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Huwsi's view ...........
Valuable three points see United climb the table.......
United should have been well and truly out of sight by the interval on Saturday at a sunny but bitterly cold Halkyn Utd, but lapses in concentration and lack of quality finishing meant that the list of nominees for the ‘Twat of the Match’ award was lengthy to say the least!
Aled Owen kept faith with the starting line-up that played so well against league leaders Rhydymwyn the previous Saturday, but was forced into a change after half an hour when Dave Ball having received a knock to the head a bit earlier had to replaced by Ceirion Williams between the post, with Gethin Phillips coming on into the Centre Half position.
United started brightly enough, Gareth Eifion Jones got an effort blocked in the 4 th minute, leading from a fine move started from a Dave Ball free-kick, and helped forward down the right flank by Andrew Williams. A few minutes later and United were advancing again, another nice move involving Gareth Eifion and Rhys Roberts in the centre of the park, and although Mathew Phillips timed his run well to beat the offside trap, his final effort was tame.
Halkyn came close in the 9 th minute, Eifion Williams’ shove in the back went punished and Halkyn floated the ball in from 40 yards, but the Halkyn head directed a yard or so wide. Halkyn won a corner in the 13 th minute, which saw unmarked Phil Oliver head straight at Dave Ball from within the six yard box. Ball immediately released Rhys Roberts up field, who coupled with Gareth Eifion and although they got into the area, Halkyn dealt with the counter attack and launched one of their own. Halkyn’s Nathan Jones was released on goal with an over the top ball from the centre circle, he only had Ball to beat, but United’s custodian came to the edge of the area and did enough to put Jones off, which saw his effort go a few yards wide, but Ball got injured in the process.
United’s break came in the 17 th minute, when Mathew Phillips once again broke down the left flank. His initial cross was blocked for a corner, which was taken short and then crossed in from the left, headed down and Marvin Pritchard made no mistake from just within the six yard box with a low drive into the bottom left corner.
Carl Wayne Jones wanted a piece of the action in the 23 rd minute, but his effort from 30 yards proved easy for Ben Patterson between Halkyn’s posts. Two minutes later and Halkyn were level, and could have easily taken the lead moments later. Ceirion Williams was caught off guard on the edge of the area when Shane Francis took the ball through his legs and found Nathan Jones advancing into the area, and he made no mistake from eight yards out with a powerful drive into the bottom right corner. Within a minute, the Welsh Alliance League’s top marksman, Shane Francis nearly punished United again, an over the top ball into the area was followed by Francis, but Ball came out and could only manage a tame punch which Francis easily gathered and got his shot on target but Ceirion Williams made amends for his earlier misgivings by clearing off the line.
Ball could not recover from the earlier kick to the head, which meant an early bath for him, and having replaced him once before between the posts (I’ll say no more on that subject!), Ceirion Williams donned on the gloves in the 29 th minute and took his place, with Gethin Phillips coming off the bench to take the Centre-Half spot vacated by Tat. Tat had an immediate impact between the post, some fancy foot work in the area following a back pass from Eifion Williams which nearly went into his own net, Tat cleared back to Eifion Williams who’s miss-kick was read well (!) by David Noel Williams, who collected and delivered a fine through pass straight down the middle to Carl Wayne Jones who beat the off-side trap and kept a cool head and slotted passed the left side of advancing Patterson into the back of the net.
Within minutes United had doubled their lead, a Gethin Phillips long throw some six yards from the corner flag on the right was flicked on by Charlie on the near post and Patterson had no chance with Gareth Eifion’s volley into the bottom left corner. David Noel nearly increased the lead in the 42 nd minute, he won a clearance from Patterson in the centre circle, and saw Halkyn’s custodian off his line he struck a 40 yarder very sweetly, but the ball travelled a yard or two too much before the bounce which saw the keeper’s blushes saved when the ball went inches over the bar. Within seconds Andy had a chance to increase the lead in a move started by Ceirion Williams, all the hard work had been done and he only had the keeper to beat, but his effort from 8 yards across goal went a yard or so wide.
In the 45 th minute Halkyn had a free-kick 25 yards out following an Eifion Williams hand ball, but Chris Sheehan’s effort went straight at Ceirion Williams. United had another chance in the 2 nd minute of injury time, Charlie won the ball and advanced and delivered a fine through ball to Andy Williams in the right side of the area, but somehow or other Andy completely missed the ball!
Halkyn clawed one back before half time, Eifion Williams was adjudged to have shoved Halkyn’s captain, Mike Davies in the area when a left sided corner was taken. The slightest of contact saw Davies on the floor and the Referee immediately blew for a penalty which saw Shane Francis increase his tally with a well taken low drive into the bottom left corner, Half Time and 2-3 could have, and should have easily been a lot more!
Halkyn came close in the 48 th minute to levelling the score line, and we had visions of last seasons trip up the coast when United lost a three - one lead to lose four – three. Mathew Phillips continued with some good moves down the left flank, in the 48 th minute he got a good cross into Andy Williams but he was beyond the far post and couldn’t get his effort on target. Rhys Roberts had a golden opportunity in the 59 th minute, again all the hard work had been done, in the right side of the area he only had the keeper to beat, but once again the effort across goal went wide. A couple of minutes later and Halkyn came close; a free-kick some 30 yards out went a foot high and wide. Rooney and Gareth Eifion linked up well in the 72 nd minute, but the final effort by Gareth was down the keeper’s throat.
Halkyn levelled things up in the 82 nd minute, when substitute Paul Hughes beat Ceirion Williams to an over the top ball, Ceirion came to the edge of the area but missed with a punch which allowed Hughes to head home from 15 yards, and what a feeling of déjà vu! But it wasn’t to be the same as last year, David Noel Williams was brought down on the edge of the six yard area with a tackle a rugby player would have been sin binned as being too high, and left Charlie with a six inch scar on this throat (I was going to say something crude then, but thought better of it!). Shouts of last man went unheard by the referee and although Charlie got a penalty the shouts angered Halkyn’s captain and he was gunning for Gareth Eifion before Aled Owen quite wisely took him off for the final 5 minutes.
Charlie took his penalty with his usual cool head, and gave United back the deserved lead, a lead which should have been increased in the final minute when Mathew Phillips won the ball some 30 yards out, he chipped the advancing keeper from 20 yards, but Patterson got a had to stop the goal bound effort, Mathew gathered but his effort went wide.
A valuable three points for United, should have been a lot easier that it was but the Halkyn ground has not been the kindest to United over the years. With the formalities complete all I had to look forward to was the trip home, driving the minibus with the added distraction of a merry Mr Joyce in the back, God its hard work at times! But nonetheless, a short stop in St Asaph followed by a shorter stop in Bangor, I suddenly realised that I was in the company of a bus load of perverts (bar one or two of course), I’ll name no names, but for some reason they all decided that from now on we’ll be going to the Globe after every home match!
Next up a tough home encounter against Conwy Utd on Saturday, and let’s hope that the forward players will have their scoring boots on. They didn’t take them to Halkyn, but I’m sure they were wearing them in Town last Saturday if what I witnessed at the globe had any bearing!
LLANRUG UNITED: Dave Ball (Gethin Phillips – 29 mins), Marvin Pritchard, Chris Joyce, Ceirion Williams, Eifion Williams, Carl Wayne Jones, Andrew Williams (Carl Griffiths – 72mins), David Noel Williams, Rhys Roberts, Gareth Eifion Jones (Gavin Rogerson – 85 mins), Mathew Phillips.
SUBS (Not used): Martin Bohana.
MOTM: David Noel Williams.
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2009/2010 
