The Reserves beat Llantwit Major by the only goal of the game scored by Adam Llewellyn for their first home win of the season.

A win against the odds at STM Sports with everyone playing their part in the performance. We had a dreadful start, Steve Cann went down having collected the ball from a corner after 2 minutes and dislocated his shoulder. There was a 25 minute delay while he was being attended to and eventually he was able to walk to a dugout. Gareth Couch took over between the sticks. STM Officials phoned for an ambulance but as it wasn’t deemed life threatening an ambulance wasn’t sent.

When the game restarted Jack Hurley won the ball and played a good through ball for Noah Daley but a defender just beat Noah to the ball and clear the danger. Brad Flay won the ball on the byeline and we played the ball wide to Sean Hanbury but his cross went over the crossbar but there were encouraging signs that the team had settled. STM were awarded a free kick 25 yards out, they took a short one and fired in a shot which Gareth Couch confidently held. STM took the lead on 35 minutes when we were clearing our lines but the ball was not controlled and it was played back into the box. Gareth Couch made the initial save but we couldn’t clear the ball and in the resulting goal mouth scramble an STM player forced the ball over the line. We didn’t deserve to be behind and 5 minutes later we were back on level terms. Following a good build up Sean Hanbury passed the ball forward for Noah Daley wide left. Noah took on his defender and beat him got into the penalty area and shot past the keeper giving him no chance. Sacha Walters then picked up a loose ball and tried a shot which went just wide. Gareth Couch again held a STM free kick and on the stroke of half time Alex Gammond put his body on the line and brilliantly blocked an incoming cross.

STM started the second half looking to regain the lead but could only head a corner over the bar. Sean Hanbury then set up a chance for Noah Daley but his shot was saved by the keeper, Sean then went on a fine 30 yard run got into the box but again the keeper saved his shot. We took the lead on 56 minutes after their keeper had again made a save off Sacha Walters turning the ball behind for a corner. We took the corner short crossed it in low for Sean Hanbury to turn the ball in from 8 yards. Liam McCreesh showed great composure just after the hour when he calmly headed a STM free kick back to Gareth Couch. It just showed the confidence that we were now playing with. Ben Symons having had a few knocks was replaced on 65 minutes by Patrick Finneral with Sacha Walters filling in at full back. STM now had a lot of possession but lacked a finishing touch, some of their finishing left a lot to be desired. On 70 minutes Gareth Couch made another save turning the ball away for a corner which was again headed wide.  Brad Flay was unlucky not to make it 3-1 on 76 minutes, he picked up a loose ball and fired in a great shot but again the STM keeper dived full length to his left to turn the ball away for a corner. The corner found its way to Noah Daley and his shot was tipped onto the crossbar and out for another corner by the keeper. STM again pushed forward looking for an equaliser but they were unable to find a way through the defence with Gareth Couch standing firm. In added time having weathered the STM storm we pushed forward and passed the ball around keeping possession for some time. Eventually Patrick Finneral shot and again the keeper saved only this time Liam McCreesh followed up and turned the ball into the net from a couple of yards with the keeper still on the ground. We comfortably saw out the closing minutes to earn 3 valuable points.

All the excitement for this game came in the last 10 minutes. The scores were level  before 4 late goals saw the match end all square.

Llwydcoed took the lead in 90 seconds in their first meaningful attack. Despite several good openings we were unable to equalise before the interval.

The second half was a repeat with several good chances squandered before Morgan Freeman got his head to an Adam Llewellyn cross from the right to level the scores on 68 minutes. Morgan then put us in front on 83 minutes when he netted again from a right wing cross. Thoughts of a win went out of the window when Llwydcoed forced their way through the centre of our defence and their player lobbed Richard Cooling in goal. Almost from the restart we played the ball forward for Morgan Freeman to complete his hat trick with the best goal of the day to again set up the win. However there was still time for Llwydcoed to kick off and again power their way into our penalty area and go down under a challenge to earn a penalty which they converted. We kicked off and the final whistle went, probably both sides felt this was 2 points lost not 1 gained.

2-1 down with 5 minutes to go we turned the match around with an Alex Gammond header and a Liam McCreesh strike from 30 yards deep into added on time. Lido had the first real chance of the game on 8 minutes when Noah Daley set up an opportunity  for Liam McCreesh but Dan Bradley in the Cambrian goal was down to his right to make a smart save. There were few chances being created, one of the few was when Dan Bradley dropped a corner but recovered before a Lido player could take advantage. Then on 31 minutes Steve Cann made a fine save but the ball rebounded to a Cambrian player who from 10 yards fired over the bar.  Cambrian attacked down the right with a low cross across the face of the goal but no visiting player attacked the ball and it went out for a goal kick. The game burst into life in the 44th minute, firstly Cambrian took the lead, again they attacked down their right and a low cross into the 6 yard box was turned in by Cameron Keetch. Cambrian had hardly finished celebrating when Lido equalised with a 25 yard shot from Jack Hurley.

For the second successive home game we conceded a penalty early in the second half, Liam Edwards netted although Steve Cann guessed the right way. Cambrian looked to add a third but somehow from close range hit the post then Cann saved a long range shot. Brad Flay replaced Neil Thomas and Cann again excelled tipping over another blockbuster of a shot. Lido were pushing forward looking for an equaliser and it came on 85 minutes following a free kick. For once our delivery was spot on and Alex Gammond headed in from just outside the 6 yard box. Lido celebrations were even louder in added time when Dan Bradley came out to try and clear the ball but with Noah Daley closing him down he miskicked the ball which went straight to Liam McCreesh 30 yards out. Liam took one look and shot into the empty net amid wild celebrations.

The Youth began their season with a hard fought win over a spirited Briton Ferry side. Morgan Freeman opened the scoring in the 8th minute when he tapped the ball into an empty net from a couple of yards. The Ferry equalised on 13 minutes with a shot that bounced in front of the diving Jack Davies who was making his debut. On 17 minutes the Ferry went 2-1 up only for Toby Link-Jones to equalise from a free kick three minutes later. Both sides were trying to play football in the torrential rain and the Ferry again went ahead on the half hour a lead they held until half time.

Noah Daley cut inside and set up Morgan Freeman who shot from just inside the area to level the scores again on 49 minutes. Lido started getting on top as the half progressed and the Ferry keeper made a fine save from Morgan Freeman on 65 minutes. A minute later Noah Daley drove into the penalty area again and the keeper did well to turn his shot away for a corner. The Lido took the lead on 78 minutes when a 25 yard shot from Jay Thomas hit the inside of the post before nestling in the back of the net. On the second half performance it was a deserved lead. With 3 minutes to go a Jay Thomas free kick bounced awkwardly in front of the keeper and he was unable to gather the ball. Morgan Freeman reacted quickest and he guided the ball into the net from a couple of yards to complete his hat trick. Finally three minutes into added time Noah Daley got the goal he has been striving for when he cut in from the left and slotted the ball past the keeper.

A 3-2 win for the Reserves the first of the season at Garden Village. They led 3-0 until the 78th minute and Garden Village pulled a second goal back with two minutes to go. From somewhere the referee added 8 minutes on but despite late pressure we held on for the win.

We had a great start we were two up inside 11 minutes, the ref we thought played a great advantage for the first but as the game wore on it was obvious we weren’t getting many decisions so it wasn’t really an advantage. The ball fell to Adam Llewellyn just inside the box and his shot gave the keeper no chance. The second on 11 minutes followed an excellent build up involving several players and Adam Llewellyn this time on the left side curled a shot inside the far post, again giving the keeper no chance. Garden Village must have had a record number of free kicks in this game as every time one of them went down they got a free kick. They also had a penalty on 21 minutes when a forward backed into our defender went down and was awarded a penalty. Gareth Couch diving to his right however brought off a terrific save. On the half hour following a Lido corner Village broke quickly won yet another free kick which was headed against Gareth Couch and  a Village player hit the rebound over the bar from a couple of yards. Morgan Freeman could have made it  3-0 on 35 minutes when he picked up a clearance beat several players drew the keeper and shot but the keeper saved it.

We should have had a penalty on 48 minutes, firstly Morgan Gardner was pushed in the back but stayed on his feet, then he was hacked down amazingly it drew no reaction from the referee. Morgan Freeman did make it 3-0 on 53 minutes when he latched on to a clearance, sped away from the defence and lobbed the keeper from 25 yards. Village then had many free kicks but were unable to make them count but on 78 minutes one of their subs went on a run beating several defenders, drew Gareth Couch and slotted it past him. Spurred on by this they poured forward looking for a second but generally the defence held firm. Morgan Freeman had a chance to finish off the game but shot at the keeper then with two minutes to go the Village pressure finally told and they pulled back a second. In the fifth minute of added time Morgan Freeman shot inches wide but we finished the game keeping the ball in the Village half to ensure a first win.

It could only happen on Friday the 13th!  Our bus was involved in an accident so we had to travel by car to Haverfordwest. We started ok with an early attack which the Haverfordwest defence cleared. Then for a period of time they held the ball and knocked it around but they didn’t make any inroads on our goal. They took the lead on 17 minutes when an attack down the right saw the ball crossed in and headed against the crossbar, their player reacted quickest and scored with a close range shot. On 22 minutes Noah Daley had a shot blocked and Haverfordwest broke quickly but the shot went straight to Steve Cann. Alex Gammond headed a corner wide on the half hour, to this point it was our best chance. Haverfordwest went two up on 35 minutes, they played the ball down their left and Steve Cann raced out of the area but a Haverfordwest player got to it first and crossed the ball into the goalmouth where it was put into the net. Jack Hurley was unlucky with a shot from the edge of the area which went inches wide. But we reduced the arrears on 39 minutes from a corner. It was met perfectly by Alex Gammond and his header gave the defence no chance of clearing. On the stroke of half time we had a chance to draw level from a free kick 25 yards out in a central position but Alex Gammond’s free kick went over the crossbar.

From the restart we attacked and Jack Hurley shot at the keeper. Steve Cann again came out of the area and failed to clear the ball, this time however the shot went wide. Kaid Mohamed tried his luck with a long range effort which forced a good save by Steve Hall in goal. We went 3-1 down on 55 minutes, Haverfordwest attacked down our left where there was a huge space they took the ball into the area but the shot was blocked, however it fell kindly to one of the midfield players who was following up and he sent an unstoppable shot into the net. Again Haverfordwest attacked down their right where there was oceans of space but this time we managed to clear the danger. Jack Hurley then won the ball in midfield and found Kaid Mohamed he made ground and passed to Brad Flay but his shot went wide. Haverfordwest’s fourth goal came following a Lido free kick. We pushed forward looking to get back into then game but the kick was cleared and a long ball forward found us wanting at the back and they scored to settle the result. Kaid Mohamed’s luck was out as a header beat Steve Hall in goal but he instinctively stuck out a hand to make the save. The fifth was scored in similar fashion a couple of minutes from time. A result to reflect on, Haverfordwest on the night played very well but we need to respond to this and get ourselves up the table.