CALDICOT Town returned to winning ways following successive defeats, but there was another reverse for Caerleon, who slipped to the bottom of the Division One table.

In Division Two, Cwmbran Celtic shrugged off the loss of suspended-until-2011 striker Scot Lanyon to remain second after an away win in the capital, while an away win for Goytre means they are the new leaders of Division Three.

Caldicot hosted Ton Pentre at Jubilee Way, where the visitors were fresh from last Wednesday’s 4-0 home success over Caerleon.

And the visitors got off to a solid start in taking a 13th-minute lead, and held that advantage as the teams headed for the interval.

However, by the time the second period was eight minutes old, Caldicot had taken the lead through a couple of goals from Gareth Cullimore, who took his league and cup tally to 12.

To their credit, former champions Ton took only four minutes to equalise before Mark Williams popped up at the far post to head home a Peter Little cross.

The win moved Caldicot, who are now the division’s top scorers with 30 in 10 outings, up two places to seventh, and they now sit only six points off table-topping Goytre United with a match in hand.

However, Caerleon’s woes continued as Swansea-based visitors West End deservedly took the honours with a 3-2 victory at Cold Bath Road.

After Caerleon’s Luke Cueto had spurned an early chance from a close-range header, the home side fell behind on 18 minutes when Darren Griffiths put the visitors ahead.

Goalkeeper Scott James denied Griffiths a second, and shortly after the half-hour mark home midfield debutant Ben Davies levelled when he fired home a 25-yarder.

But within two minutes a poorly directed back-pass by defender Ryan Cueto let in Griffiths for his second.

Caerleon, though, kept battling and got their reward a couple of minutes from the break when Matthew Hearne scored from the penalty spot following a foul on Luke Cueto.

James twice more saved well from Griffiths, but had no chance of preventing the striker completing his hat trick nine minutes from time after a fine move had prised open the home defence.

Caerleon boss Brendan Dowd again had injury problems hindering his selection, but was honest enough to admit post-match that the right side had won.

“We made too many mistakes and simply weren’t good enough against a side which deserved to take the three points,” said Dowd.

“We really do have to start to stop making so many basic defensive errors, and to be frank it was men against boys out there again.

“We must now begin to knuckle down and get on with the task of defending much better than we have been doing.”

Yesterday’s Gwent Senior Cup quarter-final clash between Caerleon and Caldicot was postponed because of a waterlogged Cold Bath Road pitch.

Celtic travelled to face Cardiff Bay Harlequins, and they remain in the runners-up spot following a 2-0 victory via goals after the interval from Owen Llewellyn and Sean Matthews (penalty).

It was Celtic’s sixth win in eight league starts and they are still seven points adrift of leaders Penrhiwceiber Rangers, but have played a match less.

Llanwern underwent the longest journey of our local clubs, a trip to face Newcastle Emlyn.

However, despite leading goal-scorer Marcus Power slotting home his 10th goal of the campaign from the penalty spot, Llanwern lost 2-1 and dropped a couple of places to fifth.

There was good and bad news for Croesyceiliog. Michael Brooks levelled seven minutes from time to earn a 1-1 draw at UWIC, a result that moves them up three places to seventh.

However, top scorer Jody Jenkins was red-carded and will now have to sit out a three-match suspension.

Tredegar Town went one better and had two dismissed – Liam McCann and James Price – in a 1-0 defeat at AFC Porth, whose winner came in the third minute of stoppage time. Cwmbran Town visited Penrhiwceiber and were only 3-2 down with 15 minutes when a James Cooper shot struck a home post.

The incident appeared to deflate the Crows, who allowed the hosts to score twice more to complete a 5-2 success.

“We were outdone by individual mistakes and this simply wasn’t a 5-2 thumping as the score-line may suggest,” explained Cwmbran boss Barrie Hughes, who witnessed Aaron Thomas and Nyran Bird score their first club goals.

“Some of their officials told me that we are the best football side they’ve played this season and it was nice to hear that.”

But we can not hope to progress as long we keep insisting on making silly mistakes at the back.”

Goytre sit proudly at the top of the Division Three table after a brilliant 3-2 away win at previous Port Talbot-based leaders Corus Steel, where striker Graham Mason fired a well-taken hat trick.

“It’s our seventh season in the league and the first time we’ve sat on the top of the table,” revealed Goytre chairman Paul Greenhalgh.

“It’s reward for the players, who’ve worked very hard, and we are obviously hoping we can carry on this form.”

Goytre now head Corus by two points, but waiting in the wings are Monmouth Town, who will head the section if they win their game in hand over Goytre.

The Kingfishers travelled home from Pentwyn Dynamos as 6-3 victors – with as many players on the score-sheet.

Phil Tranter now has 13 league and cup goals for the season, while Matthew Bowen, Sam Palmer, Neville Harris, plus brothers Ashley and Elliott Ford were also on the mark.

Under-strength Newport Civil Service paid the price for missing a couple of early goal-scoring opportunities in losing 2-1 at Briton Ferry Llansawel, where James Thompson netted.

NCS are down one spot to seventh, while Risca United remain 15th despite losing 3-1 at Pontyclun, with their sole effort coming from Brendan Scott. Newport YMCA’s game at Llangeinor was one of three matches in the section that were postponed because of waterlogged pitches.

The same reason accounted for the South Gower v Aberbargoed Buds and Cwmamman United v Abertillery Bluebirds Division Three games.

l Hot shots: 15 – Ross Fowler (Aberbargoed Buds). 13 – Jody Jenkins (Croesyceiliog), Scott Lanyon (Cwmbran Celtic), Jason Thorn (Caldicot Town), Phil Tranter (Monmouth Town). 12 – Gareth Cullimore (Caldicot Town). 10 – Marcus Power (Llanwern). 9 – Graham Mason (Goytre).