The key things we learned as Cardiff Met beat local rivals Barry Town United to progress to semi-final
Cardiff Met progressed to the semi-final of the Nathaniel MG Cup after a 2-0 victory this Tuesday evening at Jenner Park, but what were the key elements learnt for both sides?
Goals from Chris Baker and Emlyn Lewis meant that the students progressed into the next round and we have all the key things learnt from the tie below…
Barry Town United made to rue missed chances early on
Barry Town were unfortunate not to find the back of the net in a close affair between both sides, as a bright start for the Town saw them go closest early on in the game, when Louis Gerrard put his effort from six-yards out over the bar from a scuffed opportunity.
Met began to grow into the game after Barry wasted good opportunities to give themselves an early advantage in the tie, as Barry Town’s lack of a clinical edge was ultimately their downfall, in an otherwise closely contested encounter between two sides that looked to move the ball.
Kayne Mclaggon was also not able to grab a crucial goal for the Town after being voted player of the month, after coming on as an early first half substitute, but did provide a different outlet for Barry as he held up the ball well against a solid Met defence.
Chris Baker puts in solid midfield performance for Cardiff Met
Chris Baker was at the centre of everything for Cardiff Metropolitan University against Barry Town United, after a standout performance from the heart of midfield on both ends of the pitch created plenty of opportunities for his side.
Running box-to-box all game, the Met No.8 provided the goal that led to an early lead for his side, whilst his defensive capabilities were also on show, as his covering runs and superb tackling helped to keep the tempo firmly in Met’s favour.
Manager Dr. Christian Edwards will no doubt be pleased with the players performance throughout the match, as his composure in front of goal and creative presence will no doubt have put him in the manager’s good books.
Baker was unlucky not to grab another, but having been judged controversially to have fouled the keeper before putting it into the back of the net – the midfielder will have to settle for his tally on the night, but will undoubtedly feel harshly done by not to have grabbed a second.
Barry Town show strong defensive capabilities in-spite of loss
Barry Town will no doubt be pleased with how they defended against Cardiff Met, as they kept their shape extremely well against a Met side whom shifted the ball looking for any opening in the Town’s back line, and often came up with little answer.
Met did find some successes on the wings, but ultimately were met by a Barry player looking to close them down at every opportunity. The centre-half pairing of Luke Cooper and Curtis Watkins were able to hold their own against in form striker Adam Roscrow, whom found very little clear-cut opportunities, especially throughout the first half.
Ultimately Barry will have felt disappointed to have conceded at all in the game, especially in the scrappy nature that they did for Met’s first, after finding themselves unable to effectively clear their lines but nevertheless, there were definitely positives to come out of this game for Barry to work on defensively.
Cardiff Met’s ‘keep ball’ football continuing to work a treat
Cardiff Met once again moved the ball with pace and precision against Barry Town United, as their quality in possession makes it easy to see why they are flying high in the Welsh Premier League table this season.
Met displayed a patient desire when in possession of the ball, feeling comfortable enough to quietly knock the ball around and probe Barry for any cracks in a notably resilient defence.
Despite a slightly sloppier second half performance, Met will feel positive about their passing which was purposeful and precise, especially against a well-structured and organised Barry Town United side.
Luke Cooper shows his quality for Barry Town United
Centre-Half Luke Cooper put in a great performance for Barry against Cardiff Met, after being first to nearly every ball that was thrown at him.
The Barry No. 4 will no doubt take plenty of positives from his performance, despite the team conceding twice on the night from two scrappy goals.
Cooper showed a great aerial display, as his desire to give his opponents no room in the air was evident for all to see on the night, whilst his marking against Met No.9 Adam Roscrow was superb, finding a way to close down the striker without fouling on several occasions throughout the evening.
Ultimately there will be little to celebrate for the team as a whole from the loss, but Cooper’s display will no doubt be one that stands out above the rest.
(Featured Image: Matthew Lofthouse)
