ANOTHER RED ADDS TO WOES
LLANELLI TOWN ................. 1 ABERYSTWYTH TOWN ....... 3
THESE are troubling times for Llanelli Town as they slumped to yet another home defeat at the hands of the Seasiders.
The Reds’ record at Stebonheath from their six matches to date has yielded a solitary point, with just three goals for and 18 against.
In addition, an appalling disciplinary record of eight red cards from 12 games is obviously having a hugely detrimental effect on the side, with the latest culprit being Anthony Finselbach, who was making his first appearance following a previous threematch ban.
These constant disruptions to the squad is making life a nightmare for manager Andy Hill, who is unable to name a settled XI from one match to the next, forcing him to select academy players to fill the voids left by the offenders.
Another cause for concern is the Reds’ lack of firepower, with James Loveridge seemingly the sole outlet up front. It was typified in this latest clash when Terry McCormick in the Aberystwyth goal was barely tested throughout, in stark contrast to opposite number Oliver Davies, who saved the Reds from going down to an even heavier defeat with some important interventions.
As in the previous game at Jenner Park against Barry Town United, the hosts found themselves trailing to an early goal when the Seasiders went ahead after three minutes through Paolo Mendes when he was found in space before rounding the sprawling figure of Davies and finding the vacant net.
But just two minutes later the scores were level. A Chris Jones corner swung into the goalmouth saw McCormick attempt to punch it clear, but instead he only succeeded in diverting it into the goal.
A run by Loveridge led to him finding Jordan Follows, but his strike was deflected for a corner.
Within a short time both Mendes and Finselbach were shown yellow cards by referee Nick Pratt, and these were to have consequences later in the contest.
When the visitors were awarded a free-kick, Matthew Jones’s strike rebounded off the wall, and when he met the loose ball it clipped the top of the bar on its way over.
The home side were showing little sign of causing their opponents problems, with possession being given away far too often. Aberystwyth were by far the more dominant, and when a Wes Baynes cross into the box was met by Joe Phillips it was cleared with some difficulty for a corner, which was then whipped invitingly across the face of goal with nobody able to apply a finish.
The nearest the home side came to a sniff of a chance arose from a setpiece awarded when Jordan Davies was brought down by Ryan Wollacott just outside the box. Loveridge drove the kick inches wide.
This was a rare opportunity for the Reds, who continued to play second fiddle to their opponents, and they feared the worst when the Seasiders were awarded a penalty in the 37th minute following a tackle by Anton Nelson on Ryan Edwards, but they were rescued by Davies, who kept out the spot-kick from Declan Walker.
Their elation at this let-off was short-lived as within three minutes they found themselves trailing again. A corner by Jones found the head of an unmarked Wollacott, who powered his finish past Davies.
On the stroke of half-time a loose ball by Carlos Indja was seized on by Walker, but he directed his finish over the top.
Seven minutes after the restart the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Mendes was shown a second yellow, but this setback did not deter Aber to any great extent as they still continued to dominate, with a farpost delivery by Steffan Edwards being met by Ashley Ruane, whose finish struck Indja and went out for a corner.
Disaster then struck the hosts when their numerical advantage was cancelled out following the dismissal of Finselbach after 63 minutes, again for a second caution, and they came under even more pressure.
Davies again came to the rescue, keeping out an attempt by Jones, before being called into action further, this time coming off his line to deny Ruane.
Daniel Alfei got in the way of a goal-bound shot from Ruane, and with the clock running down, the Seasiders were only being kept at bay by some desperate defending, with Walker somehow contriving to have his attempt blocked from pointblank range when it appeared easier to score.
Former Reds ace Geoff Kellaway replaced Phillips on 70 minutes for the visitors and was almost immediately in the thick of the action, forcing Davies to brilliantly turn over his connection from an assist from Ruane.
Ruane himself suffered the same fate when another chance went begging with Davies keeping it out, but with a minute left, Kellaway finally put the contest to bed when he collected a ball wide on the right before cutting inside and slotting it beyond Davies.
It was yet another demoralising defeat for the home side, who face the daunting prospect of a long trip on Saturday to take on high-flying Connah’s Quay Nomads, who inflicted a crushing 7-0 win at Stebonheath on the opening day of the season.
LLANELLI TOWN: O. Davies, Alfei, Finselbach (capt), Nelson (Jenkins 70), Indja, Evans, J. Davies, Owen, Jones, Follows (Khaton 85), Loveridge. Sub not used: Rees (GK).
ABERYSTWYTH TOWN: McCormick, Baynes, S. Edwards, Goodall (Rimmer 90+1), Wollacott, Mendes, Walker (capt), R. Edwards, Jones, Ruane, Phillips (Kellaway 70). Subs not used: Blake, Rowe, Coleridge, Jenkins, Morgan.
SCORERS: Llanelli Town — McCormick (OG) 5. Aberystwyth Town — Mendes 3, Wollacott 40, Kellaway 89.
RED CARDS: Llanelli Town — Finselbach. Aberystwyth Town — Mendes.
REFEREE: Nick Pratt (Connah’s Quay). ATTENDANCE: 260.