A CONTROVERSIAL late winner for Swansea University gave them a 2-1 win over Ammanford on Friday night (Aug 13).
The incident came in the 87th minute as Ammanford keeper Craig Morris juggled the ball on the line before holding on to it and seemingly stopping it from going in.
However, the assistant referee raised his flag to signal that a goal had been scored, credited to the Uni’s Harry Huddart, much to the disbelief of the Ammanford players.
This sparked an immediate reaction from the visitors who raced across to the Assistant Referee to protest the award of the late goal and eventual winner.
Referee Daniel Richardson issued a flurry of yellow cards to Ammanford players as protests continued and a subsequent Red card shown to Brett Enoch.
The Uni were able to hold on for the win but Ammanford will consider themselves hard-done by at the award of the late goal.
Ammanford had started the evening on the front foot and looked lively with Liam Samuel pushing forward on the left side.
However as the game progressed Ammanford seemed to be falling back deeper and deeper in defence.
Uni’s experienced central defender Wyn Thomas was finding himself in plenty of space and hitting the channels with his long range passing to striker Tim Hicks and the tricky Cam Langan. The experienced Uni full back Dan Sheehan was always in support and putting in some quality crosses for his strikers.
Uni should have scored when a fierce cross shot struck the inside of Ammanford’s far post but the rebound could not be guided back on target by Uni’s Adam Orme.
Ammanford were on the ropes and were glad to hear the half time whistle to regroup, whilst Uni were feeling that they should have had the advantage of a goal or two.
The second half saw Uni still pressing the Ammanford defence. Matthew Jones was outstanding in defence and was making several strong blocks to keep his team in the game.
Uni then gained a free kick some 25 yards out from goal in a central position.
Up stepped Jean-Bapiste Fischer who scored directly from the free kick to give Swansea Uni the lead which they would probably feel was more than deserved on the balance of play.
Uni almost doubled their lead but for another outstanding block from Matthew Jones which saved a certain goal.
Then out of the blue an individual piece of sublime skill from Ammanford’s Lee Trundle who with back to goal, spun around and from distance unleashed a powerful shot that rocketed in to the roof of the University goal net to level the scores at 1-1.
Ammanford were now rejuvenated by Trundle’s strike and could sense a glimmer of hope and pressed forward with Mat Fisher and Tristan Jenkins probing the Uni defence.
Swansea Uni got to grips with their visitors attacks and pushed forward themselves looking for a winner and when in the final minutes of game the ball struck the Ammanford woodwork again and came back to Harry Huddart who watched his goal bound effort hover in mid-air in the Ammanford goal area before the goal was awarded.
So Swansea Uni take the maximum points and on balance of play they would justify the result.
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