OWAIN’S BLAST EARNS A POINT
A CONTENDER for goal of the season two minutes from time smashed home in spectacular fashion by academy player Owain Phillips-Taylor earned Llanelli Town a hard-earned point against stubborn JD Cymru South opponents on Friday night.
The home side had far more possession without offering much in the way of an attacking threat, their best effort arising from an early free-kick by Brandon Griffiths that rebounded off the defensive wall for a corner.
The Reds striker then had a further opportunity but he screwed his finish wide from a decent position.
Cuckoos goalkeeper Joseph Massaro then just beat Griffiths to a ball hoisted into the box, and did even better when a kick out by Exauce Dimonekene was headed on by Daniel Barnard and collected by Griffiths, but this time Massaro got down at his near post to deny him.
When the visitors countered through Leon Thomas he was let down by poor control and the danger was snuffed out.
Griffiths was then involved again, heading a Louis Gerrard cross just off target, before the hosts were almost undone when a miscued clearance cannoned off Matthew Thomas, but Dimonekene came to the rescue with a fine save.
The deadlock was broken on 42 minutes when the Cuckoos went ahead through Ryan Wheeler when he was found unmarked following a cross from the right, and he netted from close range.
The Reds made two changes prior to the start of the second half, with Nathan Logan and Callum Saunders replacing Ryan Bevan and Chris Thomas.
As the half progressed, the home side were being increasingly frustrated by their inability to break down a resolute Cuckoos rearguard, although they did force Massaro into action courtesy of a Saunders freekick, the goalkeeper diving to prevent a score.
With time running out, the Reds made what turned out to be a telling substitution, Phillips-Taylor replacing Barnard on 85 minutes.
And just three minutes later he met a ball delivered into the middle, unleashing an unstoppable 25-yard first-time strike past Massaro that gave the goalkeeper no chance.
There was still time for the hosts to almost snatch an unlikely win when Thomas Hillman got to the byline before shooting across the face of goal, forcing Massaro to divert it clear.
It was a welcome point for the Reds, who are still nowhere near performing to their capabilities.
They will be sorely tested on Satur
day when they make the short journey to in-form Carmarthen Town. Kick-off is at 2.30pm.
LLANELLI TOWN: Dimonekene, Williams, J Thomas, Parsons, Hillman, John, Griffiths (Finlay 76), Barnard (Phillips-Taylor 85), Gerrard (capt), Bevan (Logan 46), C Thomas (Saunders 46). Sub not used:
RISCA UNITED: Massaro, Porter (Selway 67), Furness, Hodge, Hodges, Ellis (Palmer 81), Wheeler, Clayton (capt, Feeley 81), M Thomas, Duncan (Keepin-Davies 76), L Thomas (Hanford 67).