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Match
Report by Huwsi (edited version)
UNITED
STUN 13 MAN PESDA! ….
A Dan Pyrs brace stunned hosts Bethesda Athletic on Tuesday
evening when United were very much up against it when
it transpired that the sons of both the referee and one
of his assistants were playing for Pesda, Two of the Bethesda
players should have seen red, the goalie for handling
outside his area when he tried to deny Dan Pyrs his first
goal (but failed, but prompted the Bethesda secretary
to report an own goal to the league!), and secondly the
centre half should have gone for his calculated nasty
grounding of Dan in the 58th minute, but he didn't even
get a booking.
Dan
was a welcomed return to the starting line-up following
his absence on Saturday, Andrew Williams was also available
to start and back between the posts was Luke Hughes, new
gloves and all and apart for one mistimed / misjudged
dive, what a good game he had (Chris Joyce asked him on
Saturday if the gloves came with 'instructions', quite
obviously they did - apart from the diving over the ball
bit!).
Dan
was first off the blocks with a 3rd minute effort 20 yards
out, but ended up about five yards wide of the mark. But
then Bethesda piled some pressure on United's goal, within
five minutes they had a couple of corners in quick succession
the second saw Pesda's Paul Rowlands get a shot on target
but Luke collected easily to deny the referee's son! A
few minutes later and Pesda were awarded one of their
many dubious free-kicks and when United failed to clear
the danger, the ball came back into the feet of top marksman
Richard Owen but Luke got up close and foiled his attempt.
On the quarter hour mark gobby moaning Gareth Davies rounded
Eifion on the right side touchline but his cross was behind
the Pesda players and cleared by an United foot, but came
straight back to Pesda's Darren Gowans who just inside
the area made a hash of a golden opportunity and shot
well over.
Within
minutes Bethesda had a couple of chances to take the lead
a free header from a corner was denied by an unconventional
but effective Luke save, and then a free-kick on the left
touchline some 20 yards out was once again met by free
header but went inches over. A couple of minutes of flurry
in the United area followed but the defence and Luke coped
very well and eventually after 23 minutes David Noel Williams
from the half way line released Dan Pyrs on the left side,
who in turn kept his cool when faced with the advancing
Pesda keeper, and although he handed the ball some three
yards outside his area when Dan chipped him, the force
of the shot gave United the lead, which I must admit at
this stage was against the run of play. Nonetheless the
keeper should have been dismissied, but not even a talking
to by the referee.
Luke
pulled off another fine save within minutes to deny Gareth
Davies who was once again free in the six yard box. United
then on the half hour mark, worked the ball up-field in
a good move involving Carl Griffiths, Gareth Eifion Jones,
Gethin Phillips and finaly Charlie getting in on the action
when he won a throw-in very near the corner flag when
he was closed down by Pesda's defence, however the throw
was wasted and easily collected by the Bethesda custodian.
Thirty
five minutes gone and Pesda drew level, they should never
have done so, but this was the only mishap by Luke, who
minutes before hand had dealt capably with a back pass
(if that's not progress then I don't know what is!), a
shot from 25 yards out to Luke's left bounced under him
and into the net, with hindsight Luke had time to get
behind the ball but that's football I suppose! From the
re-start United went chasing for the lead again and Dan
won the ball in the centre of the park and passed a great
ball to Carl Griffiths on the right side who in turn delivered
a fine cross across the six yard line, but, with the lack
of a shout from Marvin who was free just beyond the far
post saw Gareth Eifion head the ball some three yards
wide. From the resulting goal kick Luke once again came
to the rescue by denying Gareth Davies and Darren Gowans
in quick succession and so at half time the score remained
at 1 - 1.
Within
a minute of the resumption Dan delivered a great ball
to Carl Griffiths on the 18 yard line but his shot went
inches wide of the left upright. The resulting goal kick
released Gareth Davies down the left flank, but once again
Luke had the better of him. The second half saw the referee
lose the plot completely, Bethesda were getting free-kicks
left right and centre and he was listening to every call
from the Bethesda players and giving United very little.
Dan's
fantastic second goal came in the 50th minute, he was
hacked down on the half way line, but in usual fashion
the referee wasn't going to award a free-kick and waved
advantage (I'm sure he regrets that decision now!) so
Dan being the warrior and influential player that he is,
maintained his momentum and skipped passed a couple of
defenders and unleashed a screamer from 25 yards out over
a backward diving keeper, 1 - 2 and calls from the United
support to send him to Glanllyn every other week!
Dan
was once again the target of some vicious tackles and
most of them going unpunished, but on the other side of
the coin Bethesda were still being awarded free-kicks
for the slightest of brushes, a disgraceful performance
by the referee and his biased tendencies were becoming
more and more obvious for all to see. A rare free-kick
was awarded after 53 minutes when Dan was floored, in
David Noel territory some 25 yards out, Charlie's low
strike went straight into the wall. Some five minutes
later and Dan was floored again by Pesda's number five
a free-kick but he never intended to play the ball and
should have been his marching orders, but not even a booking.
Chris
Joyce turned into the hero in the 67th minute when he
headed off the line following a left sided corner and
within minutes Luke pulled off another fine save but parried
just beyond his far post, and with a Pesda forward advancing
Gethin Phillips cleared across the goal for another corner.
Just before Aled Owen came on to replace the injured Carl
Griffiths in the 76th minute the referee issued the first
yellow card of the match, this time when Charlie was floored,
but don't worry - it wasn't his son!
The
final ten minutes was as enthralling as the first 80,
fast end to end stuff, Aled Owen released Dan into the
area, but taking the ball a little too wide all he could
do was to salvage a corner. The 85th minute saw Aled force
a fine save off the Pesda custodian, a very well worked
move saw Andy, Charlie and Aled linking well and advancing
up the right flank which saw Aled's final ball parried
by the keeper to an advancing Gareth Eifion Jones on the
left side, however the angle proved too acute and Gareth
blasted across the goal and wide (it was harder to miss
than score!!!). The frustration was getting to gobby Gaggs
which finally saw him spitting at Gethin Phillips near
the Assistant referee by the corner flag, to the crowd's
amassment he nor the referee failed to see the incident.
The
dying minutes and United sensing a win were keeping control
of the ball, but still with a hope of a win for his son,
the referee gave Bethesda a free-kick some two minutes
into injury time and 30 yards out, what he saw I've no
idea, but the effort came to nothing and eventually he
was forced to call time.
A
very good performance by United, having won only once
in the previous five outings and suffered four successive
4 - 3 defeats it was a much needed confidence booster,
and a sweet revenge for the previous two encounters this
season with Bethesda. A fine performance by the team as
a whole, and I think a special mention is warranted to
Luke Hughes (after all the criticism of late), Carl Wayne
Jones (who quite possible would have got man of the match
had Dan not have been so outstanding and scored two goals)
and of course the man from Glanllyn, the MOTM Dan Pyrs.
Next up two home matches, Halkyn on Saturday and Amlwch
on Bank Holiday Monday, and based on this performance
we should see some points on the table!
LLANRUG
UNITED: Luke Hughes, Gethin Phillips, Chris
Joyce, Carl Wayne Jones, Eifion Williams, Marvin Pritchard
(Gavin Rogerson - 72 mins), Dan Pyrs, David Noel Williams,
Carl Griffiths (Aled Owen - 76 mins), Gareth Eifion Jones,
Andrew Williams).
SUBS
(Not Used): Martin Bohana, Keith Williams,
Gwyn Pritard Jones.
MOTM:
Dan Pyrs
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2008/2009 