A HEALTHY attendance of 414 at the Recreation Ground Ammanford were treated to a very entertaining game on Tuesday evening (Aug 27).
Swansea University got the perfect start to the game when after 6 minutes into the game, striker Marley Bishop-Wisdom was adjudged to have been pulled back in the Ammanford penalty area. Referee Gavin Townsend had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. Despite the home team’s protests, the decision stood.
Up stepped Uni’s Nicholas Hyden who fired home the spot kick, 0-1.
A minute later it got even better for Swansea University as the pacy Bishop-Wisdom pounced on a ponderous defensive error and drove his shot into the corner of the Ammanford net, 0-2.
The home team were very sluggish out of the blocks and were finding it tough going against a well drilled Swansea University team who were growing in confidence by the minute and moving the ball around the park with some ease.
With 10 minutes gone in the game Swansea University increased their lead when Marley Bishop-Wisdom broke away and fired in his second goal of the game to stun the home team, 0-3.
It seemed that Swansea University were going to run away with the game and Ammanford were just about hanging onto their coattails.
It got worse for the home team when their influential midfielder Mathew Fisher limped out of the game to be replaced by striker Craig Frater.
Further chances fell to the visitors but Ammanford battled to keep the score at 0-3 until the interval. The home support could only admire the football of Swansea University and were left wondering how their team were going to get back in the game.
The Second Half was only a couple of minutes old when another defensive error by the home team led to striker Bishop-Wisdom scoring again.
A hat trick of goals for Marley and looking like a match winning performance with over 40 minutes left to play in the game.
At last Ammanford seemed to step up the gears and there was more of an urgency to their play. Craig Frater lifted the spirits of the home support when in the 52nd minute he ran down the line in front of the main stand and cut inside then unleashed a shot that was deflected away from the Swansea University keeper into the back of the net 1-4.
All of a sudden the mood changed around the ground and there was some good signs of a possible fight back.
Four minutes later Ammanford won a penalty when Andy Robinson was tripped in the penalty area.
Lee Trundle stepped up to take it but much to the dismay of the home support his spot kick was saved by Uni’s keeper Luke Martin.
Ammanford continued to press and were winning more of the 50-50 challenges.
With 20 minutes left in the game, Ammanford got their second goal of the game when centre back Euros Griffiths rose majestically to head the ball into the net to make it 2-4.
As hard as they tried, Ammanford could not find another way through the Swansea University defence marshalled by the experienced Wyn Thomas.
As the clock ran down it was a question of what might have been if Ammanford had played at the same intensity in the first half without the defensive errors.
As the final whistle blew it was Swansea University who were celebrating a very good away win.
Make no mistake, this was a very good Swansea University team that took the field this evening and in the end worthy winners.
For the home team it may have been a case of too little too late.
Ammanford must regroup as they face another difficult fixture away to Llantwit Major on Saturday (Aug 31).
Add Comment