CHEPSTOW Town moved nine points clear at the top of Gwent County League Division One after coming from a goal down to beat fellow promotion-chasers Cwmbran Town at Larkfield Park.

The 2-1 victory over their second-placed opponents came courtesy of goals from Rob Thorn and Mark Dunn, with the winner coming just 10 minutes from time.

It was a just reward for a Chepstow side who had dominated the game after falling behind in the first half.

 As Cwmbran sat back after the break it looked a matter of when and not if the home side would score. Thorn's header following a shot from skipper Simon Jones put them back on level terms before a low strike from Dunn made sure of the win.

And despite the lateness of the winner Chepstow chairman Andrew Gardiner says it was a well-deserved victory for the home side,  who have lost just one league game all season.

He said:  "It was a massive game for us. We went 1-0 down very early on but to be honest we dominated the game for the whole 90 minutes.

"They were a very experienced side but they were all kick and rush while we played all the football. We were knocking on the door throughout the game and I was starting to wonder if we would ever break them down but the lads kept going and got the rewards."

The win puts Chepstow in a commanding position at the top of the table but Andrew insists they aren't getting carried away.

He also praised the new management team led by Russell Griffiths, for their part in the team's impressive start to the season.

 "After just missing out on promotion in the last few years we are desperate to get back into the Welsh League but there is still a long way to go.

"The new management team have done a great job and they have brought in a few players that have been the final pieces in the jigsaw."

These include players like defender Richard Sharratt and frontman Jason Thorn who has already scored 24 goals since joining at the start of the season.

And the club has also benefited by an ever-expanding youth section which has helped produce a number of players that have moved into the senior teams like twins Jack and Dan Harvey and Sam Rushworth who came on as a sub on Saturday.

As well as the first team's success the reserves, Chepstow A,  are currently top of the East Gwent League Division One while Chepstow B, the third team did the league and cup double last season.

Andrew said: "When I took over as chairman six years ago my goal was to get teams from four and five year-olds right up to the senior teams. We now only have one gap and the under 16s and under 18s coming to fruition has had a massive impact on the senior teams and that will get stronger and stronger."

With a week off due to cup fixtures Chepstow Town's first XI aren't back in action until December 10 when they are away to Fairfield United.