AFAN LIDO 1-1 cambrian & clydach

With Shaun Galsworthy out, Damon Thomas moved back to centre back to partner Scott Hillman. Amazingly Scott Hillman was injured after 43 minutes and had to leave the field to be replaced by Rob Cockings. In three home matches against Cambrian we have still to win and this is the first time we've scored against them at home.
Our earliest chance fell to Gavin Jones who shot over the bar from the edge of the area after Damon Thomas headed down a free kick into his path. From the goal kick the two Cambrian danger men Jason Bertorelli and Mike Jones combined but Scott Hillman did well to block Mike Jones' shot and he cleared the ball. Mark Jones combined with Robbie Walters and Corey Thomas who set up Robbie but from 25 yards his shot went just over the bar. From a right wing corner on 6 minutes Mark Jones was adjudged to have been fouled in the box and we were awarded a penalty, it was a pretty poor effort from Mark Jones and the keeper saved with ease, this is Mark's second successive penalty miss, the other was at Ely Rangers. On 10 minutes we took the lead, we cleared the ball out of defence to Nathan White who beat the defender and as the keeper came out he rolled it past him into the net. Cambrian should have drawn level on 18 minutes from a free kick, the ball was played into the box but despite having a free header they put it wide. Mark Jones forced a good save from the keeper when he shot from just outside the area, the keeper Paul Bees turned it around the post for a corner. Cambrian if nothing else are quick and effective on the break and from our throw on the edge of the area, three passes later they'd won a corner which Mike Lewis did well to hold. Just over the half hour Corey Thomas lost the ball on half way, Cambrian attacked but Mike Lewis dived to his left to save. Again 5 minutes before the break Gavin Jones lost the ball and Cambrian won a corner, we cleared it but it came straight back in and again they had a free header which they put wide. In added on time Mike Lewis again safely held a free kick just ahead of the half time whistle.
In the early seconds of the second half we were awarded a free kick which Robbie Walters headed wide but the ref had already blown to give Cambrian a free kick for an infringement in the area. On 48 minutes Robbie Walters shot, the keeper failed to hold it, Mark Jones followed in and went down in the area for a better penalty shout than was given earlier but this time it was turned down and Mark had to receive attention before he could continue. Jonathan Hood found Robbie Walters he laid the ball off for Carl Payne whose shot from 25 yards went just over the crossbar. On 55 minutes Cambrian equalised, they won a corner on their right, it was cleared from the area but came straight back in for Mike Jones to head against the crossbar, the ball bounced kindly for Gareth Welsh who from no more than 3 yards headed in the rebound with our defence struggling to recover. On the hour, Carl Payne made 30 yards, fed Chris Pridham who knocked the ball wide for Nathan White, his first time shot went over the bar. The danger in the last half hour was that we'd push too far forward and they'd catch us on the break and it nearly worked on 64 minutes but Mike Lewis dived to make the save. On 67 minutes Damon Thomas won the ball in our box, fed Gavin Jones who sped down the left and found Robbie Walters. Robbie turned and shot across the keeper but just wide of the far post. We won a corner on 73 minutes which was turned over for a second, this time the ball went across the goal with no one getting the final touch. We continued to press forward and Corey Thomas shot over the bar from just outside the area. In one of our best moves of the game Jonathan Hood, Nathan White, Robbie Walters were all involved and we won a corner but Carl Payne's header was cleared. We again pushed Cambrian back but several times the ball fell invitingly in the box but no one reacted quickly enough to score.

Lido side:
Mike Lewis  Jonathan Hood  Corey Thomas  Scott Hillman  Damon Thomas  Mark Jones  Gavin Jones  Chris Pridham  Robbie Walters  Nathan White Carl Payne

Subs:
12 Robert Cockings for Scott Hillman 43
14 Luke Borrelli
15 James McEvoy
17 Scott McCoubrey for Robbie Walters 88

Goal Nathan White 10
Booking Chris Pridham 70
MOTM: Cory Thomas
Attendance: 80

Match Report by Peter Reynolds