Dafabet Welsh Premier League
Rhyl 1
Carmarthen Town 0
CARMARTHEN TOWN went into this match knowing that to ensure they preserved their UEFA qualifying play-off place they needed to defeat Rhyl – the result of the concurrent Aberystwyth/Bangor game would then be rendered irrelevant.
As it was they lost a frustrating game, but it was to be of no concern as Aberystwyth did them a huge favour by defeating Bangor, the only team who could topple them.
The Old Gold were cheered on by a group of some 20 faithful supporters (probably the largest number to have travelled to a North Wales fixture for many seasons), but the team managed to excite and frustrate those fans in equal measure.
While they dominated proceedings for much of the match, sadly through a combination of wasteful finishing, erratic passing and occasionally resolute Rhyl defending they failed to find the net. And to compound their misery they succumbed to the only on-target shot the home side could manage during the entire game.
Town began with clear positive intent, launching a series of piercing raids with an urgency and energy that put the visitors’ defence under immediate pressure.
After 6 minutes they fashioned their first decent chance when a swift break from midfield led to Kyle Bassett surging deep into the penalty area then neatly playing the ball back to Mark Jones but from 12 yards he fired too high.
Moments later a Bassett cornerkick reached Liam Thomas who produced a smart looping header that ‘keeper Michael Askew, at full stretch, tipped just over the bar.
Then on 14 minutes Lewis Harling sent a long, headed pass into the penalty area and though the ball was cleared it went straight to Thomas and he instantly struck a crisp 20 yard drive that Askew blocked with a fine reflex save. And straightaway the ‘keeper was again called on to claim Jones’ close-range header that stemmed from Dan Sheehan’s inviting cross from the right touchline.
In the 21st minute a delightful exchange of passes between Jones and Harling led to Thomas receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area and he released a fierce shot that Askew, once more, was well-placed to resist.
Then Kieran Lewis delivered a searching free kick deep into the packed goalmouth where Dave Vincent rose high above surrounding defenders only to direct his header narrowly wide of the far post.
The Old Gold continued to enjoy the greater share of possession and territorial advantage. Rhyl, when they did occasionally break forward on the counter-attack, were unable to penetrate the visitors’ defence in which Dwaine Bailey featured prominently – and ‘keeper Lee Idzi was never seriously tested. His involvement was essentially confined to dealing with a few crosses, corners and free kicks, which he accomplished with his customary authority and secure handling.
On 32 minutes Town again went close when Lewis produced a superb through ball that set Jones free to race beyond the home defence and into the penalty area but Askew, who had advanced well out of his goal, just managed to turn the striker’s curling shot safely aside.
Shortly afterwards another slick passing move involving Bassett, Lewis and Sheehan finished with the raiding fullback firing a promising closerange angled drive that was deflected marginally past the post by a defender.
Given this sustained pressure and surfeit of scoring opportunities, it seemed only a matter of time before a goal would arise – and it did, only not at the expected end of the pitch.
In the 45th minute Ibou Touray sent a long free-kick deep into the penalty area where Greg Stones headed the ball back into the centre and while Town’s defenders were slow to react to the danger, Luke Wandless moved forward unchallenged and from 12 yards struck home to give Rhyl an unlikely lead.
After the interval the play developed into a more evenly balanced, end-to-end affair although there were, by comparison with the first-half, very few decent scoring opportunities. Rhyl continued to struggle in making any impression on the visitors’ defence, while the Old Gold seemed to be running out of ideas going forward.
Even so, Town almost snatched an equaliser on 57 minutes when Bassett, from the right touchline drove the ball low into the goalmouth where Liam Thomas reacted swiftly to glance it narrowly wide of the near post.
Then in the 77th minute Sacha Walters sent a searching right-wing cross deep into the penalty area to find Jones who headed it back to substitute Danny Thomas but he saw his smart 15 yard drive diverted just over the bar by a defender.
Unfortunately as the game, which had been very keenly contested from the outset, entered its closing stages it became rather more combative leading to the dismissal of two players. On 88 minutes Rhyl defender Chay Dysart was shown the red card for a dangerous tackle on Lewis who had to be helped off the field and was immediately substituted.
Then deep into added time Luke Prosser was similarly sent off for lunging into a challenge for the ball with Askew who always looked better placed to claim it – and while contact, if any, may have been minimal, it was a needless challenge at a time when Town could never recover to win the game.
But at the final whistle Carmarthen’s disappointment over failing to secure their hoped for victory quickly evaporated as news filtered through that Bangor, the only team that could have finished above the Old Gold but to do so needed to win at Aberystwyth, had been soundly beaten.
So Town achieve their aim and proceed to the play-offs – however who they play, and where and when, remains uncertain until the Welsh Cup final between TNS and Airbus UK on May 2nd is decided.
Team: Lee Idzi; Dan Sheehan; Luke Prosser; Dwaine Bailey; Jordan Knott; Dave Vincent; Lewis Harling (sub Danny Thomas 74); Kieran Lewis (sub Luke Cummings 88); Kyle Bassett (sub Sacha Walters 62); Mark Jones; Liam Thomas.
Unused Sub: Ceri Morgan.
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