WELSH FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP: ROUND 1
Coed ring the changes to make good progress in the Welsh cup
TREOWEN STARS ......... 2 AFC LLWYDCOED ........ 5 Tuesday 15th August 18:30
COED were for forced into changes from Saturday’s line-up due to injury and work commitments, so into the team came Wes Morgan for his full debut and John Marczak starting in the fullback slot.
Manager Lee Williams started, coming in to the back line also.
The first 20 minutes were dominated by the visitors, playing some slick football to feet easily passing it around the home midfield and stretching their back line.
When possession was lost Ollie Roberts and Jay Woodford were strong in the tackle eagerly winning back possession for the Division 2 team. It was in this dominating period that Coed deservedly took the lead with Captain for the evening Rickie Carter slotting home from close range.
With the visitors 1-0 up, they took the foot off the gas, which allowed the home team some possession, and with this they gained some confidence. Coed were caught out of shape at the back, and a neat through ball to the Stars forward found him in through the away defence, and a square ball to his team mate Dean Randall to tap in to make it one all.
The remainder of the half was very scrappy with both teams giving away possession of the ball easily.
The game was racing to deadlock at half time, when a breakaway by the visitors ended with a foul in the opposition penalty box, penalty to Coed! Captain Carter stepped up to send the home keeper the wrong way to make it 1-2 to the visitors. The half time whistle sounded soon afterwards with Coed in the lead.
With the lack of substitutes available Coed switched around some players on the field into different positions to when they started the game, and these changes seemed to galvanise the players into a more cohesive performance.
Coed’s third goal came about when pressure was applied to the Treowen man on the ball, the ball broke into the path of Jay Woodford, who let fly with a shot beating the home keeper all ends up, 3-1 to the visitors.
Again, Coed took their foot off the pedal, and were made to pay when Stars broke down the left wing and crossed into the box to find Dean Randall unmarked in the box, and he just picked his spot with the free header. 2-3 to Coed.
Coed were forced into their one and only available substitution, when Callum Henry replaced Rickie Carter who was carrying an injury.
It wasn’t long before Henry got among the action, picking up the ball on the right hand side, and unleashed a shot that hit a Stars defender to wrong-foot their keeper, to make it 4-2 to the visitors.
The home team deflated with this latest goal, conceded possession again, the ball fell to Adam Hawkins who shot against a defender, the ball landing perfectly back to Hawkins to smack with his other foot on the volley to end the scoring and send Coed through to round two, where they were due to face Abergavenny Town at Pen-YPound on Tuesday 22nd August 2017.
Coed’s next game is at home on Saturday 19th August 2017 against Dinas Powys, kick-off is at 14:30.