Caerau Ely 2-2 Llantwit Major: Young Guns still searching for first win after conceding late penalty
A late penalty from Kyran Gardner salvaged Llantwit Major a point against Caerau Ely – whose search for a first Cymru South win goes on.
The Young Guns took a first-minute lead at a boggy Cwrt-yr-Ala through David Lyons, but would go on to let their lead slip on two occasions.
Lee Jones drew Major level not long after the break, before Raheem Outlaw’s strike was dramatically cancelled out with just two minutes left of normal time.
The result means Craig Sampson’s side remain six points from safety, while the visitors remain seventh.
Both sides had early chances, with Gardner’s free-kick finding Robert Jones in the box, but he was denied by an out-stretched right boot to turn the ball over the bar.
Josh Spencer latched onto a ball over the top of the Major defence and rounded keeper Jack Lansdown, but his effort could only find the side netting.
Captain Lloyd Toghill’s long throw caused the Major defence problems. They failed to clear the ball first time and saw it land at the feet of Lyons, who calmly placed his finish into the bottom right hand corner gave the Young Guns a deserved lead.
The rest of the first half produced a stalemate with Caerau still looking the better of the two sides and Major failing to find a foothold in the game. Neither side managed to fashion any real chances on goal and when the halftime whistle went Caerau returned to the changing rooms the happier of the two teams.
Outlaw got to Lyons’ flick-on to head an effort which crashed against the bar within a minute of the second-half getting underway.
The visitors finally found a way into the game when a run by Jones down the right flank saw him fizz a dangerous low ball across the box to an unmarked Jones, who made no mistake with his finish from six yards out to bring the scores level.
The introduction of Harry Davies and Ben Cripps for Major shortly after the goal gave them more impetuous going forward. The youngsters’ speed and footwork were a constant concern for the Caerau backline. However, it was a change for the hosts that would provide the game’s next twist.
Substitute Ben Vincent immediately made an impression on the game with a few mazy runs down the right, his trickery eventually earning his side a free-kick in a dangerous position.
The low ball into the box would again find the defence all at sea. Outlaw fiund himself unmarked three yards out to restore the Young Guns’ lead with the easiest of finishes.
Darren Robinson’s side immediately fought back and took control for the remainder of proceedings, but again chances were hard to come by.
Caerau Ely had Luke Bridgeman to thank after he cleared the ball off the line following chaos in home penalty area.
There would be one final twist to proceedings.
Major’s Josh Morgan danced his way in to the Caerau box and attempted to round Elliot Matthews, with the former winning a dubious penalty. Gardner thundered his spot-kick into the top right corner of the net to rescue a point.
Caerau Ely: Elliot Matthews, Jamal Roberts, Daniel Hooper, Luke Bridgeman, Jerome Maynard, Lloyd Toghill, Joshua Spencer, Dylan Amin, David Lyon, Hywel Davies, Rameer Outlaw
Llantwit Major: Jack Lansdown, Jamie Miller, Kyran Gardner, Jonathan Fletcher (C), Sean Williams, Kristian Evans, Nathan Jones, Jonathan Butler, Lee Jones, Robert Jones, Josh Morgan
Ben Cripps, Harry Davies, Nathan Renfre on
(Featured image: John McAllister)
