The girls went down 6-4 at Caerphilly Castle yesterday. Alison Vickers gave them the lead on the half hour but Caerphilly equalised on 34 and took the lead on 39. They made it 3-1 just after half time before Carly Mason-Thomas pulled one back on 48 only for Caerphilly to restore their two goal lead on 50 minutes. Georgia Thorne then netted on 59 minutes to make it 4-3 but once again within minutes Caerphilly scored again. Georgia Thorne netted her second on 77 minutes to make it 5-4 to again give us a chance but Caerphilly rounded off the scoring on 83 minutes to secure the points.

Three players, Harry Davies, Luke McDonald and Tian Mills made their first starts for the club with Tian making his first appearance in first team colours. He can be pleased with his debut before being substituted on 71 minutes. Harry and Luke also made telling contributions and staked a claim for further appearances.

Lido’s play was a lot more positive despite several regulars missing. They had the better of the early exchanges winning a couple of corners, the second of which resulting in a Cai Owens header going just over the bar. On 16 minutes some positive play from the Lido ended with a Ioan Evans shot that went just over the bar

Goytre responded with an attack down their left with a dangerous cross shot which went just wide of the far post with no Goytre player in support. A quick break saw Goytre again in an attacking situation but the move ended with a poor cross drifting out for a goal kick. Steffan Rogers was called into action on 35 minutes when following a long throw he dived on a loose ball inside the 6 yard box before any Goytre player could react. Lido were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area which Luke McDonald took and almost caught out the keeper with a low shot on target which forced the keeper parried away.

Lido took the lead in the 48th minute following a corner which Liam Griffiths met perfectly to head in his second goal for the club, this time against his former team.

Cai Owens went into the book for a challenge on the half way line, the free kick was played into the box and headed across before a great Liam Griffiths clearance while facing his own goal. As the half progressed Goytre were putting on tremendous pressure but the Lido boys were defending really well. It was a case of would Goytre equalise or Lido hold on for three valuable points. With 4 minutes to go a great cross from the left found Harry Davies who had a free header but he couldn’t keep it down and it went just over the bar. A minute later and a sharp turn on the edge of the box by the Goytre front man brought a sharp save from Steffan Rogers in the lido goal. The Goytre pressure finally told as Tim Parker equalised with a shot from the edge of the box. In added time disaster as a 30 yard deflected strike from ex lido player Jay Thomas went into the net to rob us of what would have been a hard earned point. There were positives from the game, with excellent debuts for 3 players and the fighting spirit which has been missing in recent weeks was back. We now need to build on this for the next game at Ammanford on October 1st.

The first half saw some of the best football played at the Marston’s this season with both sides contributing to an entertaining 45 minutes of football. Lido won an early corner before Port Talbot attacked and it took two good blocks by Luke McDonald and Jackson Hall to prevent them taking the lead. Lido took the lead on 4 minutes following a right wing corner. The ball bobbled around in the 6 yard box for a while before Harry Davies rifled a shot past the keeper for the first of his 3 goals. Port Talbot responded with an attack which resulted in a free kick which Steffan Rogers held to clear the danger. Michael McCalmon had a shot from distance which the keeper held before Lido had an effort cleared off the line. Lido won a series of corners as they looked to increase their lead and the Port Talbot keeper made a flying save off a Jordan Pike free kick. The elusive second goal arrived on 37 minutes and it was no surprise it came following a corner. The corner was cleared but Michael McCalmon picked it up outside the box he found some space and fired a shot against the underside of the crossbar and in. Port Talbot attacked down the right and Steffan Rogers made an outstanding save off defender Matthew Andrews who cut out a dangerous cross but only managed to divert it goalwards. Stefan was alert to the danger and dived to save. Lido went 3 up on 40 minutes following a good move involving several players. The ball was played into the area and Luke McDonald rose to volley the ball into the net giving the keeper no chance. Port Talbot had the better of the early second half exchanges and Steffan Rogers again held a free kick. Cameron Harris shot over the bar on the hour before former Lido player Adam Llewellyn reduced the arrears on 68 minutes and a second for them would have made the last quarter of an hour nervy. However, Lido regained the advantage with Jackson Hall hitting the crossbar with a close range shot following a corner. Lido’s fourth goal arrived on 81 minutes when following yet another corner Port Talbot failed to clear and in the scramble the ball hit the post and diverted to Harry Davies who scored from a couple of yards. He scored again on 85 to now head the goalscoring charts for the reserves. Cameron Harris was unlucky not to make it six when following a good run, he hit the post and the keeper dived to save. The next game is on Tuesday the 21^st when unbeaten Pontardawe are the visitors for a 7.30 kick off

A miserable night in the valley wasn’t helped by the result. Lido weren’t helped by the decision to send Steve Morris off when awarding Cambrian a penalty. A difficult task became almost impossible and it was only the fact that Cambrian players wanted to score the spectacular goal rather than ensuring they scored that kept the score down to five.

Cambrian used the flanks as they put pressure on the Lido defence, no chances of note had been created but it looked like a matter of time before the home side would score on what was a difficult surface. Lido were forced into an eighth minute substitution when Lewis Holder went off injured to be replaced by Samm Harrison. The first real chance for Cambrian fell to Ryan Prosser in the twelfth minute as he twisted and turned on the edge of the box before getting a shot off but it drifted wide. Cambrian continued to probe using the flanks well and they took the lead on sixteen minutes not surprisingly from a cross which Jordan Smith rose to nod home. Two minutes later a disaster for the Lido when the ref awarded a penalty and gave Steve Morris a straight red card. Prosser tucked the penalty away despite Cirotto getting a hand to it.

Lido created their first chance on twenty seven minutes as Ioan Evans was released free on goal but Clarke narrowed the angle and got down well to block the shot for a corner, Cambrian went straight up the other end with Smith going on a blistering run and he took a shot from distance which crept past the far post. Lewis Butler tried a long range shot on twenty nine minutes but he couldn’t get it on target and it drifted narrowly wide. Cambrian nearly made it three on the half hour, Joe Thomas rolled past two defenders before taking a shot that deflected into the path of an unsighted Cirotto who managed to beat the ball clear with his outstretched legs. It was only a brief respite as Cambrian made it three five minutes later as Morgan rounded Cirotto to tap into an empty net. It should have been four on thirty nine minutes, Morgan squared the ball on the edge of the box to Prosser who, with the goal gaping, blazed it over the bar. Five minutes before the interval Ioan Evans met a low cross while under pressure from the home defence and tried to turn the ball in but he couldn’t get his body over the ball and it crept wide. Cambrian then hit the crossbar when Smith took a speculative effort from the edge of the box. The rebound fell back to him but his second shot was blasted wide

Ten minutes into the second half and Lido created a chance when Griffiths was released free and squared the ball for the onrushing Evans who couldn’t keep his effort down. Lido went four down on fifty seven minutes when a poor clearance from Cirotto was intercepted and the ball eventually found Sam Jones who drilled a powerful shot home. Only some resolute Lido defending was keeping the score down and they were again unlucky when they broke through Jordan Edwards who beat his defender for pace before squeezing a great shot through on goal which forced Cameron Clarke into a good save. Cambrian then hit the post, It was nearly an own goal as John Hall tried to clear a low cross and hit his own upright. Sam Jones executed a great take from a long ball and tried a speculative effort on goal from a tight angle which rippled the side netting With four minutes to go Cambrian added a fifth with a free kick floated into the top corner.