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CARMARTHEN FOOTBALL TABLES & FIXTURES


Welsh League Division 2 P W D L GD Pts 12 9 3 0 +31 30 13 8 3 2 +8 27 10 8 1 1 +22 25 12 6 4 2 +10 22 12 5 3 4 +7 18 18


Llanelli Town


Briton Ferry Llanl AFC Porth


Pontypridd Town Aberdare Town


Pontardawe Town 13 5 3 5 -1


Abergavenny Town 11 5 1 5 0 AFC Llwydcoed Garden Village Dinas Powys


Newport City


Cwmamman Utd 10 5 2 3 +10 17 Ammanford


12 5 2 5 +2 17 16


13 5 1 7 -11 16 12 4 1 7 0


Aberbargoed Buds 10 3 2 5 -4 Croesyceiliog West End


12 4 0 8 -11 12 11


14 3 2 9 -12 11 11 3 1 7 -13 7 3 2 1 10 -38 4


Carmarthenshire League Premier Division P W D L GD Pts


Evans & Williams 10 9 0 1 +31 27 Loughor Seaside Bwlch


Trostre Sports Dafen


Carmarthen Stars 9 4 1 4 +4 13 Penllergaer


Tumble United Pontlliw


Gorseinon Llandeilo 10 3 3 4 -2


Pengelli United Pwll Athletic Penyfan


10 2 3 5 -16 9 12 2 2 8 -16 8 8 1 4 3 -4 6 1 2 3 -4


10 1 2 7 -15 5 11 1 1 9 -34 4


Carmarthenshire League - Division 1 P W D L GD Pts 11 8 2 1 +22 26 11 8 1 2 +14 25


Ammanford


Loughor Rovers Rs.10 6 1 3 +4 19 Trallwm Killay


Garden Village


Pontarddulais Twn 10 4 2 4 +3 14 Johnstown United 9 4 2 3 +1 14 Burry Port Ponthenri Felinfoel Abergwili Caerbryn


12 4 1 7 +11 13 7 4 1 2 +2 13 10 3 2 5 -7


Camford Sports C K Swiss Valley


10 3 0 7 -17 9 10 2 0 8 -23 6 12 1 1 10 -30 1


11


Carmarthenshire League - Division 2 P W D L GD Pts 11 11 0 0 +56 32


Seaside Reserves 15 10 2 3 +44 32 Pontlliw Reserves 13 7 3 3 +8 24 Pengelli United Res 12 6 2 4 +8 20 Drefach Kidwelly


Johnstown Pwll Reserves Llangennech


Johnstown United 13 5 2 6 -8 Llandovery Pembrey


Bwlch Reserves Llansteffan


13 5 4 4 +8 19 11 5 2 4 +15 17 13 5 2 6 +6 17 11 5 2 4 +4 17 17


11 5 1 5 +2 16 11 4 2 5 +4 14 11 3 2 6 -16 11 13 2 0 11 -46 6 14 1 0 13 -85 3


Fixtures for Saturday, January 7


Welsh League - Division 2 Ammanford v Pontardawe Town Llanelli Town v Aberdare Town Newport City v Cwmamman United


Carmarthenshire League - Premier Division


Bwlch v Evans & Williams Carmarthen Stars v Tumble United Dafen v Trostre Sports Gorseinon v Pengelli United Penllergaer v Loughor Pontlliw v Penyfan


Carmarthenshire League - Division 1 Abergwili v Felinfoel


Camford Sports v Johnstown United Garden Village v Llandeilo Pontarddulais Town v Killay Trallwm v Burry Port


Carmarthenshire League - Division 2 C K Swiss Valley v Kidwelly


Johnstown United Res v Bwlch Reserves


Llansteffan v Drefach Pembrey v Pwll Reserves Pengelli United Res v Llangennech Seaside Reserves v Johnstown


Carmarthenshire League - Senior Cup Round 2 Ponthenri v Seaside Round 3


Pwll Athletic v Llandovery


Carmarthenshire League - Challenge Cup Round 2 Loughor Rovers Res v Ammanford


8 5 1 2 +21 16 9 5 0 4 +1 15 9 5 0 4 -2


15


7 5


16 12


7 7 0 0 +28 21 10 6 3 1 +17 21 10 6 2 2 +17 20 9 6 0 3 +1 18 10 5 1 4 -7


Cardiff Met Carmarthen Town


1 3


CARMARTHEN finished 2016


with a stunning performance to deservedly claim three valuable points on New Year’s Eve. This was an entertaining encounter with a Cardiff Met side that has impressed in their first season back in the Welsh Premier League after a lengthy absence from the top flight. The first half was fairly evenly


balanced with the home side holding on to a narrow lead, but after the interval the Old Gold took over and produced arguably their best 45 minutes of football this season. With spells of irresistible attacking play, they turned the game around with two early goals and comfortably held on to that advantage before settling the result with a third late success. The match began at a frantic pace


on the accommodating 3G surface with the play switching quickly from end to end as both sides sought to make an early impression. But with neither defence looking particularly troubled under intermittent pressure, there was no significant early goalmouth action. However, after 10 minutes, the


Met went ahead. Bradley Woolridge made a strong run down the right- wing before lifting a high cross into the penalty area where Charlie Corsby headed the ball forward to Adam Roscrow, who had found an alarming amount of space in the goalmouth, and from close-range he stabbed it past keeper Lee Idzi and into the net. While the hosts, at this stage, were


clearly enjoying the greater share of possession and territorial advantage, Town were looking lively on the counter-attack with Kyle Bassett a particular threat along the flanks with his blistering pace and strength on the ball.


They went close to snatching an


equaliser on 15 minutes when, from Bassett’s searching corner into a packed goalmouth, the ball eventually reached Dwaine Bailey who, from 10 yards, hit a smart volley that was blocked on the goal-line by defender Emlyn Lewis. The Met continued to press


forward at every opportunity but they were repelled time and again by some formidable Old Gold defending with the experienced central partnership of Dave Vincent and Lee Surman particularly influential – and they


received impressive support from Bailey, patrolling just in front of them, as well as Dan Sheehan and Craig Hanford on the flanks. Directly ahead of them,


industrious midfielders Kieran Lewis and Ceri Morgan eagerly provided a further valuable layer of defensive support whenever necessary. Behind those defenders, Idzi once more looked comfortable and secure, demonstrating his customary assured and safe handling in dealing with a number of crosses and corners. Indeed, it was Town that went


closest to scoring during a late spell of first-half pressure; on 45 minutes Lewis sent a long free-kick deep into the crowded penalty area where Vincent produced a firm close-range header but saw keeper Will Fuller claim the ball under the bar. After the interval, Cardiff again


began brightly. In the 56th minute, Jordan Lam cut inside from the left- wing and struck a rasping 20 yard angled drive that Idzi resisted with a smart reflex save. But that only served to herald


an astonishing spell of fast attacking football from the Old Gold that brought them two goals in as many minutes. On 58 minutes, Liam Thomas


burst dangerously into the penalty area only to be brought down by Emlyn Lewis. Mark Jones stepped forward for the resultant spot-kick and confidently drilled the ball past Fuller and into the corner of the net.


Then, moments later, Town broke


away from their own penalty area and in a seamless move the ball was played out wide to Bassett near the half-way line who produced a remarkable sprint along the right flank, outpacing his marker with embarrassing ease, and finished by firing the ball invitingly across the face of the goal where Thomas arrived, similarly at speed and with immaculate timing, to clinically sweep it home from close range. The Old Gold, spurred by that


success, continued to dominate the next phase of play, regularly unleashing the lightning pace of strikers Bassett (enjoying his most influential display for a long time), Thomas and Jones to torment and stretch the Met defence. In the 64th minute, having won


a corner, Bassett’s delivery found Vincent, rising high above a crowd of players, but he saw his well-directed header cleared off the goal-line by Lam. Gradually, the hosts began to


fight back with several threatening counter-attacks. On 75 minutes, Lam raced forward along the left flank to the corner of the penalty area then struck a crisp drive that defeated Idzi but slid just beyond the far post. But that was their best, and last, decent effort during this spell. After 83 minutes, Bassett


launched another dazzling run down the right touchline that once more led to a corner which he lifted into the goalmouth. A poor defensive


clearance went straight to Morgan who dispatched a fierce 20 yard volley that Fuller, with a superb reflex save, turned over the bar. Following the ensuing corner,


yet another well-flighted effort from Bassett, Jones emerged from the packed goalmouth to execute a skilful glancing header that flew into the roof of the net to secure this vital victory. These three points reinforce


Town’s hold on sixth place in the WPL as they are now only one point behind Cardiff Met, each with just one game left to play in the first- phase programme. They also stand two points above


Llandudno (one to play) and four above Aberystwyth (two to play) but usefully both of those clubs have a far inferior goal difference by comparison with the Old Gold which conceivably may be the deciding factor between the eventual sixth and seventh places. Carmarthen’s final match is on


Saturday, January 14, (k/o 5.15pm) when they travel to Cefn Druids. All the final round of first-phase fixtures are scheduled for the same date and time.


Happily, Town have won all


three of their previous WPL matches at the Druids new ground – twice against them in 2014/15 and once in a rearranged fixture against Airbus UK near the end of the previous season. A fourth successive victory there would be very welcome.


13


THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 6 2017


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Old Gold too good for Cardiff


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