Cardiff Metropolitan 2-1 Cefn Druids: Eliot Evans strike secures first win in eight
Late drama at Cyncoed Campus saw Cardiff Metropolitan secure a late win over the Cefn Druids at Cyncoed Campus.
Met ended their search for a first win in eight with a narrow victory over the Ancients.
Eliot Evans’ strike eight minutes from time alongside Chris Baker’s first-half equaliser was enough to cancel out Ramirez Howarth’s first-minute opener for Huw Griffiths’ men.
Both Alec Mudimu and Michael Pritchard were sent off for the Druids in the last twenty minutes with the former missing an 85th-minute penalty.
The victory marked a positive end to the week for the Archers after their manager Christian Edwards was taken to hospital following a suspected heart attack during a training session.
It was a fast start to the game for the Druids who opened the scoring inside a minute.
A ball into the Met box found Howarth who got his head to the ball first and nodded it past an onrushing Will Fuller in the Archer’s goal.
After the Druids fast start Met took control of the remainder of the first half. Both Jordan Lam and Dion Phillips forced fantastic saves from Michael Jones in Druid’s net as they searched for a quick equaliser.
Druids shot-stopper Jones was in inspired form and was only beaten by a special strike by Chris Baker for the equalising goal.
The Druids failed to clear a corner and the ball fell to Baker who crashed a wonderful volley into the top right-hand corner of Jones’ net.
After the excitement of a frantic opening half-hour, both sides settled into a cagey last quarter of the half, although when the half-time whistle went the Archers’ players cut frustrated figures as they headed for the tunnel.
The second half started much as the first ended with neither side really taking control of the proceedings.
An exception of a shot from Lam trickling harmlessly wide of the Druids goal there was very little in the way of entertainment.
A red card with twenty minutes remaining sparked the game into life when Archers striker Will Evans attempted to get his head on the ball only to be met by the high foot of Michael Pritchard.
The referee didn’t hesitate in showing Pritchard a straight red for the challenge.
With a numerical advantage, the Archers went for broke and after Jones had again made a wonderful save to deny Baker his second of the afternoon.
The ball landed at the feet of Eliot Evans on the edge of the Druids box in which he navigated some space from a tight spot and after a lovely first touch, he curled the ball past the sprawling Jones and off the post into the top right-hand corner to give the Archers the lead.
The drama wasn’t over as only three minutes later a goalmouth scramble in the Archers’ box led to a penalty being awarded to the Druids. Mudimu was handed the opportunity to rescue a point for the Druids.
Mudimu drilled his penalty hard and low towards the bottom left-hand corner of the goal but fuller guessed correctly and did fantastically well to get down and push the ball around the post to preserve the home sides lead.
Mudimu’s had another big moment of the game. Having just missed the penalty and eager to make up for the missed opportunity Mudimu made a horrendously miss-timed tackle on the Archers’ Daniel Spencer that was high and late, earning a straight red card.
With tensions threatening to boil over the referee brought an end to the game only a few minutes after giving Mudimu his marching orders. The Archers players embraced each other in relief as their long streak without a win finally came to an end.
Cardiff Met: Will Fuller, Brad Woolridge (C), Emlyn Lewis, Eliot Evans, Chris Baker, Will Evans, Charlie Corsby, Jordan Lam, Joel Edwards, Joe Evans, Dion Phillips (Dan Spencer 74)
Cefn Druids: Michael Jones, Naim Arsan, Phillip Mooney, Nathan Peate, Alec Mudimu, Ramirez Howarth, Cody Roberto, Josef Faux, Michael Pritchard, Neil Ashton (C), Charley Edge.
See how Met defeated the Druids here:
(Featured Image: Mark Palmer)
