Cefn Druids 1-2 Cardiff Metropolitan: Archers end long wait for victory

Matt Chubb scored his first Cymru Premier goal as Cardiff Met ended their winless run with a 2-1 victory over the Cefn Druids at The Rock.

Chubb’s strike gave the Met the win after they had initially taken the lead through Eliot Evans but

The Archers had been without in 11 matches, stretching back to the start of December, but claimed a well-deserved victory over the Ancients.

Christian Edwards’ side move five points clear of bottom side Cefn Druids and level on points with Aberystwyth Town.

It was clear from the get-go who the starman on display would be as Eliot Evans carved open Druids twice with good runs at Kieran Smith. The first of which resulted in a curling effort and the second a dragged strike, both of which venturing just wide of the goal.

It was an entertaining opening to the game as both sides attempted to take control. Naim Arsan, operating in the unusual position of right wing for a natural left back proved his flair by jinking inside and curling a shot tantalisingly wide.

Eliot Evans would not be denied for long however and forced the breakthrough with half an hour played. The ball was not cleared by the Druids defence after a corner and Evans hooked a volley past Jones and into the back of the net.

Met almost doubled their lead five minutes later when Ollie Hubert was set through on goal. He outmuscled Jacob Wise but his initial lobbed shot was parried by Mike Jones. Wise and Hubert then rushed to be first to the rebound and Wise’s headed clearance was just over the bar.

Cefn Druids kept battling for their equaliser and found it through Ryan Kershaw on the stroke of halftime. Harry Brazel was tripped as he made towards the box, yielding a free-kick twenty yards from goal.

Arsan and Kershaw stood over it, but it was Kershaw who stroked home a fantastic right-footed effort up and over the wall for his first goal of the season. Met keeper Alex Lang was left with no chance. Both Druids and Met had scored with their only shots on target in the first half.

Druids would not be level for long when five minutes after half time Met grabbed what would prove to be the match winner. Matthew Chubb was left free in the box from a Kyle McCarthy corner and duly tapped the ball into the Druids net, rightly to celebrations from the Met squad.

The Students would not let this opportunity to end their bad run slip and allowed the game to devolve into a scrappy affair. They were producing a professional performance, suffocating any attack Druids could throw at them.

Eliot Evans almost made it three with twenty minutes to go when he was found in the box and lashed the ball onto the underside of the bar, but the ball bounced away from the line. Joe Faux’s cross was almost deflected past Alex Lang with ten minutes to go but Met would not be denied their first win since December 1st.

Cefn Druids: Mike Jones (C), Naim Arsan, Phil Mooney, Aaron Simpson, Harry Brazel (Charley Edge, 90), Niall Flint, Kieran Smith, Harry Fuller (Joe Faux, 45), Ryan Kershaw (Ethan Cartwright, 74), Jacob Wise (Alex Darlington, 67), Steffan Edwards.

Goals: Ryan Kershaw 43′

Yellow Cards: Aaron Simpson 39, Ryan Kershaw 70’

Cardiff Met: Alex Lang, Kyle McCarthy, Bradley Woolridge (C), Emlyn Lewis, Eliot Evans, Chris Baker (Joe Evans, 86), Charlie Corsby, Ollie Hulbert (Craig Davies, 72), Liam Warman, Matt Chubb (Rhydian Morgan, 82), Tom Price.

Goals: Eliot Evans 33, Matt Chubb 52’

Yellow Cards: Kyle McCarthy 51, Ollie Hilbert 69, Eliot Evans 86, Joe Evans 90+3

(Featured Image: Will Cheshire)