We took the lead on 4 minutes following a free kick. It was awarded 35 yards out in a central position and was played wide of the goal to Cai Owens. He headed the ball across the face of the goa. All the Risca players stood allowing the ball to reach John Hall at the far post and he poked it home from a couple of yards on his Lido league debut.

It got even better on 9 minutes, Jay Thomas intercepted possession to play Pat Finneral through on goal. His goalbound shot was parried well by Dibble in the Risca goal  but only into the path of Ioan Evans who drilled his shot home.

Risca created their first chance on 13 minutes as Jordan Thomas teed up a shot from outside the box but he couldn’t find the target and it flew wide

Risca were now getting their game together and getting a foothold in the game with some bright spells of possession in the middle of the park but they couldn’t penetrate the Lido defensive line.

Lido relieved the pressure to win a corner which Cai Owens flicked on but the Risca defence cleared the danger. Back came Risca as Jordan Thomas picked up a long ball out wide, brought it down with his first touch and drilled the ball goalwards but it just missed the far post.

Risca reduced the deficit with a goal on 32 minutes, a long ball over the top of the Lido defence was met by Ryan Wheeler who lobbed the advancing Steffan Rogers.  A minute later and it could have been all square. Leon Thomas was presented with an open goal from distance after a misplaced pass but Rogers scrambled to keep it out. Risca continued to push forward in pursuit of the equaliser and they had another opportunity when Gameson tried a shot from distance with Rogers out of position but he narrowly missed the target. More pressure from Risca saw Jordan Thomas pick the ball up on the edge of the box and take a speculative shot at goal which forced Rogers into a great save low to his left to keep it out. The Cuckoos were well on top and it was no surprise when they equalised.  They took a short corner and changed the angle of the delivery. Lido blocked the cross but in the ensuing scramble Ryan Wheeler poked home from close range. The chances were coming thick and fast for Risca, Taylor Marsh lined up a shot but he couldn’t keep his effort down. Just before the interval Risca hit the post, Wheeler twisted and turned through the Lido defence before unleashing a shot from a tight angle that rattled the woodwork. Lido have done well in the latter stages of the half to go in all square.

Risca came out firing and were camped out in the Lido half. Ben Keen was injured and replaced by Steve Morris on 53 minutes and two minutes later we regained the lead. Ioan Evans pounced on a misplaced back pass, carried the ball forward and from just outside the box fired home past the keeper.

Risca continued probing the Lido defence but so far they held strong.  On 68minutes Leon Thomas got on the right side of the Lido defence and, with the goal gaping, tried to lob the advancing Steffan Rogers and it took a great save to stop the equaliser

We then created a couple of half chances, substitute Jordan Edwards took a shot on goal but he was crowded out by the defence and his shot was collected easily by Dibble, Then another chance for Lido as Jay Thomas picked up a loose clearance from a corner at the back post but he couldn’t keep his shot down and it sailed over the bar. With 10 minutes to go Risca had a goal disallowed, Palmer nodded down into the path of Wheeler after some frenetic defending from Lido. Wheeler drove the ball home but the assistant referee flagged for offside. With 3 minutes to go a deep cross from the left found Arthur Furness at the far post but, unmarked, he couldn’t direct his header and the chance goes wide. There was four minutes of added time and somehow Lido have won, a frenetic half of football, marked by some significant Risca pressure and some resolute Lido defending sees a classic smash and grab.

We went out of the league cup at the first time of asking after missing a number of chances but fell ultimately short with some wasteful defending.

Afan Lido created some early half chances as we started brightly. Cwmbran striker Tom Meechan picked up the loose ball but was brought down in the box, He lined up the spot kick but debutant keeper Louie Cirotto guessed right and parried it clear.  Lido responded well with some concerted pressure on the home defence. Taylor Evans went close with a long range effort but it deflected and rolled comfortably for Cwmbran keeper Larcombe to collect. Cwmbran took the lead on 15 minutes, a low cross was drilled powerfully across goal and was turned home from close range by Lewis Iles at the near post.

On 23 minutes Lido broke well through Samm Harrison following some excellent passing play through the midfield Jay Thomas picked up the ball and drove for goal from outside the box and it took a good save from Larcombe to keep it out. A minute later a great chance for Lido, Jay Thomas spotted the early run of Taylor Evans who bore down on goal but Larcombe spotted the danger and came out to smother well.

Cwmbran Celtic broke quickly from a Lido attack and scored their second. Meechan raced clear of the defence and lofted it over Cirotto to double the home side’s lead. On the half hour there was another chance for Lido as Harris was released free out wide. He tried a shot from distance which was held by Larcombe. On 38 minutes Lido went close again, Jay Thomas released Ross Daniels with a sumptuous through ball on the edge of the box. His low cross was met by Samm Harrison who, with Larcombe bearing down couldn’t guide it home and he narrowly missed the target. Three minutes later Cwmbran netted their third.

Brown intercepted a misplaced pass from out wide. His low cross is guided into the path of Iles who flicked on to Meechan at the far post for him to steer home. Just before half time there was another chance for the Lido after keeper Larcombe scuffed a clearance straight to Jay Thomas who with the keeper off his line, tried a speculative shot from distance which narrowly missed the crossbar

The half time discussion was about a tale of clinical finishing from Cwmbran Celtic and poor defending from Lido. Lido had had their fair share of opportunities but Tom Meechan had put the Lido defence to the sword..

The second half started badly with Taylor Evans going straight into the book for a foul on the halfway line but the side were probing around the home penalty area and forcing a few last ditch clearances. Ioan Evans laid the ball of to Samm Harrison

outside the box but his fizzing shot narrowly missed the far post. We then had a bad 5 minutes with Conor Harris booked for a late challenge and a minute later Jay Thomas for a foul. Worse was to come as Sam Harrison was given a straight red card for a challenge on the edge of the Cwmbran Celtic box. Lido were down to ten men for the remaining 25 minutes. A tall order in the searing temperatures.

Cwmbran Celtic rampaged through the Lido defence, the ball landing up at the feet of Iles who tried to lift the ball over Cirotto in goal  but ended up missing the target from close range. Another booking for Lido Ioan Evans went into the book for a challenge.

Celtic should have made it four on 72 minutes but they hit the crossbar. A deep cross was met by the head of Iles who rattled the bar before the assistant adjudged him to have been offside

Celtic created another good chance with 10 minutes to go, Brown twisted and turned through the Lido defence before unleashing a low shot towards goal which only just missed the far post Just before full time Jay Thomas again went close for Lido, unleashing a shot from distance which beat the keeper but also narrowly evaded the net

 

We lost our final warm up match ahead of the new season when we went down to the only goal of the game against Briton Ferry Llansawel at Llandarcy last night.

It was an encouraging performance with the goal being scored late on. We begin the season on Saturday away to Cwmbran Celtic in the Nathaniel Cars League Cup.

The Ladies team beat Ammanford 4-0 yesterday. Bryanna Demery and Megan Jones both netted twice.

We took a young side to play RTB Ebbw Vale yesterday. They gave a very good account of themselves before losing 3-2. Jay Thomas was again on target, this time with a free kick and Ioan Evans scored his second goal of pre-season.