Hat Trick for Edwards in vital win

A vital win for the Lido with Jordan Edwards netting a 10 minute hat trick and Gareth Couch saving his third penalty in three games.

A minutes silence was held before the game in respect of Gordon Duggan, a loyal supporter in our League of Wales, Welsh Premier days. Despite living in Clydach he rarely missed a game home or away.

We made a great start scoring in the third minute, Jordan Edwards broke free and squared the ball  for Liam Griffiths who fired home from close range. We nearly extended our lead in the eighth minute when Ioan Evans broke free and took a shot at goal which was parried well by Watkins in the Cwmbran goal. We dominated the early exchanges playing with purpose and finding the space behind the opposition midfield. Cwmbran probed tentatively but Lido were holding the lines well. In the twenty seventh minute Lido went close as Rory Healey took a potshot from distance which rattled off the back stanchion. Lido extended their lead in the thirty fifth minute when Jordan Edwards met a deep free kick and nodded it home into the bottom corner.  Three minutes later he doubled his score when Ioan Evans drilled in a low cross which ricocheted off Jordan Edwards and beat the keeper, neither of whom knew much about it. The visitors missed a big chance in the fortieth minute as a deep cross was met by Meechan who kneed it over the bar with Couch beaten

Jordan Edwards completed his hat trick in the forty fifth minute as he dug a header out towards goal and, despite protestations, it was adjudged to have crossed the line.  From the kick off Cwmbran went down the other end and were awarded a penalty as Gareth Couch was adjudged to have brought down his man in the box despite heavy protestations from the Lido defence. The referee following discussions with his assistant overturned his decision, a satisfactory half for the Lido seeing them four goals to the good.

There was only one thing for Cwmbran Celtic to do in the second half and that was to go for broke. They started strongly and pulled a goal back in the forty ninth minute with a great goal from distance. Lewis Iles with the strike giving Cwmbran Celtic the lift they required. They started to stamp their authority on the half with some decent passages of play causing a few problems for the Lido defence after the goal. No further chances of note were created but the visitors have approached this half with a fresh sense of urgency. Liam Griffiths almost scored his second in the sixty third minute when he connected with a Jordan Pike free kick Lewis Watkins made the save, fumbled the ball but recovered before anyone could turn the ball in. Lido were putting some great passages of play together in response to some concerted Cwmbran pressure. Then in the sixty sixth minute Cwmbran were awarded a penalty when John Hall brought down his man on the edge of the box. Gareth Couch guessed correctly and for the third match running saved the spot kick. Cwmbran eventually scored a second with another long range shot from Lewis Isles giving Couch no chance. Cwmbran continued to look for a third goal and on times only desperate defending kept them out. However, Lido made the game safe in the eighty sixth minute, breaking away with Ioan Evans who embarked on a mazy run before playing in Harry Davies to fire home his first senior goal for the club. This killed off Cwmbran and secured a hard earned three points.