RHYS GRABS LAST MINUTE WIN

First half – poor, second half – much better, that just about sums up the Reds overall display against workmanlike opponents who defended in depth and continually frustrated the attempts of the home side to achieve a breakthrough.

Still missing the influence of Martyn Giles, Stuart Jones and Chris Holloway, the hosts were barely in the contest up to the half time interval, allowing Newtown to dictate proceedings for much of the time without seriously troubling Craig Richards in the Reds goal.

Having said that, the visitors were gifted a penalty after just ten minutes play when Rhys Griffiths was adjudged to have fouled Shane Sutton following a corner kick, and Craig Whitfield easily despatched it past Richards.

The Reds continued to struggle to string together any worthwhile passing movements, with far too many hopeful balls being launched forward in the hope that something would develop, but the nearest they came to any meaningful threat was when Chris Venables fired wide from a build up involving Andy Legg, Owain Warlow and Antonio Corbisiero.

Trailing at the break, the home side created a half chance when Corbisiero seized on a botched clearance from Sutton to attempt a chip over Roberts who had strayed off his line, but his effort was charged down.

The visitors keeper pulled off a stupendous save to divert over a great strike by Chris Llewellyn from the edge of the box, while a floated Chris Thomas cross landed on top of the Newtown net.

The Reds were now dictating matters and when a Legg corner was diverted by Griffiths into the path of Venables, Roberts again saved the day by blocking his goalbound shot.

Newtown brought on Chris Hartland for Shaun Jones, and he almost immediately had a chance of restoring the lead when a long kick out by Roberts led to him and Corbisiero battling for possession with Richards off his line, but despite winning the ball he could only direct it over the bar.

A free kick to the Reds on the edge of the box in the 72^nd minute finally brought the scores level, after the initial kick had sailed harmlessly over the top, the referee awarded a retake, and this time Wyn Thomas rifled  it beyond Roberts into the bottom corner.

This success certainly spurred on the home side and Griffiths was desperately unlucky to witness his strike from a Legg free kick rebound off the inside of a post, but three minutes from normal time he made up for this by notching up what turned out to be the eventual winner, when a Warlow cross was headed back across goal by Legg to enable the striker to guide the chance past the goalkeeper.

With time running out, Richards produced a great save to keep out a thirty yard thunderbolt from Dylan Blain, and when a long kick out by Roberts led to a melee in front of the home goal, a deflected header rebounded off a post before the danger was cleared.

Even then, the Reds could have extended the lead when Adam Orme was afforded a chance in front of goal, but he dwelt too long over the ball and was eventually closed down.

Not a vintage performance by the Reds by any stretch of the imagination, but they ground out a result and now occupy a decent position in the league table.

MATCH STATS.

LLANELLI ;   Richards; C. Thomas; Llewellyn; Venables; Legg; W. Thomas; Follows (Bowen, 68);

Corbisiero ©; Griffiths; Moses (Orme, 83); Warlow; Subs. not used; Jenkins; Evans;

Batley.

GOAL CHART;      Llanelli – W. Thomas, 72; Griffiths, 83.

Newtown – Whitfield (P), 10.

YELLOW CARDS;      Llanelli – Griffiths.

Newtown – Hartland.

LLANELLI MAN OF THE MATCH;     Chris Llewellyn.

REFEREE; Mr. Bryn Markham Jones (Wrexham).

ATTENDANCE;         181.