Brave Reds Go Down in Final 20

GAP CONNAH`S QUAY 4 LLANELLI 2

Shorn of a number of players through injury and suspension, the Reds put up a brave showing against opponents to whom they had capitulated twice in their league meetings, and were in fact two goals to the good prior to the half hour courtesy of goals by Craig Moses and Lloyd Grist.

Unfortunately, they could not prevent the home side from reducing the deficit through Rhys Healey ten minutes from the interval, and this proved to be a crucial factor in the context of the game as the Nomads took heart from this and eventually overcame the visitors with a three goal blast in a four minute spell in the second period, earning them a fourth round home tie against Bangor City.

With few options at their disposal, the Reds management team of Bob Jeffrey and Gary Lloyd were forced to draft in James Secker and Steffan Lloyd to the starting line up for their first starts of the season, and they both performed creditably.

The visitors started brightly, and when Lloyd was fouled just outside the box, Grist drove the resulting free kick across the face of goal but nobody was able to make contact.

Craig Morris had to sprint off his line to clear from the oncoming Healey when Ricky Evans set him on a run towards goal, and when Danny Dobbins crossed to the near post it deflected off Chris Thomas and against the outside of the post for a corner.

Having survived these scares, the Reds stunned their opponents by taking the lead after eleven minutes following a well worked move down the right which culminated in Martin Rose unleashing a shot which was parried by goalkeeper Callum Hawthorne only as far as Moses who drove it back into the net.

Stung by this reverse, the Nomads countered and Morris did well to keep out an attempt from Dean Canning when Evans again set up the chance, and the Reds keeper did even better shortly after, flinging himself at the feet of Healey when he bore down on goal in the box.

Despite these close calls, the visitors again shocked the home side by extending the lead after 28 minutes when a move begun by Grist and involving Luke Bowen ended with the former getting on the end of a cross to find the bottom corner with a well judged attempt. Grist is certainly developing an uncanny eye for goal this season.

With the two goal cushion, the Reds appeared to be on course to pull off an unlikely win, but ten minutes from the half time break some woeful defending let in Healey, a Cardiff City, Tranmere Rovers and Bolton Wanderers target in the looming transfer window for a vital strike when Morris, came off his line to the edge of the box and got in a tangle with Lee Surman with neither able to affect a clearance, and the home player took full advantage by gaining possession and slotting into an empty net.

Healey then missed a golden chance of levelling matters but lifted his effort over the bar from close range with only Morris to beat, but if the Reds keeper was at fault for the Nomads goal, he redeemed himself early in the second period with two great blocks from Jamie Petrie and Healey, as well as pushing over a deflection off Surman following a corner into the goalmouth by Rob Jones.

As the half progressed, the hosts were now dominating play and the Reds goal was just about holding out, before the inevitable happened with a three goal burst by the Nomads in a four minute spell starting in the 73rd minute.

A quickly taken free kick caught out the visitors and allowed Petrie to find some space on the edge of the box from where he despatched an unstoppable shot past Morris.

Morris was then beaten again two minutes later, when a corner led to a far post scramble which ended with Jamie Wynne sidefooting home from close range.

A fourth success arrived within another couple of minutes with Healey getting his brace, firing into the net from six yards when he met a cross into the danger area with the defence powerless.

Craig Williams who had come on to replace Secker on the hour mark sent a delivery into the Nomads box which led to the ball running loose in front of the net, but the visitors failed to get in a clean strike and the danger was eventually averted.

This was about the closest they came to another score, and the game ended on a disappointing note from the Reds viewpoint, particularly with their depleted side, but they battled bravely to the end.