Cwmbran 2, Connah's Quay Nomads 1

Cwmbran's title hopes and European fate are back in their own hands after two cracking goals from midfielder Anthony Wright earned them their first win in five League of Wales outings.

With leaders Barry Town dropping a point at Aberystwyth on Friday night and second-placed Bangor City losing at Caersws on Saturday, suddenly Cwmbran have bounced back into contention.

And the Gwent side have the opportunity to consolidate their new-found status in their next two home games, - none other than against Bangor on Saturday and then Barry on Easter Monday.

There are those who will claim Cwmbran played well below par and that the Nomads deserved something from this game which, if not for some smart goalkeeping from Pat O'Hagan, they could have wrapped up by the interval.

But it's at the stage of the season when performances don't matter as long as you score one more goal than the opposition.

And after midfielder Jon Kenworthy had side-footed past O'Hagan from ten yards, that's exactly what Cwmbran did.

First former Oxford United player Wright smashed a sledgehammer of a shot past a bewildered Andy Mulliner from 20 yards.

And he repeated the dose, this time from just inside the 18-yard area, to earn Cwmbran the three points for the first time since the emphatic 8-2 home win over Oswestry Town on February 23.

Manager Tony Willcox was again minus a nap-hand of first-team regulars, Nathan Wigg, Nathan Cotterrall, Neil Smothers, Mattie Davies and Richard Carter, because of injuries and suspensions.

And so stretched were Cwmbran that they were forced to name two players from their successful academy, Lee O'Connor and Ryan Fahey, as substitutes.

Even after Wright's double strike, the Nomads again forced O'Hagan to make important stops on several occasions and although Cwmbran welcomed back central defender Richard David to the starting line-up for the first time since November 12, the home defence often had a brittle look about it.

Nonetheless, Willcox was delighted with the success: "If we ever needed a result, that was it," he exclaimed. "I wondered if it was ever going to happen for us when we were one down at the break, but to be fair we stuck at it and we scored quality goals.

"This weekend's results have let us back in and it's all to play for again now.

"We said before the game that we still have a third of our season left and there's an awful lot of points still to play for."

Willcox confirmed the suspended Wigg will return to the squad for tomorrow's game at Aberystwyth (7.30pm.)

Cwmbran Town: P O'Hagan, J Wile, P James, M Pattimore (J Welsh 89), S Wharton (c), A Wright, A Moore, C Watkins, M Dunn, S Mainwaring. Subs not used: R Fahey, L O'Connor. Goals: Wright (57), (66).

Connah's Quay Nomads: A Mulliner, S Hopkins, C Smyth, A Griffiths (A Sumner 88), G Horan (c), G McCosh, P Mazzazella, S Terry, S Raine, (J Pepper 88), J Kenworthy, L Roberts (M Carroll 88). Booked: Griffiths (38). Goal: Kenworthy (38).