LLANDUDNO Junction put up a spirited display before eventually falling to a 3-1 defeat at Rhyl.

The Railwaymen are still languishing at the foot of the standings after failing to claim what would have been their first victory of the Huws Gray Alliance campaign, but there were some encouraging first half signs despite the recent upheaval at the club, which has seen them part ways with manager Iain Bennett and lose top scorer Dean Seager to Conwy Borough.

Despite dominating for long periods during the opening exchanges, the home side fell behind on 35 minutes when Sean McCaffrey beat the offside trap to slot past Rory Crowther.

This provoked a strong response from the Lilies, who levelled matters soon after when Jordan Barrow fired past Ryan Woods from the edge of the area on 41 minutes after having a previous effort ruled out for offside.

The introduction of Aaron Pomeyie and new signing James Murphy at the break brought a fresh injection of pace into the hosts attack, and they took the lead for the first time in the contest on 68 minutes when Barrow notched his second of the afternoon.

Murphy played a huge part in the third goal for the home side on 80 minutes after he was brought down in the area following another surging run, and Stewart Carroll made no mistake from the spot to complete the scoring.

Despite their best efforts, Junction were unable to find a route back into the contest and had nothing to show for their efforts, and they will be hoping for better fortune this Saturday when the pair clash once again at The Arriva Stadium in a Huws Gray Cup quarter final tie.