Reds crash to Saints

Llanelli 0 The New Saints 2

With the home defeat by Bangor City leaving the Reds championship ambitions dangling by a thread, the Saints applied the coup-de-grace to dispel even these lingering hopes, and in truth they could well have increased the winning margin.

Even the dismissal of Connell Rawlinson seven minutes into the second half failed to upset their rhythm and they were comprehensively superior in every department, leaving their hosts living on scraps.

The only goal now left to the Reds is to retain their hold on the Welsh Cup, but with a potential banana skin tie at Bala on the notorious Maes Tegid surface, they will do well to progress in the competition and will certainly have to up their game plan if they wish to succeed.

They made a couple of changes to the side which figured in a goalless midweek league cup match against Neath, with Jason Bowen making a start and the welcome return of Ashley Evans following his lengthy injury. Antonio Corbisiero, Chris Holloway and Jordan Follows dropped to the bench alongside Martin Gyles and Craig Moses, also back after injury, and sixteen year old Ashley Hollingshead who had impressed with his Academy appearances.

The visitors were quickly into their stride, and went close to opening their account when Ryan Fraughan, who was to prove to be a thorn in the Reds side al l afternoon, crossed into the middle only for Greg Draper to direct his header over from ten yards.

When Aeron Edwards supplied a cross to Alex Darlington, his effort was initially blocked and the rebound met by Draper whose powerful strike smashed against Lee Surman on the line before the Reds eventually cleared the danger.

The visitors were dominating proceedings but somehow the home goal survived with another chance going begging following a ball driven across the face of the goal by Nicky Ward with Draper narrowly failing to make contact.

Just before the interval, the Reds did create one opportunity following a surging crossfield run by Chris Thomas which led to a ball inside Simon Spender for Craig Williams to collect, but his final delivery was much too strong and sailed harmlessly out of play.

Early in the second half the Reds best chance to date came when Surman connected with a Bowen cross and directed his glancing header just past the far post, but ironically from the resulting goal kick, the Saints went ahead.

Goalkeeper Paul Harrison found Fraughan who in turn directed a great defence-splitting pass for Draper to run on to, and despite the desperate attentions of Thomas the striker showed great skill in retaining possession before sliding the ball through the legs of Ashley Morris after 49 minutes.

Three minutes later, the visitors were reduced to ten men following the dismissal of Rawlinson for a reckless challenge on Thomas which left referee Kevin Morgan little option other than a straight red card.

Even this setback did little to faze the Saints who continued to dominate proceedings, hardly allowing their opponents a sight of goal.

Ward blazed over the bar when Fraughan set up the chance, and it came as little surprise when the lead was extended in the 62nd minute with Ward and Darlington initially involved in the build-up before sending Edwards clear down the middle, and he made no mistake with a clinical finish low past Morris.

The Reds made their three substitutions, with Moses replacing Scott Evans and Follows and Corbisiero coming on instead of Bowen and Ashley Evans, but even these changes made little difference to the overall pattern of play with their opponents continuing to hold the upper hand.

Morris pulled off a great save to deny Craig Jones from close range with an outstretched leg when Darlington played him in, before entirely against the run of play the home side had two great chances in the dying moments of the game of pulling off an unlikely and undeserved draw.

The first came when Moses found himself in space in front of goal with only Harrison to beat, but he drove his shot into the ground and the keeper was able to beat it out, and when Rhys Griffiths was found in the middle by a Corbisiero cross, he headed over the top when he should at least have hit the target.

In the end, the result was justified as the Saints were by far the better side and on this form will push Bangor all the way in the championship race, although Neath, too, will also have a major part to play.

MATCH STATS

LLANELLI; Morris; Thomas; Batley; Jones ©; Surman; Venables; Bowen (Corbisiero 75); A. Evans: (Folows, 75); S. Evans (Moses, 61); Griffiths, Wiliams; Subs. not used; Holloway; Giles; Hollingshead

THE NEW SAINTS; Harrison ©; Spender; Marriott; Baker; Edwards; Ward; Darlington; Rawlinson; Draper (Jones 72); Fraughan (Hogan 82); Roberts (Evans, 55); Subs. not used; Ruscoe; Seargeant; Ramsey; Giglio.

SCORERS The New Saints – Draper, 49; Edwards, 62.

YELLOW CARDS; Llanelli- Thomas; A. Evans

The New Saints – Fraughan.

RED CARD; The New Saints – Rawlinson.

LLANELLI STAR MAN; Lee Surman.

REFEREE; Mr. Kevin Morgan (Cardiff).