Llanelli Star

TOWN TAUGHT A CRUCIAL LESSON

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FOLLOWING their welcome success at Goytre United in the Welsh Cup, Carmarthen Town returned to the more pressing matter of making Welsh Premier League progress.

But after 90 minutes of exhilarati­ng end-to-end football, the Old Gold suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of the side who lie second in the table.

And they were taught the valuable lesson of clinical finishing by the visitors.

From the outset the game was conducted at a frantic pace, with Barry enjoying the greater share of possession and territoria­l advantage, yet it was not until the 13th minute that United managed their first notable opportunit­y when Chris Hugh’s drive from the corner of the penalty area flew narrowly wide.

Carmarthen went close to scoring when Luke Cummings chipped the ball towards the far post, only for Sean Hanbury to send his closerange header wide.

From that moment on, Town looked far more competitiv­e as they swarmed upfield with a series of rapid counter-attacks.

And they fashioned another decent chance when Cummings delivered

CARMARTHEN TOWN ........ 2 BARRY TOWN UNITED ....... 3

an inviting corner into the goalmouth, but Liam Thomas’s header was blocked on the line by a defender.

The non-stop pattern of the game continued for the rest of the half, with the Old Gold creating the better scoring opportunit­ies. And after another Cummings corner was cleared, the ball went straight to Declan Carroll, whose drive from outside the area went beyond the reach of keeper Mike Lewis but slid narrowly wide of the post.

Hanbury set up a chance for Greg Walters with a fine threaded pass but the midfielder’s strike also drifted just wide.

And moments later Town again went close when a Carroll corner found Luke Bowen, but his header was cleared off the line.

But any disappoint­ment Carmarthen might have felt about their failure to convert any of their earlier chances was dispelled just two minutes into the second half when they took the lead. A fast raid along the left touchline finished with Carroll firing the ball towards the goalmouth where Thomas arrived with perfect timing to stab it into the net.

But that lead was short-lived as the visitors were level within minutes.

Jonathan Hood made a determined run along the left before cutting infield and powering home a stunning drive that left keeper Lee Idzi well beaten.

Spurred by that success, Barry swarmed forward in search of another goal and after 61 minutes they duly went ahead as a slick passing movement between Momodou Touray and Hugh just inside the area opened up the Old Gold defence and ended with the lively full-back rifling a fierce shot past Idzi and into the far corner of the goal.

United immediatel­y put the home defence under even greater pressure with a relentless series of raids that led to a succession of corners, but the hosts held out.

Carmarthen squandered an excellent chance to draw level when Jordan Vickers fired an inviting cross deep into the goalmouth, only to see Hanbury plant his header over the bar from point-blank range.

But any prospects of a recovery vanished in the 86th minute when a Johnstown Under-10 Girls are pictured wearing their new kits sponsored by JR Fabricatio­ns. Barry attack was abruptly finished by Jordan Knott tripping Touray inside the penalty area. The inevitable spotkick was comfortabl­y dispatched by Kane McLaggon.

The Old Gold, to their credit, continued to press forward in the dying stages and well into added time they managed to reduce the deficit when Vickers once again surged along the right before firing a dangerous cross into the goalmouth where United defender Luke Cooper, in attempting to clear the ball, succeeded only in heading it into the net.

But this was too little, too late, and Town were left to reflect on their failure to convert any of the decent chances they had created in the first half.

The Old Gold have only five more fixtures before the end of the Welsh Premier League first-phase programme.

Carmarthen’s next match is on Saturday when they travel to Newtown (2.30pm).

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