REDS BATTLE TO A NARROW WIN
LLANELLI Town extended their unbeaten league run to four games with a narrow win over their Rhondda Valley opponents.
But again it was a less than convincing performance by the home side.
They are allowing teams too much leeway when they have possession, while their overall passing game needs to be sharpened up considerably to put pressure on the opposition goal.
A great start gave them the lead after just two minutes when Nathan Logan was fouled outside the box. From the subsequent free-kick, Callum Saunders sent his finish beyond goalkeeper Harry Webber and into the bottom corner.
Spurred on by this success, they proceeded to take the contest to their visitors, and a great ball driven low across the area by Logan forced Webber into a fingertip save to prevent the lead being extended.
Logan was then further involved when a ball over the top sent him clear on goal, and he was desperately unlucky to see his effort beat Webber before rebounding off the inside of the near post, across the net and clip the far post before running to safety.
He then combined with Callum Bateman to direct another attempt on target, but this time the goalkeeper managed to claw it away. When the loose ball was picked up by Miles John, he went down in the area under a challenge, but was yellow-carded by referee Ben Schofield for diving.
At this stage in proceedings, the hosts could well have been two or three goals to the good. But gradually the visitors began to assert themselves with some slick passing and plenty of possession, but without any real end product.
They did, however, come close when a ball driven into the box by Jake Thomas deflected off Liam Reed, forcing Exauce Dimonekene into a smart save to divert it clear with the final effort blasted over the top.
Another searching cross from Ryan Prosser then caused the home defence more problems before it was scrambled away.
But with the Reds now decidedly on the back foot, it came as little surprise when they conceded an equaliser five minutes from the interval with Thomas again involved, this time providing the delivery into the area which found the head of Prosser, who beat Dimonekene from close range.
Struggling to find their early rhythm, the home side were now hanging on. But against the run of play they regained the lead in firsthalf stoppage time after a run by
James Loveridge – playing his 100th game for the club – culminated in his shot deflecting off a visiting player to the far post where Bateman was on hand to turn it home.
Perhaps fortunate to be ahead at the break, the home side replicated their first-half start early in the second period by taking the contest to their opponents, and it was only a heavy touch by Logan in the box from a Sam Parsons assist which prevented another goal.
He more than made up for this in the 57th minute when he was found by a Zac Brown clearance, and spotting Webber off his line, flighted a delightfully judged 30-yard finish over the stranded goalkeeper to establish a two-goal cushion.
Brown also went close, striking the bar following a surging run down the left, before the visitors retaliated when forcing Dimonekene into a great save to deny Craig Wilcox who had just been introduced off the bench.
He also got down to deflect an attempt by David Thomas around the upright.
As the contest entered its last quarter, the Reds were being increasingly being pushed back as their opponents sought to narrow the advantage.
And they achieved this when a corner to the far post was only partially cleared and was met by Wilcox, who hammered an unstoppable finish into the net after 74 minutes.
This heralded some hectic play as the clock ran down, with a further corner not being defended with any great conviction by the home defence. And when the loose ball was driven towards the net, it took a clearance off the line to keep it out.
The visitors also had the final say in stoppage time, with Prosser firing over when he was picked out by a Sam Jones pass, but the Reds somehow clung on to their slender lead.
Llanelli have no game next weekend, with their next fixture entailing a
visit to Goytre United on Friday, November 19 (7.30pm).
LLANELLI TOWN: Dimonekene; John, R. Thomas (capt), Parsons, Bateman, Logan (Morgan 79), Brown (Weaver 76), Loveridge, Saunders; Gerrard, C. Thomas (James 87). Sub not used: Rees (GK).
CAMBRIAN & CLYDACH: Webber; J. Thomas, Young (Norton 62), Wright (capt), K. Jones (Wilcox 62), Morgan, D. Thomas, Prosser, Reed (F. Jones 90), Strinati, S. Jones. Subs not used: Woodford, Smith.
SCORERS: Llanelli Town – Saunders 2, Bateman 45+1, Logan 57. Cambrian & Clydach – Prosser 40; Wilcox 74.
YELLOW CARDS: Llanelli Town – John, Logan, Morgan. Cambrian & Clydach – Strinati, K. Jones, Wright. REFEREE: Ben Schofield. ATTENDANCE: 282.