A creditable draw for our Development side who were mainly youth team players. They played some great football in trying conditions and led through a first senior goal by Morgan Freeman at half time. Kieran Parsons doubled the lead early in the second half but Goytre United scored two goals in the final 20 minutes to secure a point. In the closing minutes the Goytre keeper made a couple of outstanding saves to deny us a winner.

We played against a strong wind in the first half and had the better of the early stages with Liam McCreesh heading an 11th minute cross wide. Port Talbot then grew into the game and missed two scorable chances, the first a shot from the edge of the area and the second from 8 yards. The conditions made it difficult for both sides with especially the wind creating problems with many passes going astray. We took the lead on 31 minutes when Sacha Walters cut in from the left and sent an unstoppable shot high into the net from just outside the area. Two minutes later Liam McCreesh headed in a left wing cross to double our advantage .Noah Daley was unlucky minutes later when he strode into the box but a last ditch block saved another potential scoring opportunity. With the wind at our backs in the second half we pushed forward looking for a third goal, Sacha Walters hit a free kick over the bar then Jack Todd cut in along the byeline, James Harris in goal failed to hold his cross and from only a couple of yards Liam McCreesh hit the crossbar. From this point Port Talbot seemed to gain in confidence and put us under more pressure. Lewis Holmes and Alex Gammond dealt with the ariel threat however until a free kick was headed in on 67 minutes. For the final 20 minutes we failed to impose our game but held out to secure the 3 points.

Lido side

Neither keeper was troubled for much of the game, Noah Daley put an early chance wide and until Luke Martin rushed out to deny Liam McCreesh with 10 minutes to go there were no saves of note at either end. Goytre United attacked strongly in the closing stages and we blocked 4 goalbound opportunities, the final block resulting in a corner. There seemed little danger from the corner which went beyond the far post but a Goytre player played it across the face of goal, several players failed to clear the ball and it was turned in from a couple of yards with 2 minutes of normal time to go. We pushed forward from the kick off and the referee ignored calls for a hand ball but pointed to the spot adjuging Liam McCreesh was brought down. Liam stepped up to score, Goytre attacked again and it took a diving save from Rory McCreesh to deny a late winner.

In a reversal of the first team game Penybont Reserves hosted our Reserves. The game ended all square at 1-1 with our goal being scored by young Carrick Bromage on his Reserve team debut

We kept the same side that performed so well at Haverfordwest last week and we made a superb star. The ball was played wide right to Noah Daley and he cut inside got into the penalty area and fired a left footed shot from 15 yards giving Rhys Wilson in the Penybont goal no chance to put us ahead in 55 seconds. Penybont who are favourites for the title responded in positive fashion and immediately won a corner which Rory McCreesh held. However, from his kick out Penybont won the ball and again attacked only for the through ball to go off a striker and out for a goal kick. On 7 minutes Penybont won a corner on the right which was headed behind for a second corner, we had a bit of good fortune as the shot from the corner hit the crossbar and rebounded to a Penybont player who forced a good save out of Rory McCreesh. Penybont were then awarded a free kick some 25 yards out and Adam Carpenter one of 4 former Lido players in the Penybont squad hit the crossbar with McCreesh beaten. The ball was again picked up by the Penybont midfield and played wide right and from a good position the cross was headed wide. Lewis Holmes won the ball on half way and played it wide to Noah Daley who again cut in but this time he dragged his shot wide. Craig Jones then won the ball and played it wide for Noah Daley, he again beat his marker and squared the ball in for Jack Todd who allowed it to run to the supporting Sacha Walters. He hit a first time shot low to Wilson’s left and he made a good save diving to hold the shot. Again, a McCreesh goal kick was picked up by Penybont but Lewis Holmes was in position to head clear the incoming cross. Lewis Holmes and Cai Owens were defending well but a long diagonal cross from Kieran Howard was over their heads and it took a save from Rory McCreesh to deny Penybont an equaliser. Another Penybont attack saw Adam Carpenter play a 1-2 and chipping Rory McCreesh from the edge of the area but the ball just cleared the crossbar. Penybont continued to attack strongly and this time Kieran Parsons and Lewis Holmes combined to clear the danger. As the half drew to a close we were awarded a series of free kicks and from one of them a Cai Owens header to the far post was just cleared ahead of the incoming Lewis Holmes. On half time Penybont had yet another corner which was headed clear but again Penybont crossed the ball into the area only for Jack Fleming to head and then Rory McCreesh to punch it clear. A good half of football with Penybont recovering from the shock of the early goal but they couldn’t quite force an equaliser despite mounting pressure.

The second half started where the first had left off with Penybont attacking down the right and crossing to the near post but Rory McCreesh held the close range header. Again, McCreesh saved the next ball into the area before Penybont won yet another corner which went harmlessly out for a goal kick. Penybont then attacked down the left and crossed low across the face of the goal but no Penybont player was on hand to turn it into the net. We responded with great interplay between Craig Jones and Jack Todd to set up Jack Hurley, he beat a couple of defenders but his low shot was just touched by Wilson and the ball went inches wide. Kieran Howard tried his luck with a 25 yard free kick but it went well over the bar. The inevitable happened on 70 minutes when substitute Owain Warlow picked up the ball and ran 30 yards with it before firing a low shot from just outside the area past McCreesh. With 15 minutes to go Jack Hurley, Noah Daley and Jack Todd set up a shooting opportunity for Sacha Walters but from the edge of the area his shot hit the crossbar and was cleared. Two minutes later Penybont took the lead, Curtis Hutson who had become more influential as the game wore on crossed the ball from the right and substitute Luke Borrelli headed in what proved to be the winner. In a reversal of the latter stages of the first half Penybont were now winning a series of free kicks which other than slowing down the game they failed to take advantage of. Disappointingly deep in added time Cai Owens was sent off. From our position a Penybont forward appeared to come back from an offside position, the lineman didn’t pick it up and to make matters worse Cai was penalised for a foul. It appears he was sent off for directing foul and abusive language at the linesman, it soured what had been a good game, seconds after his sending off the final whistle sounded.

Lido side

Rory McCreesh  2 Kieran Parsons  3 Jack Fleming  4 Craig Jones  5 Lewis Holmes

6 Cai Owens  7 Noah Daley 8 Owen Williams  9 jack Todd  10 Jack Hurley  11 Sacha Walters

Subs  12 Callum Lewis  14 Jack Underwood for Kieran Parsons 85  15 Luke Evans