THE first-ever competitive league derby contested between Port Talbot Town and Trefelin finished all square in front of a bumper crowd at Victoria Road.
Conor Harris’ 20th-minute strike was cancelled out by Trefelin’s Joseph Jones five minutes later, as the two sides played to a competitive draw.
Both sides continue their unbeaten start to the season, having won their opening game.
The match had been hotly anticipated by all quarters of the town’s footballing community following a summer of contrasting fortunes for the two sides.
The visitors were riding on the crest of a wave having enjoyed a blistering promotion season, and had come into this game fresh from a 4-3 victory over Caldicot Town.
Meanwhile, the hosts had suffered an ignominious relegation due to off-field matters despite manager Mark Pike having steered the club away from the drop zone in the final few weeks of the season.
There was nothing to choose between the two sides on the night, however, as a goal apiece in the first half settled the outcome. Port Talbot were brighter out of the changing rooms with chances falling to the two strikers Connor Harris and Ben Rose-Miles, denied by some resolute defending and a solid goalkeeping performance from Keenan Bailey.
Harris eventually broke the deadlock after twenty minutes, calmly slotting home after weaving his way through the visiting defence.
The lead was short-lived however as, five minutes later, Port Talbot failed to deal with a Trefelin corner and, following a goalmouth scramble, defender Joseph Jones equalised firing home from close range.
It could have been a different story in the second half with Trefelin dominating proceedings but failing to find the breakthrough. Long-range chances were spurned by Jamie Latham and Daniel Thomas, while Damon Thomas went close with an acrobatic close-range volley.
Then, in the dying minutes of injury time, Trefelin almost stole the show. Damon Thomas’ floating free-kick was nodded into the path of Jordan Edwards who, with only the keeper to beat, attempted to scramble the ball home but the Port Talbot stopper James Harris somehow managed to claw the ball off the line to keep the scores level.
(Featured Image: Stephen Handley)
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