last nights match report Llanwern v Llanelli Town

LLANWERN   1   LLANELLI TOWN   2

In their previous game at Dinas Powys, the Reds snatched victory with a Steve Stone goal in the 93^rd minute, and at the Newport Stadium went one better when captain Lee Bevan smashed home the decider after 94 minutes.

The visitors made a couple of positional changes with young Jack Dale taking over in goal from Jamie Evans who had been pressed into service at Dinas, Evans then finding himself at the other end in the role of striker due to a Luke jones injury, with Chris Thomas partnering Bevan in central defence.

This was not a game for the purist, with both sides seemingly incapable of stringing together any telling moves, and route one was very much the order of the day.

Rob Bloor in the home goal was forced to push clear an early strike from Evans at his near post, and when Richard Lewis launched a high cross into the box, Matthew Hughes headed over the top.

Dale was called into action to block an attempt by Marc Curtis when he broke up the right flank, and the same player was involved again, sending his finish across the face of goal and fractionally wide of the far post.

Following these promising sorties, Llanwern then took the lead on 16 minutes when a ball into the area by Gareth Delve evaded the Reds defenders, allowing Dean Clifford to make a connection and rifle it past Dale.

Stung by this reverse, the visitors retaliated with Evans heading a Robert Thomas delivery just wide,  while Thomas himself had his strike on target gathered on the line by the keeper.

Narrowly ahead at the break, the home side then had a glorious chance of extending the lead when Delve found himself in the clear with only Dale to beat, but he somehow steered the ball  wide when it appeared easier to score.

The Reds brought on Osian Harries in place of Hughes, before Bloor was forced to push over a Thomas header following a Lewis corner.

Ross Jones was then denied by the Llanwern keeper who diverted away his shot on target, and with time running out it appeared as if the visitors were heading home pointless.

However, they were thrown a lifeline on 84 minutes when Evans was brought down by a dual challenge from Bloor and Aaron Carew when he pursued a ball into the area with referee Mark Gardiner pointing to the spot, and Lewis drove the resulting penalty into the bottom corner.

The closing minutes saw the Reds firmly in charge and seeking the winner, and with the contest deep into stoppage time, a quickly taken corner culminated in Lewis forcing Bloor to push out his well struck shot but only as far as Bevan, who lashed it home from close range to seal victory and a further three points.

LLANWERN;   Bloor; Grant (Howard, 80); Winter; Hartrey ©; Bishop; James; Curtis; Delve;

North (Argyle, 84); Clifford; Carew (Richards, 89);  Subs. not used; Patten; Roche.

LLANELLI TOWN;   Dale;  Napieralla; Lewis; R. Thomas (Zola, 88); C. Thomas; Bevan ©; Forkuoh;

1. Jones; Evans; Samuel; Hughes (Harries, 65); Subs. not used; Martin; Owens;

Bauza.

SCORERS;              Llanwern – Clifford, 16.

Llanelli Town – Lewis (P), 84; Bevan, 90+4.

YELLOW CARDS;    Llanwern – Bishop; Carew; Bloor; Howard.

REFEREE;                Mark Gardiner (Caldicot).