ABER Town grabbed a huge victory and a big step on the road to Cymru Premier safety on Friday as Zac Hartley’s 92nd minute winner was the difference on a tense afternoon at Colwyn Bay.

Jack Thorn gave the visitors a 31st minute lead, but when Dan Atkins equalised with two minutes left on the clock it looked like the Black and Greens had let a great chance slip, only for the irrepressible Hartley to pop up at the death with a magic moment.

Hartley had a good chance in the first minutes but his low shot was saved by Reece Trueman, then at the other end Cai Owen fired over from distance.

A series of home corners and free kicks were defended stoutly, then Ben Woolman’s free kick was prodded back across goal by John Owen, and Thorn sent in a left footed stinger which cleared a forest of legs and nestled in Trueman’s net for one nil.

Hartley was close to making it two with a shot from the left which was deflected for a corner, then back came the Bay with Jamie Cumming lobbing Dave Jones from an angle, but just missing the target.

With such high stakes a nervous second half was inevitable and the hosts enjoyed the majority of possession, with Aber defending well and threatening on the break.

Mark Cadwallader had an attempt saved from Hartley’s deft touch, then at the other end Colwyn Bay saw an effort cleared off the line.

Iwan Lewis was next to threaten for Aber, cutting in from the right, but his attempt was gathered by Trueman.

Aber sub Johnny Evans lobbed the keeper from the right, but narrowly missed the target, and Udoyen Akpan fired wide for the Bay.

Marsh-Hughes then headed wide from a promising right wing cross, then Lewis again cut in from the left but sent his attempt wide.

Hartley then battled to get a shot in, which Trueman again saved, and Marsh-Hughes had a low shot saved by Jones, but then just as it looked like Aber would hold out, Atkins found space on the right channel to clip home an equaliser from a narrow angle.

However, just three minutes later, Hartley battled to win a corner, and Kirkman’s cute delivery was nodded down by Woolman for Hartley to snaffle up a huge winner from a yard, and create delirium amongst the Black and Green tifosi.

There was yet time in the six minutes of injury time for Jake Canavan to sneak in down the right and send in a low effort from a narrow angle which Trueman just deflected for a corner, and the job was done. Aber hosts Penybont on Saturday with a 5.15pm kick-off.