Brecon Corries were left feeling blue on Saturday afternoon as they suffered a narrow defeat in their latest Floodlighting and Electrical Services Ardal South East fixture.

Brecon Corries 0 - Blaenavon Blues 1

The home team came into the match with Blaenavon Blues having won their previous four league matches.

However, it was the visitors who came away from a tight encounter with all three points, following a narrow 1-0 victory, to move above the Corries in the table on goal difference.

Following a relatively quiet opening to the match, the visitors thought they had opened the scoring in the 11th minute, but Jude Bull’s effort was ruled out by the flag of the assistant referee on the stand side.

Craig Evans picked up the ball four minutes later minute and drove towards the Blues’ penalty area but was unable to keep his shot under the crossbar.

Former Cwmbran Celtic defender Rakesh Patel was unable to keep his far post volley on target after the Corries defence could only partially clear an 18th minute corner.

Matthew Burns latched on to a long ball played forward from inside the Blaenavon Blues’ half but fired over Declan Gaydon’ goal.

Corey Evans saw his low drive from the edge of the penalty area deflected behind for a 23rd minute and the same player had a close-range effort blocked from the ensuing set-piece.

Former Penydarren striker Nathan Williams was denied by George Lohfink just a minute later as he attempted to round the Blues’ custodian after being set free on goal.

Burns saw his header saved by Gaydon from a cross on the right as both teams probed for the crucial opening goal.

A 35th minute free-kick was played quickly to Corey Evans but the Corries defender was unable to keep his near post effort on target. The visitors ended the opening period with Burns firing over at the far post from a corner in the final minute of the first-half.

It appeared, from the evidence of the first 45 minutes at the Rich Field, that one goal would prove decisive to separate these evenly-matched teams.

The Corries and Blues were both promoted to Ardal South East last summer and were more than holding their own based on the opening half of the season.

The Blaenau Gwent visitors saw the ball scrambled to safety from a corner in the opening minute of the second period before the home team broke forward within a minute but Joe Cooper fired wide of goal after being picked out from a cross on the left.

Cooper was denied by Lohfink with a smart save three minutes later when the ball was pulled back into his path by former Merthyr Tydfil frontman Paul Keddle.

The visitors went immediately down the other end of the pitch but only for Jude Bull to be denied by Gaydon at his near post.

Blaenavon Blues were beginning to enjoy more possession as the second-half progressed as Burns saw his 61st minute effort deflected behind for a corner.

The only goal of the match arrived with 15 minutes remaining on the clock when Bull was picked out in space by substitute Harrison Archer before driving in on Gaydon’s goal and firing a low shot into the far corner of the net.

Lloyd Jeffries blazed over from the edge of the penalty area three minutes later after Bull’s cross from the left was only partially cleared. Brecon Corries continued to press for an equaliser in the closing stages, with Williams pulling his 81st minute effort wide of the target when played in on goal, before Craig Evans was unable to keep his shot down three minutes later after cutting inside from the left.

However, it was a case of would could have been for the home team, as manager Damien Daniels saw the Corries’ recent winning run finally come to an end.