Llanelli Star

DERBY CLASHES COULD BE VITAL

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CARDIFF MET ...................... 4 LLANELLI TOWN ................ 0

ANOTHER dishearten­ing heavy defeat at Cyncoed sent Llanelli Town into the festive season in desperate need of points, and the results of the two derby matches against Carmarthen Town will go a long way to determinin­g whether they will still be playing in the top echelon of Welsh football next season.

In their 17 games to date Llanelli have conceded 54 goals while scoring only 17, and manager Andy Hill will be hoping that in the January transfer window he is able to recruit both seasoned defenders and attackers in equal measure.

Failing that, relegation back to the Welsh League and the subsequent loss of substantia­l revenue seems inevitable.

With injuries and suspension still restrictin­g the squad, the starting 11 against the Archers represente­d the only one available to Hill, but their opponents were in no mood to show any leniency and dominated proceeding­s from the start.

The first of many threats arrived early on when a slick home move allowed Adam Roscrow a strike on target, only to be denied by Reds keeper Oliver Davies, who turned it over the bar.

Another attack led to a Rhydian Morgan delivery across the face of goal being narrowly missed by Chris Baker at the far post, and the same player then had another great chance when a slip by Kurtis March gave him a clear sight on goal, but he blasted his finish over the top.

It was one-way traffic towards the visitors’ goal, with the Reds barely making progress over the halfway line. It took another double save by Davies to keep matters level, firstly pushing clear another Roscrow effort, and then managing to direct over the loose ball when it was met by Baker.

Despite the incessant pressure the Reds were somehow still managing to cling on, but they eventually succumbed to the inevitable six minutes from the interval when a move down the left involving Morgan and Roscrow led to the latter crossing into the middle where Kyle McCarthy struck a superb 30-yard finish beyond Davies.

This was no more than the hosts deserved as they had been the dominant force throughout, and they came close again just before the break, Davies again doing well to safely grasp another Roscrow attempt.

Fortunate to be trailing by just the solitary goal at the start of the second period, the Reds were far more involved in overall play from the restart, and at least enjoyed far more possession, although their efforts on as he doubled the lead on 72 minutes when he pursued a ball deep into Reds territory, which forced Davies out of his goal in an attempt to gather in the box, but he allowed it to slip from his grasp, gifting Roscrow the opportunit­y of lofting his finish into a vacant net.

This proved to be the catalyst which turned the contest firmly in favour of the hosts, and they took full advantage by scoring twice again in a three-minute spell.

Sam Snaith met a delivery driven across the box to rifle his finish past Davies in the 77th minute, while Evans completed the rout after 80 minutes when the visitors gifted possession, allowing him a run on goal before slotting past the keeper.

Roscrow could well have added a fifth but Davies again did well to divert his attempt over the bar, but the Reds finished a well-beaten side.

They will attempt to turn their fortunes around on Saturday with the Llandeilo’s Sion Davies presses West End’s Charlie Weston in their Carmarthen­shire League Senior Cup clash. Llandeilo won 6-2.

Picture: Phil Davies

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