RHYL, missing striker Lee Hunt, but welcoming back Dave Cameron, went joint top of the Welsh Premier last night after a victory over Newtown which ended up too close for comfort.
The Lilywhites made a stunning start when Stuart Graves lashed home on 29 seconds after Mark Connolly's shot came back off a post.
Former Connah’s Quay Nomads midfielder Craig Garside's effort was cleared off the line by Craig Williams, then on 20 minutes Graves's cross from the right was met by the diving head of Connolly, but the ball flashed wide.
Rhyl were on fire at this stage, their swift passing game tearing the visiting defence apart, and it was no surprise when Craig Jones finished off a Cameron cross from eight yards to make it 2-0 after 31 minutes.
Cameron's neat back heel set up Craig Jones again just before the break, but this time the speedy wide man's left-foot shot was well saved by David Jones.
In the second half Newtown upped their game and they grabbed a lifeline on the hour when Craig Moses latched on to a Paul O'Neill error to score.
Cameron should have made it 3-1 seconds later when Connolly laid it on a plate, but the big striker shot wide with just the keeper to beat.
Connolly's header from a Gareth Wilson corner was somehow kept out by the Robins defence, then Newtown substitute Adam Worton had a glorious chance to level the scores but sliced wide at the back post, with the goal at his mercy.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men on 79 minutes when midfielder Damien Daniels was guilty of swinging an arm at O'Neill.
And there was further concern for the visiting Robins when half-time substitute Craig Mansell was stretchered off with a bad leg injury in the closing minutes of the match.
