KAYNE McLaggon netted Barry Town’s 1,000th all-time goal in the JD Cymru Premier on Friday, as Gavin Chesterfield’s team returned to winning ways with an assured 3-0 victory over Penybont.

McLaggon’s 89th minute tap-in, following effective set-up play from substitutes Mo Touray and Callum Sainty, rounded off a good night’s work for Barry, who return to second spot.

Played in wet conditions, Town had led Friday’s derby from the 31st minute, when Clayton Green got on the end of a loose ball at the back post, after McLaggon mishit from a Keyon Reffell corner.

Then, much like the national team earlier in the week, Barry asserted their position with a second goal moments into the second half, as Luke Cummings claimed his first for the club with an incisive low drive from outside the Penybont area, following a neat set-up pass from teammate Eli Phipps.

While Kane Owen recurrently showed his class for the visitors, Penybont’s best chance at reducing the arrears came in the final third of the game, after returning Barry goalkeeper George Ratcliffe was deemed by referee Bryn Markham-Jones to have illegally brought down substitute Luke Borrelli.

Striker Borrelli then stepped up to the spot, but his penalty kick was comfortably saved by teenager Ratcliffe, capping a fine week for the young goalkeeper, who had kept a clean sheet for Wales U21s in their 1-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground on Tuesday.

With the opportunity gone awry, Penybont were forced to stomach a second successive derby day defeat; one that keeps the top flight newcomers a point adrift of safety at the tail end of the table.

Conversely, Barry’s challenge at the top end has enjoyed a timely boost, ahead of the visit of Chris Hughes’ Newtown in the JD Cymru Premier this Saturday (29th); a 2.30pm kick-off at Jenner Park.

Newtown claimed a 3-1 win at Jenner Park on the final day of the 2018-19 season, but were then beaten 3-2 by Barry at Latham Park in October, making Saturday’s showdown a tough one to call.

Elsewhere in the division, champions TNS make the short trip to Airbus UK Broughton with Scott Ruscoe’s men able to leapfrog Barry by winning, should Town slip up at home against the Robins.

Meanwhile, Penybont welcome unbeaten leaders Connah’s Quay Nomads to the KYMCO Stadium, as fourth-placed Bala Town tackle bottom-placed Carmarthen Town at the Old Gold’s Richmond Park.

Admission for Barry’s match with Newtown this Saturday is payable at the turnstiles, with the mid-Wales outfit set to provide the opposition again seven days later, in the JD Welsh Cup Third Round.