Hay St Mary’s secured the point that they required to finish in the promotion places in the MMP with Norman Lloyd Central Wales League (South) following a 1-1 draw with hosts Aberystwyth University on Saturday afternoon.

Saints’ manager Gareth Jenkins made the journey to the coast without a number of key personnel, including suspended top scorer Matty Tong, and had to name himself on the substitute bench.

It was the students who broke the deadlock 10 minutes before the interval after pouncing some hesitancy in the Hay St Mary’s defence following a break in play due to a head injury to Jack Cripps that allowed Chris Carter to finish past Tom Lewis in the visitors’ goal.

The Saints looked to respond before the interval but struggled to test Sion Edwards in the home goal. The closest they came to an equaliser was when Charlie Howarth lifted the ball over the crossbar from 20 yards.

The visitors had to wait until the 76th minute for an equaliser when Jack Biggs rose like a salmon at the far post to emphatically head home from a corner.

Curtis Willliams nearly put the Saints ahead three minutes later but lifted his effort over the crossbar after Biggs headed another corner back across goal.

Both teams would feel that they could have claimed all three points but had to be content with a share of the spoils on Mark Farrington’s final whistle.

The result guaranteed a top-two placing for Hay St Mary’s and maintain their promotion hopes to the third tier of Welsh football next season.