Denbigh Town’s disastrous opening 15 minutes cost any hope of points as Newtown sealed a win at Latham Park.

Despite a second half fight back with goals from Alfie Vaughan and Bobby Beaumont, Town had a mountain to climb after allowing three in the first quarter of an hour.

Dewi Llion named three changes to the XI as Dan Flanders, Matthew Worrall and Keiron Roberts returned to the side after Wednesday’s cup clash in Porthmadog.

Newtown began as you’d imagine the brightest, coming close on five minutes when the ball pinballed in the Denbigh box before Greg Draper smashed the ball against the crossbar from the penalty spot.

Draper went one better less than a minute later though, Denbigh were carved open before the prolific forward smashed it into the bottom left corner.

Town were unable to catch their breath before the hosts got forward and doubled the advantage. Tom Jones worked well down the left before finding Jamie Hyne in the box to poke the ball beyond Elijah Beattie.

Shellshocked, Denbigh were unable to get any hold on the game and a work of magic from Aidan McCann saw the forward launch a rocket from range to possibly put the game to bed after just 15 minutes.

Denbigh’s first foray into the Robins half on 18 minutes saw Nathan Doforo’s low cross just out of reach of Vaughan before Luke Johnston was hacked down on the edge of the box and resulting free kick thrashed wide by Nathan Brown.

Draper came close just before the half hour mark when he headed a cross wide at the back post whilst Town came closest just before the break. Doforo crossed for Dafydd who headed the ball back towards Vaughan who thought it down and forced goalkeeper Dave Jones into a stop at the near post.

In stoppage time Brown got on it down the left and cut inside smashing the post before he collected the ball and fired wide from an angle.

Half-Time: Newtown 3-0 Denbigh Town

Denbigh had to respond in the second half and do it early if they had any shout of taking something away from Latham Park. Within four minutes of the restart they did. Matthew Worrall latched on to a ball over the top and his effort looked to sail wide before Vaughan got a toe to it at the back post to pull one back.

Newtown showed they were still a threat when a cross found Draper whose header was thwarted by Beattie and a follow up from Jones was pushed wide by the Town keeper.

With 20 minutes to play Denbigh looked to get themselves right back in the game. Brown stood over a free kick and rattled the crossbar before Dafydd headed the ball back in the mixer and Beaumont saw it home. Game on.

With seven minutes to play and the pressure on Beattie’s poor pass found Jones who raced forward before forcing the custodian into a low save. At the other end Denbigh broke through Dafydd who laid it to Danny Clarke but the forward couldn’t keep his effort from range down.

However, with two minutes of the 90 left the game was put to bed. A low ball across the box found Draper who prodded it home for Newtown’s fourth.

Denbigh did have a stab at getting back into it once more with seven minutes added but Vaughan’s powerful drive was the closest they came as keeper Jones was equal to it.

Town now move on to a Central Park return in a Denbighshire Derby with Rhyl on Friday.

Denbigh Town: Beattie, Flanders, B.Lockley, Cooke, Doforo, Roberts, Johnston, Brown, Vaughan, Dafydd, Worrall

Subs: Wilmot, H.Lockley, Payne, Beaumont, Barnes, J.Duffy, Clarke

Referee: Patrick Wilding

Attendance: 181

POTM: Ben Lockley - Excellent going forward and dealt with what he could