TWO late goals condemned Penrhyndeudraeth to defeat in the final of the NWCFA Intermediate Challenge Cup Final, a competition that is considered the pinnacle of the North Wales Coast Football Association season.

There was little to choose between the Cocklemen and Gwalchmai at the Nantporth Stadium on Saturday but the islanders finished strongly to take the spoils with a couple of stoppage time strikes.

Gwalchmai finished fourth, seven places ahead of Penrhyn in the table but league matches this season have been fiercely competitive, with the Cocklemen losing 1-0 on Anglesey and drawing 1-1 at Maes y Parc.

After a high tempo start to the game with both sides equally up for the occasion, Reece Evans made a decisive block to deny Gwalchmai a close range shot on target.

At the other end, Tom Hughes fired a wicked long-range volley that flew agonisingly wide.

Pen were growing into the game and created a flurry of half chance midway through the half but Gwalchmai were dangerous on the break and should have done better with one counter.

An evenly matched opening half came to close with Pen again on the front foot and playing with confidence.

Gwion Davies did well to set up Hughes who set off on an attacking run but his shot was again just wide.

A superb pass by Deegan John then found Cai Henshaw in a pocket of space but the Gwalchami defender was switched on to snatch the ball away as the shot was about to be taken.

And Henshaw was denied again by a superbly timed tackle in stoppage time with nothing to split the sides at the break despite a flurry of chances for the Cocklemen in the closing stages.

But Pen took a deserved lead in the second minute of the second half, full back Harri Davies with a striker’s finish to dink the ball past Gwalchmai keeper Caron Hughes.

The contest was building up nicely and the woodwork came to Pen’s rescue on the hour before Gwalchmai drew level moments later through Kaine Bentley who was highlighted as one of the islanders’ danger men before the game.

Gwion Davies pulled off a vital block to see a Gwalchmai shot sent wide on 69 minutes before confidence returned to the Penrhyn game when Cedri Jones played a fantastic pass to pick out Henshaw in the box but his touch let him down allowing the keeper time to collect.

Another half-chance followed with a long range strike from the skipper Deegan John before Hughes pulled off a big save to deny Tom Hughes.

It was still up for grabs with extra time looming when Connor Owen joined team-mate Bentley on seven goals each in the competition to give Gwalchmai the lead in stoppage time.

And the result was put to bed when Mark Evans slotted in a penalty in the seventh minute of added on time to win a game that could have gone Pen’s way with a bit more luck.