GRIFF HAT TRICK IS THE DIFFERENCE

 

BALA TOWN 2 LLANELLI 4

 

Another Rhys Griffiths hat-trick – his second in successive games – and a Craig Moses strike brought an end to the unbeaten run of the league leaders, as well as the Reds being the first side to score against them for an impressive 537 minutes of football, The New Saints the only other in the opening three minutes of the season at Park Hall.

Fielding the same starting line-up as that which had demolished Newtown 9-2 the previous Saturday, the visitors were two up in the opening thirteen minutes with Griffiths being the recipient of both, seizing on a Chris Thomas clearance before firing past goalkeeper Terry McCormick on six minutes, and seven minutes later powering home a close range header from a corner which McCormick had been forced to concede from an Antonio Corbisiero free kick.

Bala retaliated to these early setbacks, and a corner by Liam Loughlin led to a melee in the Reds box which was eventually cleared by Stuart Jones.

Home striker Lee Hunt directed a far post Steff Edwards cross over the bar, and when they broke again through Chris Mason and Peter Doran, it was only a final misplaced pass which prevented a potential score with Corbisiero tidying up.

A good cross by Thomas was nicked away from the head of the waiting Griffiths by Bala’s Stuart Jones, and when the loose ball ran to Chris Venables, he shot high over the top.

Ashley Morris did well to deny Mark Jones when he set off a run through midfield into the area by pushing the ball clear at full stretch at the expense of a corner.

Early in the second half, Hunt shot wide of the near post, while at the other end McCormick did well to safely hold a Thomas delivery into the middle following good build up play between himself and Corbisiero.

However, he was beaten again after 61 minutes when a Lloyd Grist cross into the danger area meant for the head of Griffiths was partially cleared but fell to Moses, who turned quickly before unleashing a low drive which crept inside the near post.

With the visitors in a seemingly comfortable position with their three goal cushion, they were brought back to reality when their opponents reduced the deficit just two minutes later when Hunt sent over a cross which eventually found its way into the path of Loughlin, and his drive struck the inside of the post before ending up in the net.

Venables sent a long range effort dipping narrowly over the bar, but the Reds went further ahead in the 71st minute with Griffiths completing his hat-trick, heading in another Grist cross despite the attentions of two Bala defenders.

Grist then came to the rescue at the other end, heading off the line a goal bound shot by Doran, while shortly after, Corbisiero was also well placed to block another potential goal to prevent a Jones header from its intended target.

Three minutes from time, the home side had better luck with a spectacular shot from Rhys Darlington,which rocketed past Morris, but the Reds ran out worthy winners and now occupy fourth place in the table on goal difference from Bangor City.

MATCH STATS.

LLANELLI; Morris; Thomas; Grist; Jones © (Holloway, 90+1); Surman; Evans; Corbisiero; Venables; Griffiths (Llewellyn, 81); Bond (Williams, 64); Moses;

Subs. not used; Bowen; Orme; Davies.

SCORERS; Bala Town – Loughlin, 63; Darlington, 87.  Llanelli – Griffiths, 6, 13, 71; Moses, 61.

YELLOW CARDS; Bala Town – Murtagh; Irving.  Llanelli – Surman; Williams; Corbisiero.

LLANELLI STAR MAN ; Rhys Griffiths.

REFEREE; Mr. Kevin Morgan (Cardiff).

ATTENDANCE; 344.