North Wales Coast East Premier – Could it have been ‘Eddie’ more dramatic? Sub wins a thriller for Llandyrnog
NORTH WALES COAST EAST PREMIER DIVISION REPORTS – AUGUST 15
Llandyrnog United 3 (Harrison 47, James 58, Evans 90+7)
Abergele 2 (Atkinson 28, Fortune 85)
Substitute Eddie Evans was the toast of Llandyrnog after his 97th minute winner from the last kick of the game clinched three points for the home side.
A gorgeous summer evening at Cae Nant played host to a pulsating midweek encounter.
Both sides were looking to avenge defeats in their league openers at the weekend, and it was the visitors that started the brighter.
Gele played some dangerous long balls, and on a couple of occasions came close to opening the scoring, before Connah Atkinson broke the deadlock on 28 minutes.
Dyrny hadn’t really got going, and it was a well-deserved lead for visitors.
The hosts did think they had leveled almost instantly. The ball was played into the path of Sean James, who tucked it away, only to have the goal ruled out for offside.
The half was coming to an end when a free kick was awarded to Abergele, but before it was taken, Martin Trigg the match official had spotted an off the ball incident, and Llandyrnog’s Rob Hurst was shown a straight red card.
The half ended a deserved 0-1 to Gele.
Llandyrnog made changes at the break, and within a minute of the second half starting, to adjust to things with being down a man, Eddie Evans came off the bench making his way to the right wing, and was swiftly followed by James Harrison at centre half.
Dyrny were fired up and an Adam Harvey free kick was headed home with authority by substitute Harrison.
A mere 10 minutes passed by before some great work from Rob Lawson found Sean James, who executed his strike superbly, leaving the keeper stranded.
The game had been completely turned on its head.
Towards the end of the game, 10 man Dyrny began to wilt under the strain of being down a player.
Harvey took a knock and was replaced, and then Nathan Rose took an accidental elbow to the face and was subbed, and had to head to A&E for medical attention.
Abergele forced their way into the game again, and were on top for the final 10-15 minutes.
Their pressure paid off with an equaliser in the 85th minute, punishing Dyrny stopper Ryan Bennett, who couldn’t quite hold the ball, and the game was again all level, the goal scored by sub Tom Fortune.
Gele continued to press, with the odds against the hosts, and the likely outcome was surely going to be an Abergele winner, but that was not to be the case!
A hopeful long clearance was controlled by Joel Rowlands, who managed to lay off fellow substitute Eddie Evans – and he slammed home the decider, which was swiftly followed by the final whistle!
A bit of a smash and grab ending to a well fought encounter.
CPD Llansannan 2 CPD Bro Cernyw 1
Goals from Sion Davies and sub Gruffudd Roberts put Llansannan 2-0 up before Cai Price notched a 79th minute consolation for Cernyw.
Sion Davies also spent time in the sin-bin, which is being trialled in the Premier this season.
Kinmel Bay 7 Rhuddlan Town 1
Seven up for the mighty Bay, Haydn Rutter, Ben Cawley, Anthony Jones, Ryan Hulse (2), Jacob Jones and Lewis Docherty sharing the goals, Liam Flaherty responding for Rhuddlan.
Llanfairfechan Town 2 Llandudno Junction 3
Three points for Junction thanks to the net-finding skills of Dave Maddock, Jack Williams and Adam Montgomery, Matthew Williams and James Cory on target for the hosts.
NFA 2 Meliden 1
NFA needed a goal six minutes into injury time from Antonio Jacovelli to kill off the challenge of 10-man Meliden.
Macauley Ross handed the visitors a 39th minute lead before Niall Butler received a second yellow soon after, leaving the Miners having to face the entire second half with 10 players.
Ryan Brady made it 1-1 on 69 minutes before Jacovelli bagged that last-gasp decider.