Old Gold pay heavy price for mistakes

ABERTILLERY BLUEB ........ 2 CARMARTHEN TOWN ....... 0

CARMARTHEN Town produced their worst performance of the season against lowly Abertillery Bluebirds at the picturesque Cwm Nant y Groes.

The game went ahead after a morning pitch inspection, but a large travelling crowd witnessed an abject performance littered with mistakes against a side who had only won two of their previous 21 matches.

Abertillery had the first good chance in the 12th minute when a mistake by Lee Surman allowed Ryan Meredith to win the ball and go through in on goal, but alert goalkeeper Lee Idzi closed down the Bluebirds striker and saved at his feet.

Space was at a premium on a narrow pitch and it took until the 20th minute for Carmarthen to create a chance.

Will Rickard broke from midfield and found Gavin Jones, but his shot from an acute angle was easily saved to his left by Brandon Powell.

Home striker Curtis Methven then produced a powerful shot from 25 yards which forced Idzi to tip the ball around the post.

Carmarthen could have taken the lead before half-time as Rickard again picked out Gavin Jones with a cross and his flying volley narrowly missed the angle of crossbar and post.

The Old Gold reverted to a direct approach in the second half and introduced recent singing Tobias Jones to the attack.

Just after the hour Noah Daley fired a free-kick from 20 yards which deflected over Powell and hit the crossbar.

But in the 66th minute Powell cleared the ball upfield and as it dropped Jordan Vickers slipped which allowed Ryan Meredith to challenge Sam Parsons. Meredith won the tackle and took the ball around Idzi to tap into an empty net.

Two minutes later Surman’s attempted clearance was charged down by Curtis Methven, who clinically finished past Idzi to double the lead.

Carmarthen rallied late on. A Parsons free-kick was tipped over by Powell, then substitute Jack Jones’s shot was blocked on the line. Finally a Bradley Gibbings cross was scuffed wide by Noah Daley.

Carmarthen remain fourth in JD Cymru South, eight points adrift of leaders Llanelli Town. They host Taffs Well at the LHP Stadium on Saturday (2pm).

TEAM: Idzi; Vickers, Surman (Rocke 70), Tancock, Parsons, Walters (Richards 73), Dyson, Rickard (Jack Jones 70), Daley, Thomas (Tobias Jones 45), Gavin Jones (Gibbings 70). Sub not used: Craig (GK).