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Neath Reserves completed the double over us but their keeper made 5
outstanding saves and was easily man of the match while Gareth Couch didn't
have a difficult save to make. Unusually at this level we had two
linesmen as well as the Referee and both the second and certainly the third
goals had an element of offside to them. As early as the
second minute we could have been ahead when the ball was played forward to
find Adam Beynon behind the back four, he shot first time lifting the ball
over the keeper but wide of the post. A tenth minute free kick from Remi
Whitelock was headed out to Craig Langdon and from wide right he forced a
good save from the keeper. Two minutes later another free kick was
headed onto the top of the crossbar by Matthew Beynon. Neath then won a
series of corners but although they had bodies in the box we cleared the
danger.
After 17 minutes we went ahead Leigh Shrimpton knocked the ball
wide to Ali Walkley who made ground and crossed low to the edge of the six
yard box, Shrimpton had continued his run and rifled a right footed shot high
into the net. Neath responded by winning a corner from the kick off but
Gareth Couch held the cross and threw out to Remi Whitelock his cross was
cleared to Aaron Keefe who with an overhead kick found Remi Whitelock but his
shot from the edge of the area went over the bar. After 22 minutes yet
another Lido free kick was headed goalwards but straight at the keeper then
out of the blue Neath equalised. They were awarded a free kick for hand
ball by Craig Langdon 35 yards out from our goal, the kick was taken quickly
and caught us out in the back to level matters on 27 minutes. Spurred on
by the equaliser Neath attacked down the left, we failed to deal with it in
the back but the incoming shot was way over the bar. 5 minutes before
the break Craig Langdon wide right squared the ball into Steve Hughes but he
shot over the crossbar from a good position.
On 52 minutes we should have gone back into the lead following a left wing corner, firstly a shot was cleared off the line to appeals for a penalty
for handball then in the following scramble a header was cleared off the line.
However on 55 minutes we did go ahead from yet another free kick, again it was
taken quickly and this time Adam Beynon lobbed the keeper from just outside
the area to score. We again put the Neath defence under pressure to win
a couple of corners but they stood firm, Steve Hughes made ground down the
right crossed into the six yard box but it was just ahead of Craig Langdon and
went out for a Neath throw. Then on 61 minutes out of nothing Neath
equalised again, they were awarded a free kick about half way into our half
and Matthew Beynon headed the ball clear. A Neath player played it back in for
them to equalise with us appealing for offside. Minutes
later we almost regained the lead from from the umpteenth free kick awarded to
us Remi Whitelock picked out Matthew Beynon and his header sailed inches wide
of the post with the keeper beaten.
On 69 minutes Matthew Beynon made
ground down the left and passed to Craig Langdon and his shot from just
inside the area was going inside the far post before the keeper dived full
length to turn the ball around the post for a corner. With a quarter of
an hour to go Josh Cokely headed just wide of the post from a Leigh Shrimpton
free kick. Ten minutes from time the keeper tipped over another Craig
Langdon shot to deny us a deserved third. With three minutes to go a
Neath attack was broken up but they retrieved the ball wide right about 25
yards from goal, the ball was played low into the area and beat everyone but
was turned in at the far post from an attacker no more than two yards from the
line. Everyone's first instinct was it was offside and we all looked at
the linesman expecting to see a flag but it didn't come. Incidentally it
was the same linesman for the second goal, these were crucial decisions and
turned the game.
There were several minutes of added on time and the
Neath keeper again distinguished himself with another diving save to keep
us out. A disappointing result, on times not a great performance by us but
we were denied by some sound goal keeping and maybe some disappointing
decisions.
Lido side
Gareth Couch, Matt Beynon, Josh Cokely, Leigh
Shrimpton, Karl Roberts, Adam Beynon, Ali Walkley, Aaron
Keefe, Craig Langdon, Steve Hughes, Remi Whitelock.
Subs
12 Luke Gosbey for Craig Langdon 86
14 Dan Burbridge
15 Tom Darlington
for Remi Whitelock 77
16 Sam Nolan
Bookings Gareth Couch 88, Aaron Keefe 57, Remi Whitelock 45 +
1.
Match Report by Peter Reynolds
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