ON A COLD and windy day, a home defeat to Bangor City just about summed up a completely cheerless performance by Mark Aizlewood’s team.
The Old Gold manager sat in the stands for the match, while serving the second of his three-game FAW ban, and endured an insipid performance from his team.
The Old Gold could hardly have made a more disappointing start to this game as they went behind in only the second minute. Bangor’s Steve Lewis on the right flank sent a deep cross into the penalty area, which Daniel Sheehan failed to clear so allowing the ball to reach the unmarked Michael Elstone.
From just ten yards out he coolly drilled the ball past ‘keeper Lee Idzi and into the corner of the net.
And their plight worsened significantly just four minutes later when Lewis Harling, arguably Town’s best and most influential player this season, was forced to leave the field with what appeared to be a serious leg injury.
Despite that setback they had an early chance to snatch an equaliser when on eleven minutes a long throw-in from Jordan Knott caused panic amongst City defenders in the goalmouth and Liam Thomas pounced on the loose ball only to fire it too high from ten yards.
But that was a rarity. While the spirit and commitment of Carmarthen’s players could not be faulted, there was little vision and cohesion to their attacking play with noticeable gaps appearing between defenders and forwards – and they were guilty of giving the ball away all too easily.
Clearly, the absence of Harling (along with key midfield partner Kieran Lewis, missing his second game through injury) was a serious handicap.
Yet Bangor were not much better – although they enjoyed more possession and produced some promising approach play, they were never again in the first-half able to trouble the home defence in any meaningful way.
In fact the only other notable chance arose after twenty-seven minutes when Ceri Morgan’s freekick found Mark Jones on the fringe of the crowded goalmouth but he saw his glancing header fly just wide of the post.
Following the interval there was no tangible improvement in the quality of football on display as two fairly evenly-matched, distinctly mediocre teams on the day tried hard but failed to entertain.
In the closing stages the Old Gold did fashion two decent chances in quick succession when after 80 minutes Knott delivered a searching cross into the penalty area only for Luke Prosser to direct his close-range header narrowly outside the post.
Then moments later Knott raced forward along the left wing before firing a dangerous cross towards the goalmouth where Prosser rose high to nod the ball across the face of the goal but Thomas, crowded by defenders, sent his header marginally over the bar.
Bangor too had a late opportunity to extend their fragile lead when on 86 minutes Lewis forced Dwaine Bailey into a rare mistake and won the ball off him then raced forward into the penalty area but while his angled drive went beyond Idzi’s reach it slid just wide of the far post.
And shortly after that the referee mercifully brought an end to these easily forgettable proceedings.
Team: Lee Idzi, Daniel Sheehan, Dwaine Bailey, David Vincent, Jordan Knott, Craig Hanford (sub Jeff White 72), Lewis Harling (sub Glen Fearn 8), Ceri Morgan, Kyle Bassett (sub Luke Prosser 61), Mark Jones, Liam Thomas
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