Bradley steals the show as Cymru C defeat English rivals
A SUPERB Sion Bradley free kick sealed a 1-0 victory for Mark Jones’ Cymru C side over England C at Stebonheath Park in Llanelli.
Both sides made a rip-roaring start to the game, with plenty of chances for the deadlock to be broken.
From a Cymru perspective, Ryan Sears and Emlyn Lewis fired headers on goal, but Elliot Justham was alert enough to make two smart saves.
At the other end, both centre halves for Cymru made superb blocks.
Firstly, Emlyn Lewis put his body on the line to deny Callum Maycock before Lee Jenkins managed to clear Paul McCallum’s header off the line.
The dangerman throughout the half, however, was Bradley.
The Caernarfon star made blistering runs down the wing and tested the England defence on more than one occasion.
His fierce shot looked destined for the far corner, but Justham managed to punch the ball clear.
For large phases, the half was tight and cagey, but that all changed in the final minute of stoppage time, as Cymru broke the deadlock, and in fine fashion too.
Bradley lined up a free kick on the edge of the box, and he saw the ball fly into the net. Justham was a spectator in the England goal, and Cymru were ahead at the half.
For all the excitement the first half brought, the second half was quiet for large periods. England did try to push forward and create chances, but the Welsh defence stood firm.
At the other end, Bradley was still being a thorn in the side of the English defence. With a defender on his back, the goal scorer powered through into the box, but Justham parried the ball behind.
As the game raced into its final furlongs, Paul Fairclough’s side searched for an equaliser, but when they went through, they were met by Kelland Absalom.
The Bala keeper was in fine form. He firstly produced a spellbinding fingertip save to deny Ollie Pearce, and then was alert again to stop Reece Smith.
But his best stop came in the 94th minute, when he leapt to his far post to tip Pearce’s scissor kick around the post.
Shortly after Absalom’s heroics, the game was over, and Cymru picked up their first win since their famous victory in Caernarfon two years ago.
Bradley, an unused substitute 12-months ago, says the game will live long in his memory.
“Like I’ve said before, I’ve given Mark (Jones) some hassle for not bringing me on last year, but I think that’s made me play a lot better of this season,” he said.
I wanted to try and prove a point and show that I am good enough to play a part in this game, and I’m glad I did that.
“It probably stands right at the top of the greatest moments in my career. There’s not a prouder feeling in the world than putting on this red jersey, and especially when we did what we’ve done tonight.
“I think a few of the lads wanted to take the free kick, but I thought it was perfect for a right footed player. Once it left my foot, I was off celebrating in the corner flag.”
Victorious boss Jones added: “I’ve been involved in this game about six or seven times now.
“We had a brilliant performance up in Caernarfon, and it’s a strange thing to say, but I think we worked even harder tonight. We worked our socks off.
“We talk about individual battles. If you win eleven individual battles on the field, you’re going to win, and that’s what happened.
“We had a little bit of magic from Bradley, great saves from Absalom, Wales beat England, and we’re happy as Larry.
“Whenever you’re managing Wales, it’s always a pleasure and an honour. This win is definitely up there in my time managing this team, and I’m so happy for all my boys.”