Danny Barton’s 89^th minute goal rescued a point for Newtown as they came from 2-0 down to snatch a point against NEWI Cefn Druids.

Druids were looking set to gain all three points in their fight for survival at the foot of the Welsh Premier League until Barton popped up from close range to level the match.

Newtown could count themselves fortunate to still have 11 men on the pitch as early as the sixth minute. A through ball put Druids striker Ian Andrews clear of the home defence, bearing down on the advancing Steve Jones in the Robins goal. As Jones came out of his area, Andrews shot appeared to strike the keeper’s arms, but appeals for a free-kick were turned down and Jones escaped.

Just before that Jones had to be called on to stop an impressive Druids move. Andrews and Mick McLean combined well down the right and it was McLean’s lay off to Andrews inside the box that created the striker’s first real chance of the game. However Jones was equal to it.

It was Andrews, though, who gave Cefn Druids the lead in the 26^th minute. A sublime right wing cross from by Paul McDonnell was met with a low diving header by the striker – who was making his debut for The Ancients – and it left Jones stranded.

Eleven minutes later it was 2-0. The impressive McDonnell found himself in plenty of space 30 yards out, and his sweet shot evaded Jones’ dive and ended in the top corner of the net.

The home side halved the deficit within two minutes. A shot from the right side of the penalty box by Danny Field seemed to take a deflection that put the ball past Louis Mackin’s despairing reach.

The two goal deficit was nearly restored on the stroke of half time. Andrews once again broke clear of the home defence but his shot was well saved by Jones who came out to narrow the angle.

On 64 minutes it was the turn of McLean to break free from the Robins’ defence, but again Jones saved his side, narrowing the angle to make the block.

Jones denied Andrews another scoring opportunity in the 77^th minute when he quickly came off his line to smother the ball just as the striker was about to shoot.

Five minutes later it was nearly 2-2 when Martin Giles’ low shot beat Mackin but went narrowly past keeper’s right hand post.

That proved to be the warning of what was to come as, in the 89^th minute, Michael Brown created space for himself in the visitors’ penalty area to turn and shoot. Mackin saved the shot but, in the scramble, the ball landed at the feet of Barton and he was left a simple tap-in from close range with the goal at his mercy to rescue a point for his side.

Newtown: Jones, Harris, Giles, Hughes, Allen, D Desormeaux, Brown, Matthews, Field (Williams 56), Barton, Webb. Subs not used: Lewis, Mansell.
Booked: Hughes 62.

Attendance: 140
Referee: W A Tregonning