Knighton Town scored for unanswered goals against Presteigne St Andrews and Builth Wells came out on top against rivals Rhayader, in the highlights of the mid Wales football fixtures.

ARDAL LEAGUE NORTH EAST

Builth Wells saw their good form in the Ardal League North East continue with a 3-1 Boxing Day victory over local rivals, Rhayader Town.

The Bulls are up to fifth in the table after goals from Rudi Griffiths, Lee James and Lyndon Jones gave them the derby spoils to leave Rhayader rooted to the bottom.

Builth struck early with Rudi Griffiths taking less than two minutes to put his side ahead with his first goal of the season, but Rhayader replied with a cracking 30-yard strike from Sion Herman.

Defender Lee James has been ever-present in the Builth side this season and he regained the lead five minutes into the second half.

The in-form Lyndon Jones wrapped up the points with a third goal on the hour, and both sides ended with ten men with Builth’s Tommy Rowlands picking up a second yellow card against his former club, while Ryan Owen saw red for Rhayader.

Elsewhere, Llandrindod Wells fell to a 3-0 defeat at title favourites Caersws.

It was always going to be a tough test for the Spa side, even more so as they were without the influential Shaun Nicholls and Jack Evans.

Llandrindod were also hampered by early injuries to Samed De Groot and Stuart Williams.

The Bluebirds scored twice early on through Neil Mitchell and Glynn Coney and Coney completed the win in the second half.

CENTRAL WALES LEAGUES

It is as you were at the top of the MMP Central Wales League South after Boxing Day wins for Hay St Marys and Radnor Valley. Hay go into The New Year in top spot after a 5-0 victory at nine man Talgarth Town.

Goals from Jack Biggs and Jack Cripps had seen Hay open up a two-goal lead and it went from bad to worse for Talgarth.

Brian Keddle-Jones was shown a straight red card by referee Neil Rutter on 34 minutes and within sixty seconds, Ben Sharman had picked up two yellows to join his teammate in the changing rooms.

Jordan Harvey extended Hay’s lead before half-time against his former club but the expected second half goal rush failed to materialise. The Saints had to wait until late in the game until a Dan Scaife own goal and one from the league’s topscorer Matty Tong completed the win.

Radnor Valley remain four points behind Hay with two games in hand after easing to an 11-0 home success over bottom of the table Penybont United.

Radnor were without key players while Penybont themselves travelled with a bare 11 and were up against it as Radnor player-manager, Elliot Morris took just two minutes to break the deadlock.

Charlie Beaumont, Ewan Davies and Geraint Lloyd also netted before half-time after which the floodgates opened.

Beaumont continued his rich vein of form by completing a second half hat-trick to take his personal tally to four. Geraint Lloyd also bagged a treble with Callum Matthews and substitute, Matthew Pugh completing the tally.

In Boxing Day’s other game, Knighton Town took the East Radnor bragging rights with a 4-0 win at arch rivals, Presteigne St Andrews.

After a goalless first half, Knighton Town broke the deadlock in the opening minute of the second-half through Kieran Dovey.

The visitors doubled their lead seven minutes later when former Presteigne St Andrews defender Jack Brindley headed home from close range after the Llanandras Park men failed to clear a Dan Farmer corner.

Jack Hoyle scored twice late on knock to the Christmas stuffing out of the hosts, despite a valiant performance against their derby rivals.

In the MMP Central Wales League North, Llansantffraid Village maintained their challenge with a 4-1 midweek victory over Llanfyllin Town with goals from Matthew Williams (2), Rob Carruthers and player-manager, Marc Griffiths who got off the bench to seal the win.

Llansantffraid were many people’s tip for the title with Griffiths having brought with him several players who played at Tier Two with Llanrhaeadr last season.

Meanwhile Llanidloes Town began their defence of the Montgomeryshire Cup with a goal in each half from Andy Evans securing a hard fought 2-1 home success over Carno.

The Daffs are currently on a poor run in the JD Cymru North and have gone eight without a win following Boxing Day’s 2-2 draw at home against Guilsfield. But they can take heart from a performance when they fell behind to a Chris Cathrall goal but hit back through Evans and Elliot Jones only to see Iwan Matthews level it up for Guilsfield.

JD CYMRU PREMIER

In the JD Cymru Premier, Newtown saw their five match winning run ended as they lost 2-1 at Cardiff Met last Thursday night with an own goal from Callum Roberts after 72 minutes proving decisive.

Eliot Evans had given Met an early lead but a Matthew Chubb own goal had Newtown level by half-time.

But The Mid Wales Robins returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory at Aberystwyth Town on Boxing Day.

The goals came from an unlikely source with defender Kieran Mills-Evans netting twice after Jonathan Evans had given Aber the lead.

The New Saints remain on course for the Cymru Premier title after Ben Clark bagged a hat-trick in a 7-0 win against Airbus UK.

Gwion Dafydd had preserved TNS’s unbeaten record with a 95th minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at title rivals, Connahs Quay Nomads in midweek.

The Saints had Danny Redmond sent off before half-time and George Horan slid the Nomads ahead early in the second half.

But there was late drama on Deeside as Nomads’ Michael Wilde saw red in stoppage time before Dafydd struck just a minute after coming off the bench.