AN UNWELCOME STAT BECKONS FOR REDS
LLANELLI TOWN ...........0 LLANDUDNO...................4
AN unwelcome statistic awaits the Reds when they journey to meet Cardiff Met on Friday for their final game in the JD Welsh Premier League — a defeat by anything exceeding two will mean they have conceded 100 goals or more in their 32 matches, an average of over three per game.
It has been a sobering experience for them after their elevation from the Welsh League last season. The taste of things to come arrived in the opener against Connah’s Quay Nomads when they suffered a 7-0 home battering, and events spiralled downhill as the season unfolded.
There were the occasional bright spots, particularly in their first away fixture at Cefn Druids when they overturned a 2-0 firsthalf deficit to eventually run out 3-2 winners, but these turned out to be few and far between. For the most part damage limitation and survival became the main priorities, and just four wins during the entire campaign sums up their eventual plight.
With Saturday’s visitors also having suffered the ignominy of relegation to the Cymru Alliance next season, they nevertheless were the superior of the two sides from the outset, and two goals in as many minutes laid the foundation for the win.
The first arrived on 10 minutes when some indecisive defending in the box allowed Sameron Dool to take advantage, firing his finish past Scott Coughlan.
Before the home side had time to draw breath, they found themselves two down when a George Harry corner curled into the goalmouth and evaded everyone before nestling in the bottom corner.
The visitors continued to control matters, with their opponents not offering much in the way of any positive response. About the Reds’ only worthwhile attack arose from a run down the right by Emile Ngoy which culminated in a ball squared into the middle, but nobody was positioned to take advantage.
When Llandudno goalkeeper Shaun Pearson was penalised for handling outside his area, the subsequent free-kick by Chris Jones glanced off the bar, and when the ball was circulated back into the goalmouth, Joe Dyer’s connection sent it inches wide.
With little to show for their first-half efforts and facing an uphill task to establish a foothold in proceedings, the hosts were a little more positive after the restart. Pearson safely gathered an attempt by Jones, and when Michael George found James Loveridge wide on the right, his driven delivery across the face of goal failed to pick out a home player.
Lee Bevan brought off a saving tackle on halfway to prevent Harry from making a run on goal, before the visitors increased the advantage on 59 minutes through Yalamy Baio, who was allowed the freedom of the park to burst through the middle before slotting his finish beyond a helpless Coughlan.
Five minutes later he repeated this by notching up his brace, accepting a back heel by Mark Connolly before again racing clear and give the Reds keeper no chance.
With the contest already out of reach, the Reds did at last force Pearson into some kind of meaningful action when a Loveridge free-kick rebounded off the wall and back to him, but his wellstruck shot was smothered on the line by the visiting keeper.
He was in action again shortly after, this time denying Dyer when Loveridge set up the chance, while a Bevan header from a Jones corner bounced off the top of the bar and harmlessly over.
Coughlan was replaced by academy keeper Kai Rees in the closing stages, and he did well in his brief time on the field, saving from both Harry and Adrian Montgomery.
Another desperately disappointing display by the Reds, who will certainly have to raise their game next season, even if the playing standard is of a lower level.
LLANELLI TOWN: Coughlan (Rees 87), George, Evans, Bevan (capt), Thomas, Jones, Finselbach, Dyer, Jenkins, Loveridge, Ngoy (Nelson 65). Sub not used: Hill.
LLANDUDNO: S. Pearson (Gunn 87), D. Thomas, Williams, S. Thomas, Baio, Dool, Harry, Connolly, T. Jones (Davies 57), Montgomery, M. Pearson (capt). Sub not used: L. Jones.
SCORERS: Llandudno — Dool 10, Harry 12, Baio 59, 64.
YELLOW CARDS: Llanelli Town — Finselbach, Loveridge. Llandudno — S. Pearson, D. Thomas.
REFEREE: Tom Williams
(Wrexham).
ATTENDANCE: 134.