Top Two Stalemate

By Robert Stock
January 29 2005

2nd placed Caersws held league leaders T.N.S. to a goaless draw at the Recreation Ground. The visitors thought they had snatched a late winner, only for Jimmy Aggrey's effort to be disallowed. Ivor Williams reports from the Recreation Ground...

To mark his 400th appearance in the League this afternoon, Colin Reynolds was presented with a bottle of champagne before the match by Amanda Protheroe-Thomas on behalf of S4C, and a silver platter by Manager Mike Evans on behalf of Caersws FC. No doubt he will be enjoying the bubbly
tonight, as Caersws produced a superb performance to hold title favourites Total Network Solutions to a goal-less draw before a crowd of over 700 at the Recreation Ground.

The first chance of the match came in the sixth minute, but Caersws' Sean Jehu headed over following a good cross from Hugh Clarke, the ball reaching him courtesy of a deflection from a defender. On 12 minutes home keeper Andy Mulliner produced a superb save, diving to his right to push Barry Hogan's shot behind for a corner. Four minutes later the Bluebirds' Chris Venables
released Graham Jones on the right, whose cross flashed across the face of the Saint's goal without anyone able to finish the move. On 20 minutes Chris Venables shot over from 30 yards but three minutes later a cross from the left by visitor Jamie Wood saw Mike Wilde head wide at the back post. A minute later the towering T.N.S. defender Jimmy Aggrey headed over for the visitors, following sub Chris King's free kick. The Saints looked dangerous in breakaways, but the Leagues top scorer, Marc Lloyd-Williams, fluffed an excellent opportunity on 31 minutes, shooting wide when well placed.

Caersws nearly took the lead in the 35th minute when Graham Evans' speculative shot from 30 yards was fumbled by the keeper, who was lucky to be able to gather the ball at his second attempt before it dropped behind him into the goal. Evans then flashed a tremendous shot wide from 20
yards, which unfortunately for the home team was his parting shot, as he was soon substituted, not having fully recovered from last Saturday's injury he received scoring the winner against Port Talbot. Two minutes before the interval Mike Wilde had a shot pushed over for a corner by the Bluebirds
keeper, Andy Mulliner, leaving the game finely balanced at half time.

Caersws began the second half with much more purpose, and after 47 minutes Sean Jehu set up Geraint Lewis, whose shot was blocked by a visiting defender. A minute later T.N.S. keeper Gerard Doherty held Chris Venables' 20-yard free kick. On 58 minutes another well-flighted free kick by
Sean Jehu was headed goalwards by Andy Marfell, but was blocked by a defender. Three minutes later a bullet-like 30-yard free kick, again by Jehu, forced keeper Doherty to parry the ball away to safety, not risking trying to hold it. At this stage of the game Caersws were the team looking more likely to score, and yet another free kick by Sean Jehu saw defender Steve Evans head over his own bar to relieve the pressure. 

The Saints began to come back more strongly in the last ten minutes, forcing the home team onto the defensive. On 80 minutes Scott Ruscoe had a shot go over, but excellent defending by Colin Reynolds and his colleagues restricted T.N.S. to efforts from the edge of the box, and kept top-scorer Marc Lloyd Williams relatively quiet throughout the match.

T.N.S. thought they had secured one of their traditional last minute winners when defender Jimmy Aggrey had his effort disallowed for being offside, much to the annoyance of T.N.S.'s vociferous coaching staff Dr. Andy Cale and Ken Mckenna, McKenna having already retreated to the stand after having a short discussion with the referee after throwing a ball at the Caersws captain, Andrew Thomas.

On reflection the draw was a fair result for the game, in which both sides had their chances and which was well refereed by Paul Thomas.