LLANELLI 1 AIRBUS UK 1

LLANELLI 1   AIRBUS UK   1

Despite the welcome return of three key players in Stuart Jones, Martyn Giles and Craig Moses after illness and injury, another stuttering show saw the Reds share the points with a visiting side they had defeated in the opening game of the season, but if they hope to make the top six clubs cut in the New Year, they will certainly have to up their overall game.

Far too many players were off the pace, leading to a poor overall spectacle which did nothing to enhance the reputation of the league, and when the visitors struck the first blow after just four minutes, it was always going to be an uphill task for their opponents.

Some poor decision-making led to the goal, when a ball by right back Phil Clarke into the box was picked up by Nick Rushton in space, and his angled finish across Craig Richards went in off the inside of the far post.

Shortly after, the home side were fortunate not to concede another score, when a lofted clearance by Clarke into the area led to confusion between Gyles and Richards, and Danny Desermeaux nipped in to steer the ball goalwards only for Richards to fingertip it over the bar.

The Reds gradually began to settle after these early scares and a good build up culminated in Rhys Griffiths finding Moses whose shot was destined for the bottom corner before Airbus keeper Callum Hawthorne at full stretch diverted it around the post.    

Antonio Corbisiero saw two attempts fail to find the intended target, firing wide with the first while Hawthorne safely grasped the second.

The home side did finally level matters on 26 minutes when Moses made a run down the right before his cross into the middle found the head of Griffiths to glance past the keeper and keep up his remarkable record of having scored in every game against the Wingmakers, either when in Port Talbot Town colours or the Reds.

An Owain Warlow free kick was pushed out by Hawthorne and met by Griffiths, but this time he was off target.

A dangerous Moses cross to the far post was headed over by a defender for a corner, and when a long clearance was collected by the same player, his effort sailed over Hawthorne but bounced in front of the vacant net and over the top.

An early second half strike by Corbisiero who met a flick on from Griffiths was beaten out by the goalkeeper, and when Andy Legg came on after 53 minutes in place of Chris Holloway, the scene was set for some of his prodigious long throws.

Jones had a shot from the edge of the box brilliantly saved by the Airbus keeper at the expense of a corner, while at the other end, Richards did well to divert over a Rushton effort when he was picked out by Andy Moran.

A Legg missile into the goalmouth led to Hawthorne pushing it against the bar, and when it came out a header towards goal was cleared off the line.

Moses delivered a ball across the face of goal but nobody was able to make a telling connection, and just before the final whistle, a cross by Jordan Follows found the head of Chris Llewellyn but he directed it over the bar from a decent position.

A disappointing display and result by the Reds who will certainly have to up their game if they have aspirations of a top six finish come the turn of the year.

MATCH STATS.

LLANELLI;   Richards; C. Thomas; Gyles; Jones ©; Llewellyn; Venables; Moses (Follows, 89); Corbisiero; Holloway (Legg, 53); Griffiths; Warlow; Subs. not used; W. Thomas; Orme.

GOAL CHART;     Llanell – Griffiths, 26. Airbus – Rushton, 4.

YELLOW CARDS;   Llanelli – Llewellyn; Corbisiero; Warlow; C. Thomas..

Airbus – Dorman.

LLANELLI MAN OF THE MATCH;   Stuart Jones.

REFEREE;   Mr. Huw Jones (Llanraedar-ym-Mochnant).

ATTENDANCE;         171..