Dafabet Welsh Premier League
Saturday 3rd September
Bangor City 4 Aberystwyth Town 0
Aberystwyth Town returned from Bangor this evening victims of a heavy defeat in a deluge thanks to goals from Gary Roberts (2), Sion Edwards and onetime Black and Green favourite Jamie Reed.
Credit must be given to Bangor’s ground staff for getting the game on despite heavy rainfall throughout the day, and on a skiddy pitch the visitors made the early running with Ricky Watts skipping down the right wing to send over a cross which dropped inches past Connor Roberts’ far post. Standing water on the pitch was hampering Aber’s attempts to play progressive football, though the prominent Chris Jones did send a free kick wide of the goal from the edge of the area. In difficult conditions taking the lead was likely to be crucial and the hosts managed to do so in the 9th minute, when Roberts curled a superb free kick into the corner of Dom Richards’ near post from the edge of the area. Matthew Bishop’s men continued to attack, with Luke Borrelli a threat down the right, though Sam Rodon was called on to deny Alex Boss with a crucial sliding tackle. Luke Sherbon then tested Roberts’ handiwork with a long distance piledriver, and Blake Davies knocked home the rebound only to be denied by an offside flag – Aber’s second disallowed goal in two games. Joe Clarke sent over a promising cross which nestled onto the roof of the net but it just wasn’t happening for Aber in the final third and the boggy conditions were starting to tell on the Black and Greens, who had no choice now but to chase the game. Dom Richards parried another free kick from Roberts to safety, but then in the 32nd minute Reed was released down the left channel and he chipped the visiting keeper with a brilliant finish to double Bangor’s lead. Connor Roberts almost gifted Aber a response by fumbling Borrelli’s cross into the path of Blake Davies, but the Forest Green loanee’s strike went wide under pressure. Jonathan Evans had a shot saved, and Chis Jones went on a weaving run but his shot also missed the target. Richards saved another free kick from Gary Roberts and an entertaining first half ended with Bangor smiling in the rain at 2-0.
Any hopes Aber supporters had of a stirring comeback were dashed in the 49th minute when Leon Clowes sent up Edwards in the box and his sharp finish into the bottom corner ended the game definitively as a contest. Sherbon cleared Danny Gossett’s effort off the line and Richards did well to deny Aberaeron product Henry Jones, then at the other end Sherbon and Evans had half chances, before Sherbon curled a shot wide and in doing so injured his groin and had to be carried off. Subs combined as Lewis Coyle set up Geoff Kellaway down the right but his cross shot was wide of the mark, and then at the other end Jones was tripped in the area and Roberts smashed home an 83rd minute penalty to complete the rout. There was still time, alas, for Joe Clarke also to limp off, leaving Aber down to ten, and Rodon needed to be alert to block sub Oscar Durnin’s effort, before Richards pulled off another excellent parried save to deny Reed a second, and that was that.
Despite a promising start this has to be called a disappointing performance from Aber who were second best to an impressive Bangor at Nantporth today. However an overall haul of six points from their first five away games is respectable and Town remain in sixth place in the Dafabet WPL tonight. Next on the menu are Penrhyncoch in the League Cup First Round on Wednesday (ko 7.45pm). The intrigue never ends!
Saturday 3rd September
Bangor City 4 Aberystwyth Town 0
Aberystwyth Town returned from Bangor this evening victims of a heavy defeat in a deluge thanks to goals from Gary Roberts (2), Sion Edwards and onetime Black and Green favourite Jamie Reed.
Credit must be given to Bangor’s ground staff for getting the game on despite heavy rainfall throughout the day, and on a skiddy pitch the visitors made the early running with Ricky Watts skipping down the right wing to send over a cross which dropped inches past Connor Roberts’ far post. Standing water on the pitch was hampering Aber’s attempts to play progressive football, though the prominent Chris Jones did send a free kick wide of the goal from the edge of the area. In difficult conditions taking the lead was likely to be crucial and the hosts managed to do so in the 9th minute, when Roberts curled a superb free kick into the corner of Dom Richards’ near post from the edge of the area. Matthew Bishop’s men continued to attack, with Luke Borrelli a threat down the right, though Sam Rodon was called on to deny Alex Boss with a crucial sliding tackle. Luke Sherbon then tested Roberts’ handiwork with a long distance piledriver, and Blake Davies knocked home the rebound only to be denied by an offside flag – Aber’s second disallowed goal in two games. Joe Clarke sent over a promising cross which nestled onto the roof of the net but it just wasn’t happening for Aber in the final third and the boggy conditions were starting to tell on the Black and Greens, who had no choice now but to chase the game. Dom Richards parried another free kick from Roberts to safety, but then in the 32nd minute Reed was released down the left channel and he chipped the visiting keeper with a brilliant finish to double Bangor’s lead. Connor Roberts almost gifted Aber a response by fumbling Borrelli’s cross into the path of Blake Davies, but the Forest Green loanee’s strike went wide under pressure. Jonathan Evans had a shot saved, and Chis Jones went on a weaving run but his shot also missed the target. Richards saved another free kick from Gary Roberts and an entertaining first half ended with Bangor smiling in the rain at 2-0.
Any hopes Aber supporters had of a stirring comeback were dashed in the 49th minute when Leon Clowes sent up Edwards in the box and his sharp finish into the bottom corner ended the game definitively as a contest. Sherbon cleared Danny Gossett’s effort off the line and Richards did well to deny Aberaeron product Henry Jones, then at the other end Sherbon and Evans had half chances, before Sherbon curled a shot wide and in doing so injured his groin and had to be carried off. Subs combined as Lewis Coyle set up Geoff Kellaway down the right but his cross shot was wide of the mark, and then at the other end Jones was tripped in the area and Roberts smashed home an 83rd minute penalty to complete the rout. There was still time, alas, for Joe Clarke also to limp off, leaving Aber down to ten, and Rodon needed to be alert to block sub Oscar Durnin’s effort, before Richards pulled off another excellent parried save to deny Reed a second, and that was that.
Despite a promising start this has to be called a disappointing performance from Aber who were second best to an impressive Bangor at Nantporth today. However an overall haul of six points from their first five away games is respectable and Town remain in sixth place in the Dafabet WPL tonight. Next on the menu are Penrhyncoch in the League Cup First Round on Wednesday (ko 7.45pm). The intrigue never ends!
