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Match
Report by Huwsi
United
finish campaign in style................................
Contrasting finishes for these teams for the 2008/09 campaign,
as United won the last five games and didn't want the
season to end, and on the other hand Glan Conwy had a
disastrous week, losing the third in succession at Eithin
Duon on Saturday. Maybe Paul Moroney should have had a
cup of tea with Aled Owen before the game so they could
muster a goal-less draw between them!
At
a very windy and sometimes very wet Eithin Duon, it didn't
take long for Glan Conwy to demonstrate their intentions
and put a bad week behind them. Having missed Glan Conwy's
goal, I was told that it was an Eifion Williams own-goal,
and although very probable, come half time that was corrected,
and what actually happened in the second minute of the
match was that the United midfield lost the ball cheaply
in the centre of the park, a quick break and a couple
of exchange of passes set veteran striker Ashley Smith
through on goal, he coolly lifted the ball over the advancing
Aled Williams, who managed to get a hand on the ball but
not enough contact to stop the visitors get an early lead.
Glan's
intentions were short-lived however, as almost immediately
Andrew Williams was advancing on the visitor's goal and
got a fine effort on target which the keeper could only
parry into the path of Carl Griffiths, but Carl's effort
was directed straight at the keeper, a foot either side
would have even things up. Within seconds United were
once again attacking the visitor's goal, when David Noel
Williams' free-kick was met by Andy on the right side
of the area and once again forced a fine save from the
keeper. Again within moments Dan Pyrs and Andy had long
efforts at goal but the force of the wind (!) took both
well over the bar.
United
kept the pressure on Glan's goal, Dan Pyrs advanced from
his own half with a quarter of an hour gone, found Andy
on the right side of the are with a delightful pass who
in turn found Gareth Eifion Jones in front of goal but
he miss-kicked and allowed the keeper to clear, but the
ball came back immediately and Glan's centre half tried
a back header but badly misjudged which saw Carl latch
on to the ball but once again his effort was straight
at the keeper. Within minutes Glan Conwy's keeper was
once again called into action a pulled off another great
save when his defenders failed to clear their lines, which
gave Andy chance to pounce, he found Carl Griffiths in
space who crossed to Gareth Eifion who unleashed his effort
from 10 yards to the keeper's left.
Ten
minutes later and it was all even, David Noel Williams
took advantage of the wind when he took a free-kick some
10 yards in his own half on the left side; he saw the
keeper just off his line and delivered the goods with
a high effort which proved unstoppable, well over the
keeper and just under the cross-bar, inch perfect! United
continued to pile on the pressure, a fine move started
with a Charlie and Dan one-two, followed by a Gareth Eifion
and Carl one two, then Carl got a great cross across the
area dividing the six yard box in half, but was slightly
too advanced for the United forwards to take advantage.
Within a minute Chris Joyce wanted in on the action and
from at least 35 yards out on the left flank unleashed
a thunderous goal-bound effort but the keeper wasn't going
to be caught out twice from distance and foiled Kamikaze's
attempt. Gavin Rogerson had an effort from the edge of
the area, but went a foot over the bar with only ten minutes
remaining and just after Aled Williams' pulled off a great
save when he tipped a goal-bound effort over the bar for
a corner, Dan had a screamer from 20 yards out which hit
the top of the bar. Half time, the score level and the
support left wondering if United would pay for not taking
advantage of the strong wind?
The
second half started much the same as the first had finished,
United plying pressure which saw Andy head an effort a
yard wide from a Carl Griffiths cross after 12 minutes,
and all the pressure paid off in the 73rd minute when
Andy released Carl Griffiths down the right flank and
the speedy Griffiths showed a clean pair of heels to Glan
Conwy full-back, and his fine low cross from the byline
found Gareth Eifion Jones at the far post to score his
seventeenth goal of the season. Glan Conwy soon raised
their momentum, Aled Williams claimed a through ball down
the middle and flattened a forward in the process, then
Glan Conwy somehow mustered an effort from the left side,
which went through every defender and thankfully embarrassment
was avoided when the shot went a yard wide of the upright.
Glan's next effort came after 82 minutes when the boss
committed a foul some 30 yards out, but the five man wall
did its job.
Andrew
Williams rounded things off with only 5 minutes of normal
time remaining, an Eifion Williams goal-kick straight
down the middle somehow found Andy Williams, who advanced
up field (the ball only reached the half-way line!!),
he skipped passed a defender and coolly slotted home to
the keepers left. Glan Conwy got an effort on target two
minutes later, but directed straight at Aled. Some seven
minutes of injury time went by before the referee had
had enough and so the score line remained Llanrug Utd
3, Glan Conwy 1.
A
great end to the season, solid performances by all and
the thought of 'if only it came sooner' on everyone's
minds - a pity the season had to come to an end, but a
well deserved rest for all. Three more finals at Eithin
Duon and then the work to prepare for next season can
begin, and if it starts anything like this one ended,
then we're in for a treat come August!
LLANRUG UNITED: Aled
Williams, Gethin Phillips, Chris Joyce, Aled Owen, Eifion
Williams (Capt.), Gavin Rogerson, Dan Pyrs, David Noel
Williams, Carl Griffiths, Gareth Eifion Jones (Gwyn Pritchard
Jones - 86 mins), Andrew Williams (Iwan Arwel Jones -
89 mins).
SUBS
(Not Used):
Aled Roberts.
MAN
OF THE MATCH : Dan Pyrs
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2008/2009 