REDS PAIR MAKE CHANCES COUNT
CWMBRAN CELTIC.............2 LLANELLI TOWN.................4
A BRACE apiece from Kyle Copp and Callum Bateman preserved Llanelli Town’s unbeaten record on the road, although they made heavy weather of overcoming some moderate opposition.
Despite creating a glut of chances in the JD Cymru South contest, their finishing left much to be desired, and Bateman could well have tripled his tally.
They almost paid the price for their wastefulness as, when leading 3-1, Cwmbran were awarded a penalty. But once again Llanelli had Exauce Dimonekene to thank as he kept out the spot-kick.
The visitors were quickly out of the blocks and ahead within two minutes following a Zac Brown throw-in on the left which was collected by Copp, and he turned quickly before rifling his 25-yard shot beyond Joseph Thomas, who was making his debut in the home goal.
Another Copp effort shortly after was this time just off target, but with the Reds well on top and playing with confidence, they looked capable of extending the lead. Following some good build-up play, Miles John’s shot just went wide of the far post.
Bateman then got into a good scoring position but took too long and was eventually crowded out.
When the hosts countered, a spectacular overhead attempt by Lewis Iles was narrowly over the top of the Reds goal, before Bateman once again failed to finish decisively.
The visitors were made to pay for those missed opportunities when Celtic levelled matters on 26 minutes following some poor marking at the far post which allowed Iles to head home a free-kick from point-blank range.
The Reds continued to create chances, with Bateman inevitably involved. He took too much time over a potential shot, before heading a Nathan Logan delivery wide.
He did eventually get his reward in the 33rd minute following a poor kick-out by keeper Thomas, which allowed Copp to make inroads into the box.
Although his effort was kept out, Bateman was on hand to turn in the loose ball.
Callum Saunders then found the bottom of the home net but an offside flag against Bateman ruled it out, while the home side went close in stoppage time when a Thomas Meechan free-kick diverted off the wall and clipped the crossbar.
The Reds made a change at the start of the second period, with Morgan Weaver replacing Travis James in the back four as they tried to extend their lead.
And they achieved that in the 56th minute when Bateman was put through on goal by Saunders. He failed to beat Thomas in a one-onone, only for the ball to be recirculated back to him and this time he did find the net from a narrow angle.
But he spurned another chance by taking too many touches with only the keeper to beat.
The home side, too, were out of luck, with a header rebounding off the bar, before they were thrown a lifeline on 64 minutes with the award of a spot-kick following a rash challenge by Weaver on Daniel Prichard, but Dimonekene dived to his right to keep out Iles’s effort.
With the clock running down there were two more goals. Celtic reduced the deficit through Meechan four minutes from time with a well-struck finish, before the Reds retaliated with a minute remaining through Copp, who seized possession before clinically finding the bottom corner of the net.
A deserved if somewhat laboured win for the visitors, who will be hoping for more of the same when they entertain Cambrian & Clydach at Stebonheath on Friday evening (7.30pm).
CWMBRAN CELTIC: Thomas, Powell (Griffin 76), Connor (Jones 82), Larcombe (capt), Meaney, Davies,
Prichard (Martin 65), McCauley, Iles, McDowell, Meecchan. Subs not used: Keenan, Hinwood.
LLANELLI TOWN: Dimonekene, John, R Thomas, Parsons, Bateman (Morgan 85), Logan (Jones 65), Brown, Copp (capt), Saunders, Gerrard, James (Weaver 46). Subs not used: C Thomas, Rees (GK).
SCORERS: Cwmbran Celtic — Iles 26, Meechan 86. Llanelli Town — Copp 2, 89; Bateman 33, 56.
YELLOW CARDS: Llanelli Town — Logan, James, C Thomas.
REFEREE: George Nemes.