TOWN HAND OUT A TOUGH LESSON
CARMARTHEN Town’s impressive early-season home form in JD Cymru South continued with this demolition of Swansea University.
They opened their home programme with a 4-1 victory over Llantwit Major, but improved on that with this win against the students.
Indeed, the visitors were kept under deep pressure in their own half for much of the match.
From the start Town launched a series of piercing attacks which the students struggled to contain.
A sweeping move along the right flank began with Jordan Vickers sprinting upfield and then playing the ball to Liam Thomas, who threaded a fine pass to Matthew Delaney.
And from the corner of the penalty area he struck a fierce shot that goalkeeper Ben Edwards turned aside at full stretch.
Yet soon afterwards the Old Gold took the lead. Vickers passed to Jamie Rickard who instantly sent it on to Thomas, and Town’s all-time top scorer clinically converted the opportunity.
Then Delaney, from the right, sent a long cross into the goalmouth where Scott Tancock saw his closerange glancing header fly just wide.
At this stage Town were dominating with their pace and movement. Rickard threaded an excellent pass to Thomas on the edge the area but with defenders circling his hurried shot was marginally off target.
In the 25th minute Vickers, a constant threat to opposition defenders, fired an inviting cross into the goalmouth where Noah Daley was just unable to reach the ball.
The visitors had managed little in terms of a serious attacking threat. However, on the half-hour George Sellick broke clear from halfway and struck a 25-yard volley which Carmarthen keeper Ifan Knott blocked.
But that was just a brief interruption to Town’s search for more goals.
On 36 minutes Daley embarked on a remarkable solo run. Having taken possession of the ball on the edge of the centre circle he proceeded to pass three defenders and move into the area, then dismissively go around Edwards and drive the ball into the empty net.
The Old Gold scored again when Thomas played a fine pass to Bradley Gibbings and he raced towards the area where he neatly sidestepped Edwards, who was bereft of any defensive cover, and slid the ball into the net.
Then to conclude a most productive 45 minutes, a superb long pass out of defence was chased by Jaime Rickard. And as Edwards came out of his area to challenge, Rickard neatly crossed to Daley, who tapped the ball home.
After the interval, with Carmarthen enjoying such a commending lead, neither team appeared to show much urgency in the blistering heat.
Yet in the 60th minute Town extended their lead with a well-worked move.
Vickers sprinted along the right before sending a deep cross to the far side of goal where Daley arrived with perfect timing and planted a powerful header past Edwards and into the net.
The Old Gold continued to hold the advantage in terms of both possession and territory, but the only further goalmouth action came after 80 minutes when Rickard’s 20-yard drive was turned around the post by Edwards.
Town have moved up to fifth in the table ahead of their trip to Goytre United on Friday (7.30pm).
TEAM: I Knott; J Vickers, S Tancock (sub L Rocke 75), L Surman, T Jones, B Gibbings (sub J Walters 61), J Rickard, G Walters, M Delaney (sub T Dyson 61, L Thomas, N Daley (sub A John 70).