A CONTROVERSIAL last-minute penalty from midfielder David Lloyd ensured Caldicot avoided a third straight defeat and condemned a battling Bettws side to relegation.

Town now look almost certain to secure a top-10 finish in Welsh League Division Two after coming back from 3-1 down to claim a point in dramatic fashion.

With time running out and Bettws feeling they had done enough to keep their slim survival hopes alive, the ball pin-balled around the box before falling to Lloyd.

Cleverly nipping the ball away from the home centre half, the midfielder used all his experience to draw the challenge and go down under what appeared to be minimal contact.

The home side were incensed but the coolest head on the pitch belonged to Lloyd who picked himself up, dusted himself off and calmly sent the 'keeper the wrong way to make it 3-3.

Although a bitter pill for the home side to swallow, the draw was hard-earned by a Caldicot side who showed real character to come back from two consecutive defeats and 3-1 down to claim a share of the spoils.

They had been behind as early as the eighth minute when a long ball forward from Bettws bounced off the arm of Town centre back James Munday into the path of striker Damien Barnard who made no mistake slotting the ball past goalkeeper Ben Davidson who was deputising for  regular number one Gareth Williams.

The goal sparked a sluggish Caldicot into life and they were swiftly back on level terms through Mitchell Slape's seventh of the season.

Good work down the right from new boy Sam Rushworth afforded Lewys Dowler space to deliver a quality cross into the box which was coolly side-footed home on the volley by Slape.

But any joy Town felt at pulling level was soon wiped away as Bettws centre forward Barnard scored twice more to complete his hat-trick and give his side a 3-1 half-time lead. His second goal came after capitalising on a weak header from Nick Bright and his third in rather more controversial circumstances as Davidson spilled a long ball after appearing to be fouled,  only for it to land at the feet of Barnard who made no mistake.

The second half began as the first had finished with play flowing from one end to the other. And it took Caldicot just five minutes to pull a goal back. A flighted free-kick from Lloyd was headed back across goal by Slape for the onrushing Dowler to volley home from three yards.

But despite the goal it was the home side rather than the visitors that seemed to gain the momentum with Bettws creating and squandering a series of chances throughout the second half.

They will be left wondering how they didn't manage to put the game to bed long before Lloyd's crucial late contribution which came with just seconds left on the clock.

The draw means Caldicot remain ninth with two games to play. They face Treharris Athletic Western at home on April 25 before finishing at promotion chasers Tata Steel on April 28.