Rhyl complete dramatic comeback with two stoppage-time goals

Buckley Town struck first inside 11 minutes when Connor Littler collected a loose ball on the halfway line and cut inside before firing a superb shot past Alex Swindell to give the hosts the lead.

Rhyl responded well and were unfortunate not to draw level on 16 minutes as Ben Lightfoot unleashed a dipping effort from range that forced Josh Tibbetts into a fine save.

Sustained pressure followed, and some excellent passing play on the half-hour ended with Rocco Hewitt pulling his effort over the bar as Buckley sat deep and looked to counter.

Before half time, Jack Parry went close to equalising, only to be denied once again by Tibbetts.

With the lights on for the second half, Rhyl were forced into a change on 51 minutes as captain Reece Fairhurst made way for Ben Lawrence after picking up an injury.

Tempers flared late on, and on 81 minutes referee Nicholas Davies dismissed Buckley coach Lee Worrall with a straight red card following comments directed at the assistant referee.

Buckley Town manager, and former Rhyl player, Asa Hamilton, was already missing from the bench due to a suspension.

Paul Moore rolled the dice in the closing stages, introducing Paul Fleming for Dan Wood on 83 minutes in search of a late breakthrough.

As the assistant referee indicated nine minutes of injury time, Rhyl appeared to be heading for defeat, but what followed was a remarkable finale.

In the 94th minute, goalkeeper Alex Swindell's long diagonal ball found Archie Jones, who volleyed past Tibbetts to level the score.

Less than a minute later, the comeback was complete.

From the restart, Holmes again won the ball deep in his own half, using his long stride to evade a flying challenge before finding Jones.

Damase Kiwanda made a darting run across the box, and Jones threaded a perfectly weighted pass into his path.

Kiwanda beat two defenders and calmly slid the ball under Tibbetts, sparking wild celebrations behind the goal as he marked the moment with a backwards somersault.

Buckley desperately pushed for an equaliser in the final moments, but the Lilywhites stood firm through to the 99th minute to secure a sensational victory and cap another unforgettable late show.

Next up for Rhyl is a trip to Holyhead on Boxing Day.