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

The reserves led Garden Village 1-0 at half time with a fine strike by Craig Lewis. Village scored two second half goals but we were denied an equaliser after the keeper fumbled the ball and appeared to retrieve it from well behind the line. Unfortunately we don’t have goal line technology and the referee was unable to confirm the ball had crossed the line.  Despite the defeat this was an encouraging performance with some great football played by the side.

We were unlucky not to come away from Haverfordwest with something. They are one of the title favourites, we played very well but Steve Hall in goal not only saved a penalty but made several critical saves during the game. Jack Todd in his first game back had a tremendous game despite the buffeting he received from the central defenders. Disappointingly he received no support from the officials.

Haverfordwest had the first chance of the game but shot tamely at Rory McCreesh, Jack Hurley picked up a loose ball in midfield and found Noah Daley in space but he lost the ball just as he was going to shoot. Jack Fleming played the ball down the left for Sacha Walters, he in turn found Noah Daley who back heeled the ball for Jack Todd but the Haverfordwest defence read the situation and cleared. Jack Fleming was again involved in our next attack and he found Jack Todd out wide, he played the ball in to Jack Hurley in space and it needed a good save from Hall to stop us taking the lead. Within a minute we were behind, Haverfordwest attacked down the right and played the ball in to the near post where Ben Fawcett drilled a right footed shot past Rory McCreesh for what at this time was an undeserved lead .We responded well and Noah Daley charged down a clearance, made 30 yards into the box but his shot was blocked by a defender and the ball was cleared. Jack Hurley again won the ball in midfield, played it wide to Sacha Walters, his cross was headed over the bar by Jack Todd. Again Jack Hurley was involved beating a defender in the penalty area and as Steve Hall came out he slipped the ball past him but a defender got back to clear his effort a couple of yards from goal. On the half hour Rory McCreesh easily gathered a shot and we again had the opportunity to level the scores on 31 minutes when Kieran Parsons squared the ball to an unmarked Sacha Walters but somehow he shot wide from 15 yards. 10 minutes before the interval we kept the ball in the Haverfordwest area for quite some time but we couldn’t quite create a clear opening and eventually the ball was cleared. An encouraging first half, all that was missing was a goal that our performance deserved.

Haverfordwest created an early opportunity in the second half but an inviting ball across the face of our goal ran out for a throw as no player cold make contact with the ball. We took a quick free kick to free up Jack Todd and he got into the area and squared the ball for Noah Daley, he took a touch but a defender nipped in to clear the ball. On 51 minutes Jack Todd felt the full force of a defender’s challenge, amazingly the referee took no action other than to give a drop ball after he saw Jack down in a heap. Haverfordwest then had a strong period in the game but a couple of shots were dealt with by Rory McCreesh. We responded and a Jack Hurley cross was just too high for Jack Todd. Another Haverfordwest attack saw the striker dink the ball over Rory McCreesh as he came out but the ball went wide of goal. On 74 minutes we were awarded a penalty when Steve Hall brought down Noah Daley. Hall redeemed himself by guessing correctly diving to his left to save Craig Jones’ penalty. On 83 minutes it looked as though the home side had secured the points when Dan Williams helped on a header from a corner. Steve Hall again excelled on 89 minutes diving to turn a corner behind for a second corner. Deep into added time we were awarded a second penalty, this time Hall could do nothing to save Sacha Walters’ penalty. There was still time for us to have had a third penalty but this time the ref ignored our appeals and with virtually the final incident of the game Steve Hall dived full length to his right to deny another goalbound header.

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 Jack Todd 78  15 Jamie Karnsang  GK Gareth Couch