MUMBLES Rangers got the win but only managed to pull clear of their opponents Dafen Welfare in the final twenty minutes of this West Wales Premier League game at Underhill Park on Saturday (Oct 23).
Two goals from Will Meredith in the 75th minute and an eventual winning goal in the 86th minute sealed the win for the home side.
The first half started well for the home team but just couldn’t make a break through and it was Dafen Welfare who gained confidence and pressed forward themselves.
Dafen’s centre forward Sam Evans capitalised on a goalkeeping handling error to to give his team the lead with a simple finish from close range after 28 minutes played.
Five minutes later Dafen’s Steven Coomey pounced on another Rangers defensive error and doubled his team’s lead.
Mumbles Rangers had to respond and they managed to reduce the deficit in the 37th minute when Rangers’ Tom Jones broke through wide right and shot the ball low and hard at the Dafen goal. The ball took a deflection off Callum Martin and ended up in the back of the Dafen net.
No further goals in the first half with Dafen having the advantage at the break.
The second half started with neither side managing to gain the upper hand.
After 55 minutes played Rangers Manager Eirian Rees made a triple substitution looking for those on the bench to add more momentum to his team’s attacking plays.
The game was played at a frantic pace with both sides trying to master possession.
Rangers’ substitutions were starting to pay dividends and in the 75th minute Rangers forward Will Meredith made the breakthrough with a good strike on goal to level the game at 2-2.
Dafen were under pressure and finally Rangers got the lead in this game when Will Meredith got his second goal of the game when he shot from just outside the six yards box into the Dafen goal net.
Dafen responded and were unlucky when an angled shot hit the Rangers far post and rebounded along the goal line into the arms of the grateful Rangers Keeper.
In fact young Rangers keeper Callum Andrews made some fine second half stops to deny Dafen.
Dafen substitute Jonathan Bessent added pace to their attack but his team couldn’t find a way back into the game as Rangers game management in the closing stages clinched the win and the points.
Another good game at Underhill Park and more of a battling Rangers performance especially in the second half.
