliser could prove decisive.

Milford United, meanwhile, face near-certain relegation, but their attention is now firmly fixed on the Senior Cup Final. A win over Hakin United would offer a welcome silver lining to a difficult season and the chance to lift silverware against their greatest rivals.

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Sport

Llanybydder edge past Llangwm in spirited clash

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Llangwm 17 – Llanybydder 19

IN A fiercely contested battle at Pill Parks, Llanybydder secured their second win of the season, narrowly overcoming Llangwm in a match that showcased the grit and determination of two sides rooted near the bottom of Division Four (West) A.

Despite difficult campaigns for both clubs—this season and in recent years—their continued commitment to the game is a testament to the enduring spirit of Welsh grassroots rugby. These are the clubs where many begin their journey, and their dedication week in, week out deserves recognition.

Although Llangwm outscored their opponents three tries to two, it was Llanybydder who emerged victorious, capitalising on key moments and punishing their hosts’ ill-discipline.

Llanybydder, who had already beaten The Wasps 24-20 earlier in the season, took a 13-5 lead into the break thanks to tries from Mathew Rollins and Osian Roberts, with Roberts also adding a penalty. Their defence, bolstered by several permit players, stood firm under pressure, with captain Jack Evans once again leading from the front.

Llangwm responded through Ethan Edwards, playing on permit from Amman United, who crossed for an unconverted try in the first half.

The Wasps looked brighter after the restart, scoring twice through Dan Richards—finishing a fine team move—and Josh Griffiths. One of the tries was converted by Breig Matthews. However, their inability to convert early pressure into points ultimately cost them. Dominating the first quarter, they camped on Llanybydder’s line but came away empty-handed—a factor that loomed large in the final outcome.

Two second-half penalties from Osian Roberts proved decisive, sealing a hard-earned 19-17 win for the visitors.

Llanybydder will now avoid finishing bottom of the table, while both teams can take pride in their performances in what has been a testing season.

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