Port ready for crunch
PORTHMADOG manager Craig Papirnyk hopes to have top-scorer Joe Chaplin and key central defender Tom Taylor available for Boxing Day’s crucial Huws Gray Alliance derby at Caernarfon Town.
Chaplin and Taylor both missed last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Gresford Athletic through injury.
Port broke a long-standing jinx when they defeated Caernarfon 2-0 in the Huws Gray Cup back in October. The Traeth men will next aim to end a run of nine consecutive league losses to the Canaries.
Papirnyk was pleased with his team’s performance at an in-form Gresford.
“The lads played well, a point away is never a bad thing in this league,” he said. “We created chances and played some good stuff on a difficult pitch.
“Attention will now turn to the Gwynedd derby at The Oval and all at Port will hope Joe Chaplin and Tom Taylor will shake off the injuries which ruled them out of the Gresford game.”
Following a fairly even opening at Clappers Lane, the home side struck after nine minutes, as hesitation in the Port defence allowed Mike Latham to break across the box past three defenders and finish with a low shot from 12 yards.
Gradually Port got themsleves back into the game following the early setback, with Sion Bradley and debutant Sion Edwards combining well down the left.
On a difficult surface, the main threat for Port continued to be via the left flank and from here the opening for the equaliser was created.
Bradley combined with Edwards, who was fitting in well in an unaccustomed left-back role. It was the latter, a recent capture from Bangor City, receiving near the byline who lifted a quality cross to the back post where Julian Williams found space to net from eight yards. At half time it remained all square. There was almost a dramatic start to the second half, as straight from the kick off Port found the net only to see Williams’ well-placed finish ruled out in a marginal offside decision.
Five minutes into the half and there was an equally dramatic turn of events at the other end when Ifan Emlyn’s misdirected pass allowed Tom Freeman in on goal and, in his only serious action of the game, keeper Richard Harvey was quickly off his line to block what looked like a certain goal. Pressure mounted on the home goal as Williams cut in from the right only to see his shot deflected on to the crossbar and over for a corner.
Minutes later Iwan Lewis forced home keeper Joey Jones into a fine diving save low at the foot of the post.
Twice Bradley came close, first forcing a good save from keeper Jones and then Josh Griffiths headed off his own line to keep the scores level.
There were further efforts from Rob Evans and Williams but the goal which seemed bound to come did not materialise and it finished one-apiece.