A second successive 4-4 draw this time away at Cwmbran Celtic. After weathering early Celtic pressure Mark Jones should have given us the lead on 8 minutes but he headed a corner over the bar. We then grew into the game and the Celtic keeper made a good save off Noah Daley. We took the lead on 11 minutes when Neil Thomas was on the end of a right wing cross. The keeper saved his first effort but Neil forced home the rebound. We were two up on twenty minutes when Noah Daley converted a right wing cross. Celtic hit a post with a free kick and Mark Jones netted a penalty on 326 minutes to put us firmly in the driving seat. There was still time for Celtic to miss a 1 on 1 with Rory McCreesh but we went in with a healthy three goal advantage.

That advantage was blown away within 9 minutes of the restart, The first goal was scored on 50 minutes and then Rory McCreesh needlessly conceded a penalty on 54 minutes and in Celtic’s next attack it was 3-3. The way this game went either side could have scored almost at will, Mark Jones hit the post and it was a surprise that the next goal didn’t come until the 79th minute. Now we were looking to respond and we equalised on 84 minutes with another Mark Jones penalty after Toby Link-Jones was fouled in the area. Both sides had further chances to win the game but we had to settle for a share of the points.

Rory McCreesh  2 Kieran Parsons  3 James Parry  4 Alex Gammond  5 Toby Link-Jones

6 Neil Thomas  7 Patrick Finneral  8 Kieran Howells  9 Mark Jones 10 Noah Daley

11 Sacha Walters

Subs  12 Jack Fleming  – 14 Paul Evans

After a goalless first half Mark Jones set up Chris Hartland to open the scoring. Mark then doubled the lead and Pat Finneral scored his first senior goal for the club. Ammanford pulled 1 back a couple of minutes from time before Mark Jones completed the scoring. 16 year old Toby Link-Jones made his first team debut and by the end of the game we had 6 youth players on the field.

From Tuesday’s win at Briton Ferry Cai Owens, Noah Daley and Jack Hurley were unavailable so James Parry, Patrick Finneral and Mark Jones returned and it was a triumphant return for Mark who bagged all 5 goals to reach 100 for the club.

We made a disastrous start to the game going behind in 25 seconds. Jack Fleming tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick but a Ton player won the ball laid it off and they scored with a right footed shot. Ton’s direct play was causing us problems and we went two down on 12 minutes when Mike Jones had a free header from a long throw and guided it into the net. Ton immediately conceded a needless penalty which Mark Jones netted with ease. Ton keeper Ryan Fleming then made an excellent save to deny Mark Jones an equaliser We were level however on 18 minutes, Ton were caught offside and Rory McCreesh quickly took the free kick playing the ball deep into the Ton half. A defender failed to control the ball and Mark Jones went through to knock it past the keeper. On 24 minutes we were ahead, and it was down to the keeper who had gathered the ball with Mark Jones in attendance, the keeper twisted his knee and fell to the ground releasing the ball. With no other player within 25 yards Mark calmly strolled to the centre of the goals before tapping the ball in. The unfortunate keeper had to be replaced but his replacement shone with some fine saves. We conceded a penalty on 42 minutes after Rory McCreesh raced out of his goal but was beaten to the ball, we cleared the initial attack but Rory again went walkabout. The ball was crossed right under the crossbar and Neil Thomas handled it and received a red card. Rory McCreesh atoned for his error by saving his fourth penalty on the bounce but within minutes Ton equalised when the defence didn’t react when the ball hit the crossbar and bounce down into the 6 yard area allowing Ton a lifeline just before the interval.

The question on everyone’s lips during the interval was could we play as badly in the second half, well initially we could as Ton hit the crossbar on 50 minutes and following a period of pressure scored again on 55. We did respond to this and Sacha Walters was fouled 25 yards out after a strong run. Unfortunately Chris Hartland’s free kick hit the wall and was cleared. We replaced Alex Gammond and Chris Hartland with Jack Underwood and Jamie Karnsang and within 6 minutes we were back on level terms. We played the ball forward to Mark Jones and despite having several players around him he managed to find some space, he rode a foul tackle with the referee playing a good advantage Mark sped into the area and hit a powerful shot giving the keeper no chance. He then made it 5-4 on 79 minutes, Jack Underwood and Jamie Karnsang combined well and the ball was played to Mark. His right footed shot lacked power but crept just inside the post with the keeper beaten. Jamie Karnsang again did well on 89 minutes playing a great pass to Mark Jones he beat a couple of defenders and hit a great shot which the keeper saved brilliantly diving to his left. There were 5 minutes of added on time, despite the odd scare we held on fairly comfortably.

Rory McCreesh  2 Kieran Parsons  3 Jack Fleming  4 Alex Gammond  5 James Parry  6 Mark Jones  7 Liam McCreesh 8 Patrick Finneral  9 Neil Thomas  10 Chris Hartland  11 Sacha Walters

Subs  14 Paul Evans – 15 Jamie Karnsang – 16 Jack Underwood

Both sides had a host of chances and until Liam McCreesh’s winner with 7 minutes to go it looked as if the game would end goalless. Lido started well with Sacha Walters winning a corner but from a quick free kick on half way the Ferry attacked down the right and played a great ball across the face of goal without anyone getting a touch. Lido’s first real chance fell to Jack Hurley on 8 minutes when he fired a 30 yard shot just wide. Chris Hartland played a great ball into the box for Neil Thomas but his header went inches wide. The Ferry had the ball in the net on 17 minutes but the forward was flagged offside. This followed a great block by Cai Owens to deny a goalbound shot. At this point the Ferry were looking the more likely to score with Tyler Brock cutting in from the right but firing his shot over the bar. On 26 minutes Sacha Walters went on a run, beating a couple of defenders but his shot was safely gathered by the keeper. On 32 minutes somehow the ball failed to go into the Lido net, it hit the inside of the post and rebounded into play before Rory McCreesh gathered the ball. Then Alex Gammond lost the ball and Tyler Brock raced into the area and rounded Rory McCreesh who had slipped on the wet surface, with the goal beckoning Brock rolled the ball towards the net but Alex Gammond raced back to clear the ball inches from the goal line. From the restart Lido won a corner which they played short to Jack Hurley, his 30 yard curling shot beat everyone but went just outside the far post. Just ahead of the interval Sacha Walters powerfully struck shot was parried away by McFenton in the Ferry goal.

Ferry started the second half in a much more positive mood than the Lido and put pressure on the defence from the off. Another goalline clearance this time by Cai Owens prevented them from taking the lead. From a Ferry free kick several attempts at goal were blocked before Rory McCreesh made a save. Lido finally get into gear and Sacha Walters makes a fine run before finding Noah Daley, despite having several defenders around him he managed to get in a shot which drifted just wide of the far post. A series of free kicks in the Ferry’s favour saw them again get on top but Rory McCreesh is equal to a header that came in. With 7 minutes to go the Lido take the lead, Sacha Walters swung in a cross which was met by Liam McCreesh and his header looped over McFenton to nestle in the back of the net. The Ferry won another free kick but Alex Gammond was on hand to head clear. As time ticked away the Lido won a series of corners to keep the ball deep in the Ferry half before the Ferry again attacked down the left and they won a free kick 20 yards out on the left touchline. The ball was swung in and Ian Hilllier headed the ball against the crossbar and we partially cleared it but then the ball was fired in low but again went wide without anyone getting a touch. It was the final action of a game of many chances and some stout defending by both sides..

Rory McCreesh  2 Kieran Parsons  3 Jack Fleming  4 Cai Owens  5 Alex Gammond  6 Noah Daley  7 Liam McCreesh 8 Jack Hurley  9 Neil Thomas  10 Chris Hartland  11 Sacha Walters

subs  12 Jack Underwood for Chris Hartland  82 – 14 Lewis Clement  – 15 Ben Thomas – 16 Jamie karnsang

Despite Rory McCreesh saving two penalties we still lost 3-2 at Cwmamman United. The first penalty given after 10 minutes seemed harsh as Cai Owens was only a couple of yards away from the  ball when a striker shot at goal. McCreesh guessed correctly and turned the ball away for a corner. We then played Noh Daley in but he was forced wide and found the supporting Jack Underwood but his goalbound  shot was cleared. A Lido throw caused problems in the Cwmamman defence and the ball was kicked against Sacha Walters and rebounded inches the wrong side (for us) of the post. We took the lead on 23 minutes when Chris Curtis failed to hold a free kick and Cai Owens netted. Disappointingly we failed to hang on to the lead for any length of time, Rory McCreesh made two diving saves to initially deny an equaliser but he was powerless to stop Ashley Curtis’ shot from the edge of the area which hit the underside of the bar before nestling in the net. As the half progressed McCreesh again made some quality saves while James Parry played a great cross into the Cwmamman area but no Lido player attacked the ball and the chance was lost.

We went behind two minutes into the second half, after Cwmamman attacked down their left, and played the ball in to Ashley Curtis who scored with a right footed shot.  Worse was to come when 6 minutes into the half it was 3-1. We should have pulled a goal back on the hour when Sacha Walters was played in on goal but his shot hit Chris Curtis and went out for a corner. Good defending on our part prevented a fourth goal, several players put their bodies on the line to block goalbound shots. Eventually the ball ran out for a corner, from that Cwmamman were awarded their second penalty but again McCreesh guessed correctly to push the ball away. We had a lifeline with 6 minutes to go, Curtis failed to hold a Chris Hartland shot and Noah Daley was on the spot to turn it in. In added on time he had a chance to level the scores but Curtis spread himself to prevent Noah’s shot going in.

Rory McCreesh  2 Kieran Parsons  3 James Parry  4 Cai Owens  5 Alex Gammond

6 Kieran Howells  7 Liam McCreesh  8 Jack Underwood  9 Noah Daley 10 Chris Hartland

11 Sacha Walters

Subs  12 Jamie Karnsang for Sacha Walters 77  – 14 Josh Webber for Jack Underwood 77

15 Taylor Evans – 16 Paul Evans