NATHANIEL CARS WELSH FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
AFC LLWYDCOED ........ 3 AMMANFORD ............... 2
LLWYDCOED’S Welsh League players gained a deserved victory against visitors Ammanford who had started the match so positively.
The Llwydcoed management were without the services of John Marczak (on holiday) and Rhys Welch (injured) so new signings Adam Hawkins and Levi Jones received the call.
The opening quarter saw the Llwydcoed defence come under pressure with Amman taking control through Nicolas Arnold and Matthew Fisher linking up the play. Llwydcoed’s players were not able to maintain possession. The new signings were being tested and Amman gained possession, split open the hosts’ defence. After some excellent work by Jonathan Thomas and Craig Frater they played Bruno Forkuoh into space and he shot and scored past the Llwydcoed goalkeeper Andy Hargreaves.
The warning signs were there for Llwydcoed who kept losing possession. More excellent play by Amman kept the Llwydcoed defence under more pressure and then from one of their first attacks Llwydcoed were awarded a penalty after Ioan Evans was brought down after he had linked up with Ricky Carter and Joe Jenkins. So who would take the penalty after last week’s miss? Oliver Roberts stepped forward and as last week the opposition goalkeeper, in this instance James Kirkwood, saved low to his left. The ball ran out for a corner which was taken by Roberts who found Ricky Carter who scored with a strong header.
The match had become more even, with Amman still looking dangerous but so were Llwydcoed. They began to gain more possession with Tomos Morris, Joe Jenkins and Jonathan Mason combining opening up the play but they could not pick out the movement of Ioan Evans. The Amman defenders Cerith Williams and Matthew Jones were the ones doing the defending. The half-time whistle blew, bringing an end to an intriguing first half.
The second half started with Llwydcoed the team creating and gaining more and more possession with Tomos Morris orchestrating his midfield players and Oliver Roberts showing his skill and vision playing Levi Jones and Ioan Evans into play. These two young players were showing amazing understanding in their first match together for Llwydcoed. This spell of pressure on the Amman defence brought Llwydcoed a second goal to take the lead after the Amman defence/midfield failed to clear the danger. Jonathan Mason picked up the loose ball and scored a first class opportunist goal.
More excellent play by Llwydcoed’s midfield saw them win another penalty after the brilliant Joe Jenkins was fouled. Up stepped Rick Carter but amazingly the Amman goalkeeper James Kirwood saved a second penalty, but this time the ball ran loose to Jonathan Mason who scored. The match had swung towards Llwydcoed, their defence had not been tested in the second half there was still time for Amman to respond.
They began to threaten the Llwydcoed defence who stopped the threat with Adam Butler and Gabriel Williams in superb harmony.
The threat of Llwydcoed’s Ioan Evans turning defence into attack was so evident it almost brought another goal for Llwydcoed, the Amman goalkeeper James Kirkwood coming to the rescue.
As the match entered the final third Amman were awarded a free kick and this time Llwydcoed’s defence failed to clear and Amman’s Rhys Owen scored, so the match was still there for Amman to try and score and draw level.
Both teams used their substitutes Callum Henry and Liam Price coming in for Llwydcoed whose movement was so exciting for such a young player. Amman kept trying to break open the Llwydcoed defence who stood firm as a unit and saw out the game to gain another splendid victory.