Cardiff Metropolitan University dealt with the elements well at Cyncoed Campus to record their fourth consecutive win in the Welsh Premier League.
Both sides struggled to deal with the poor conditions in the opening stages, where possession was proving difficult to retain with the wind playing a big part.
Adam Roscrow had the first shot of the game in the 13th minute, he connected well but saw his effort fly narrowly wide of the left upright.
Four minutes later, Newtown’s Ryan Sears went down following a strong challenge. The stretcher came on, suggesting it was a leg injury, but the defender was able to walk off and was sent to hospital with a suspected dislocated shoulder. He was replaced by Iwan Cartwright.
The majority of the play in the opening half hour was in Newtown’s half, with the Robins finding it difficult to clear their lines, helped no doubt by the wind which was very much against them in the opening period. Quite often I high clearance would end up going closer to Newtown’s goal than from where it was kicked.
The Student’s controlled the ball better in the final fifteen minutes, they adapted to the conditions and started to play the ball along the floor much more. Their signature intricate passing was beginning to come back and this lead them looking much more threatening.
Then, eight minutes before half time, The Archers were awarded a penalty after Craig Williams was adjudged to have hand-balled in the box. He made his feelings clear to referee Richard Harrington, but the decision was made and it was left to Adam Roscrow to step up and slam the ball into the right side of the net to give Met a 1-0 lead.
It was a goal that would have pleased Met manager Dr Christian Edwards, as chances were proving hard to come by, and you felt that any goal would be vital, considering the conditions.
The goal was Roscrow’s sixth of the season in the league, as August’s Player of the Month continued his impressive start to the season.
Five minutes were added on at the end of the first half because of Sears’ injury, and it was a fairly uneventful end five minutes. Met were happy to take their 1-0 lead in to the break, and Newtown knew that they’d have the wind behind them in the second half.
Image: Matthew Lofthouse
The Students got the second half underway, playing from right to left.
The away side made a good start to the second period, and a cross from the right was almost met by the head of Mitchell. He will have rued not getting to the ball, as any decent contact would surely have sent the ball into the net.
The first booking of the game came in the 57th minute, when Robins midfielder Joe Kenton was shown a yellow card for what appeared to be dissent.
Cardiff Met came close a couple of minutes later, as Roscrow’s cross was cleared only as far as Eliot Evans, who took his shot first time but fired straight at the defender.
Image: Matthew Lofthouse
Four minutes later, the Archers had their second as a pinpoint cross by Eliot Evans was nodded in by the in-form Roscrow for his seventh league goal this season.
The goal followed an impressive five-minute period by the home side, who had responded well to Newtown’s encouraging start to the second half.
Jamie Reed replaced Luke Boundford for Newtown in the 69th minute, as the Robins looked to push forward in search of a goal that would bring them back into the game.
Rhys Thomas replaced last weekend’s hero Harry Owen, who wasn’t able to replicate his form from the win against Bangor City.
The final quarter of the game was a tale of frustration for Newtown, who just couldn’t get hold of the ball and get enough territory to threaten Will Fuller’s goal. They huffed and puffed but couldn’t use the wind behind them to blow Met’s solid defence down.
The impressive Eliot Evans was replaced by Ben Bowler as the Students looked to protect their two goal lead and see the game out.
Nick Rushton should have grabbed a goal back for the away side, a cross gave him time and space in the box, but he rushed his effort and saw the ball cleared away.
Harry Hope came on for Adam Roscrow with a few minutes left in the game, a substitution that allowed the striker to be applauded off by the home supporters, who came in good numbers despite the wind and rain.
The game fizzled out in the last couple of minutes, and Met held on to maintain their unbeaten home record in the league this season. Newtown had their spells during the game, but were never able to penetrate a rock solid Archers defence, with Kyle McCarthy in particular impressing.
The win keeps Cardiff Met second in the Welsh Premier League, one point behind TNS. Newtown stay tenth on nine points as their disappointing start to the season continued.
Cardiff Met: Fuller, Rees, McCarthy, Woolridge (c), Lewis, Barnett, Evans (Bowler 86), Baker, Roscrow (Hope 90), Evans, Owen (Thomas 89).
Substitutes: Thomas, Hope, Bowler, James, Morgan, Evans.
Newtown: Jones, Williams (c), Sears (Cartwright 20), Mills-Evans, Price, Denny, Kershaw, Rushton, Kenton, Boundford (Reed 69), Mitchell.
Substitutes: Reed, Murphy, Cartwright, Harries, Parry, Evans.
Man of the Match: Adam Roscrow
(Featured Image: Matthew Lofthouse)
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