REDS LOSE IN STOPPAGE TIME

REDS LOSE IN STOPPAGE TIME

BALA TOWN 1   LLANELLI 0

On Tuesday evening at Port Talbot, the Reds earned a league cup semi-final place by virtue of a winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but at Bala the tables were turned when home striker Chris Mason shot past Ashley Morris at exactly the same point in the game to make it a miserable journey home for the visitors.

In truth, apart from the occasional half chance, they seldom tested Leon Bimpson in the home goal, while their opponents were ruing their ill fortune on a number of occasions, seeing several chances squandered or the ball bouncing just the wrong side of a post.

Overall, it must have been a mediocre spectacle for the live TV audience, and did nothing to enhance the reputation of the league with far too much reliance by both sides on the long ball approach, while the distribution also left much to be desired.

The Reds were once again forced to reshuffle their starting line up due to injuries sustained by Chris Llewellyn and Scott Evans at the GenQuip Stadium, while Stuart Jones is likely to be out for some time suffering with glandular fever.

The one player available after his one match suspension, Wyn Thomas, was named on the bench, but was not called upon during the entirety of the match, which was something of a surprise.

The visitors started brightly enough, with Rhys Griffiths just failing to make contact with a Chris Venables cross into the box, while Bimpson turned around with some difficulty a floated ball to the far post by Ryan Batley.

The home side went close to opening the scoring when a deflected shot by Mark Jones off Chris Holloway was somehow kept out by the outstretched leg of Morris, and Mason could only send the rebound over the bar.

Morris did well to grasp safely a firmly struck shot by Mason at his near post, but when the Reds pushed forward into Bala territory, Griffiths appeared to be hauled to the ground inside the area, but referee Brian James awarded them a free kick just outside the box which came to nothing.

Steve Jenkins shot off target when the opportunity presented itself, but the interval arrived with neither side seemingly able to break down the respective defences, and the encounter was badly needing a lift to rise it out of the ordinary.

The opening minutes of the second period at last provided that, with the home side twice almost snatching the lead, firstly when Josh MacAuley drove an attempt across the face of the net before it was hacked away for a corner, and when this came across, John Irving forced Morris to divert his header for another flag kick.

Griffiths directed a Jenkins cross over the home goal, before Holloway did well to close down Mason when he was found in space and block his intended shot on target.

Ross Jones, who had replaced Jordan Follows on the stroke of half time, was himself substituted following a clash of heads with Danny Williams, Adam Orme coming on instead.

A poor kick out by Morris afforded Jones a shot at the unguarded net which was narrowly wide, and as the match entered its closing stages, the home side were by far the more aggressive, forcing their opponents to defend for long periods.

Several attempts on goal were inches away from their intended target with the ball rebounding off the Reds defenders on a couple of occasions just the wrong side of the upright from Bala`s point of view.

With stoppage time well under way, the home side eventually got the reward their endeavours merited when the industrious Mason set off on a run down the left before finishing off with a well drilled low shot past Morris just inside the post to earn his side only their second win of the season.

MATCH STATS.

LLANELLI;   Morris; C. Thomas; Batley; Holloway; Jenkins; Venables; Follows (R. Jones, 45, (Orme, 68); Bowen; Corbisiero ©; Griffiths; Warlow;

Subs. not used: W. Thomas; Davies.

GOAL CHART:  Bala Town – Mason, 90+4.

YELLOW CARDS: Bala Town – Morrison; Williams; Jones. Llanelli – Bowen; Warlow.

LLANELLI MAN OF THE MATCH;    Stephen Jenkins

REFEREE;   Mr. Brian James (Pontypridd).

ATTENDANCE;       231.