REDS ENJOY DREAM START
LLANELLI Town recovered from the disappointment of exiting the Nathaniel MG Cup as they kick-started their JD Cymru South season with a thoroughly deserved win over Afan Lido.
The visitors pushed them all the way, but had to admit defeat at the final whistle.
Both sides contributed to an entertaining and end-to end contest, with Lido always posing a threat. But they were capably dealt with by a home rearguard, while the hosts always seemed to have the edge when it came to goal threats.
Indeed, their eventual tally could well have been more.
The Reds made a number of changes to their line-up, with Louis Gerrard, Dylan Williams and James Parry starting. Nathan Logan and Owain Phillips-Taylor dropped to the bench, and the hosts were the first to threaten with Ryan Bevan firing wide.
Josef Hopkins was close to connecting with a ball on the edge of the Lido area, before it was safely gathered by goalkeeper Aaron Jones.
When the visitors broke, it took a saving tackle by Jamie Baker on former Llanelli player Chris Jones to prevent a potential threat at the expense of a corner. And when Jones himself took it, he drilled the ball low across the face of goal without anyone being able to make a connection.
Both Miles John and Parry were constantly pushing forward as wingbacks and causing plenty of problems for the Lido defence, and from one of these forays John forced a corner. It was taken by Bevan and met at the far post by Sean Cronin, whose header was fractionally off target.
Another chance fell to Keane Watts from an assist by Parry, but he could only loft his finish over the top.
The hosts deservedly took the lead on 36 minutes when another Bevan corner found Tim Parker, whose downward header went in via the underside of the crossbar.
Encouraged by this success, the Reds continued to press with Hopkins firing narrowly over the Lido goal.
But their opponents drew level with a rare attack involving Carlos Indjai, whose contribution sparked the move and ended with Sean Hanbury meeting the ball in the box to beat Scott Coughlan in the home goal three minutes from the interval.
It was all to play for in the second half, and again the home side were quickly off the mark, with both Parker and Hopkins chasing a through ball by John, but neither was able to make a connection and the move fizzled out.
However, Llanelli did not have to wait long before regaining the lead in the 53rd minute with a spectacular 35-yard strike by Williams, who gained possession in midfield and spotted Jones some way off his line before lifting his finish over him into a vacant net.
The home side were playing some attractive football with every player intent on doing their utmost to ensure they kept their opponents quiet, typified by a run from Watts into the Lido box before he was closed down and had to settle for a corner.
A raft of changes by both sides did nothing to alter the tempo of the contest which continued to entertain at a fast pace, although it was again the hosts who were looking the more likely to score.
They did just that, but had to wait until two minutes from time to do so. It came from a free-kick awarded on the edge of the Lido box after a foul on Eli Phipps, and Bevan stepped up to hammer home a well-struck finish which gave the goalkeeper no chance.
If Llanelli can maintain this level of performance, they can look forward to a successful campaign.
They are without a game this weekend, but await another tough challenge with a mouthwatering home derby against Ammanford on Friday, August 12 (7.30pm).
LLANELLI: Coughlan; John (Pemberton 89), Parry, Cronin, Baker, Bevan, Watts (Logan 74), Gerrard (Howard 74), Parker (Phipps 70), Hopkins, D. Williams (Phillips-Taylor 89). Subs not used: Marenghi, E.
Williams (GK).
AFAN LIDO: A. Jones; John Hall (James 84), Harris (Webber 60), Beynon, Jackson Hall, Thomas (Edwards 60), C. Jones (Keen, 60), McCreesh, Indjai, Hanbury, Evans. Subs not used: Baker, Williams, McCalmon.
SCORERS: Llanelli – Parker 36, Williams 53, Bevan 88.
AFAN Lido – Hanbury 42. YELLOW CARDS: Llanelli – Gerrard, John, Logan; Afan Lido – McCreesh, Indjai, Keen.
REFEREE: Alex McInch. ATTENDANCE: 231.