LLANELLI 2 BANGOR CITY 2

Trailing 2-0 with fifteen minutes of the game remaining, the Reds looked to be dead and buried, but a late rally with goals by Adam Orme and Rhys Griffiths got them out of jail against the league leaders to earn an unlikely point.

After a somewhat shaky start, the home side gradually settled down with Owain Warlow wastefully blazing over the visitors goal when a better option would have been to pick out a waiting colleague in the middle.

An Antonio Corbisiero free kick led to Jason Bowen playing in Warlow who in turn found Griffiths, but his shot was just wide.

Chris Oldfield in the Bangor goal diverted over a near post ball by Corbisiero, and from the resulting Andy Legg inswinging corner, clawed it out from under the bar.

When Mark Smyth threatened on the edge of the Reds area, Corbisiero nipped in to divert his header safely back to goalkeeper Ashley Morris.

A nasty challenge by Peter Hoy on Warlow which left him in a heap on the ground, did not even merit a caution from referee Dean John, and the Reds went close to opening their account with Bowen firing narrowly over when he met a Warlow cross into the middle.

The home side continued to press the Bangor goal, with both Wyn Thomas and Ashley Evans seeing their efforts drift just the wrong side of the target, but it was a much different scenario after the break, with their opponents on top and it was the turn of the Reds to defend.

Morris got down to clutch safely on the line an Alan Bull attempt, while Jamie Brewerton directed his header on to the top of the bar from a Nicky Ward corner.

Hoy was causing problems with his long throws, and from one of these Legg was positioned on the line to clear when Les Davies directed a header on target.

Bangor were well on top, and Davies could well have opened their account but directed a header from a cross by Bull wide from close range, and when Morris fumbled an attempt by Smyth following a Ward free kick, Davies lofted the ball goalwards before a free kick to the Reds relieved the danger.

The visitors deservedly then did get their reward for their dominance by scoring twice within a four minute spell, the first coming on 71 minutes from another Ward free kick which Brewerton headed back across the area for Davies to power a firm header past Morris.

The same two players were involved again just four minutes later, when another Ward set piece found Brewerton who nodded it down and Craig Garside applied the finish to drive the ball home from close in.

The Reds appeared to heading for a first defeat in seventeen matches, but with eight minutes left were thrown a lifeline when Orme, who had only been on the field for two minutes as a replacement for Bowen, met a flick on from Craig Moses to loft the ball over Oldfield and set up a thrilling climax.

A great tackle on Moses by Michael Johnston when the Reds player was clean through on goal prevented a certain score, before the home side were reduced to ten men following the dismissal of Wyn Thomas in the 90th minute for abusive language.

With four additional minutes indicated by the fourth official, the Reds pushed forward in their search for the equaliser, but it was in the fifth minute of stoppage time when they finally drew level, with Griffiths rising among a clutch of players in the area to power a header from a Legg corner past Oldfield to seal a point for his side.

MATCH STATS.

LLANELLI; Morris; Corbisiero; C. Thomas; W. Thomas; Legg; Venables; Bowen (Orme, 80);

Evans; Warlow (Follows, 90); Griffiths; Williams (Moses, 70); Subs. not used;

Holloway; Batley.

GOAL CHART; Llanelli – Orme, 82; Griffiths, 90+5.

Bangor City – Davies, 71; Garside, 75.

YELLOW CARDS; Llanelli – C. Thomas; Corbisiero; W. Thomas.

Bangor City – Oldfield; Brewerton; Davies.

RED CARD; Llanelli – W. Thomas.

LLANELLI MAN OF THE MATCH – Antonio Corbisiero.

REFEREE; Mr. Dean John (Swansea).

ATTENDANCE; 190.