Afan Lido 2-1 Risca United – Risca relegated after letting go of lead
Afan Lido v Port Talbot Town in the JD Cymru South at The Marstons Stadium on the 15th April 2022. Credit: Lewis Mitchell
Risca United’s relegation from the Cymru South was confirmed after they slipped to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Afan Lido.
The Cuckoos started the game positively and took the lead after just five minutes, but a lack of clinical finishing meant the lead slipped away from them in the second half.
Had Risca held on to their lead, they would have been saved from relegation thanks to Cwmbran Celtic’s 5-0 defeat to Llantwit Major, but it wasn’t to be due to Lido’s second half goals.
The away side had plenty of chances throughout the game, but an inability to convert them meant they left Aberavon without a point.
Risca made their intention to attack clear from the first whistle. Just two minutes in, Spencer came close from a corner, and Wheeler saw a shot blocked by a defender shortly after. In fact, it took just five minutes for the away side to find the back of the net. Ryan Wheeler did well to dispossess a Lido defender and the ball fell to Morgan Stead, who fired a powerful drive past Aaron Jones.
The away side continued to press for another goal, with Leon Thomas narrowly missing the target, and Matthew Thomas forced a good save from Aaron Jones, who tipped Thomas’ shot from a tight angle over the bar.
Chances were few and far between for the home side, with the best chance for them in the first half falling to Liam Griffiths, who took advantage of an awkward bounce but his shot was straight at Chorley.
Aaron Jones was tested again by Risca, with the goalkeeper pulling off a good stop to deny Morgan Stead his second of the game. The away side looked dangerous on the counter throughout the whole game, and this was shown half an hour into the game when Morgan Thomas found space down the wing, and the end result was a shot that went over the bar by his namesake Leon.
Risca had two chances similar to each other in the first 15 minutes of the second half, with both Selway and Wheeler getting opportunities from the edge of the box but neither could hit the target.
Slightly against the run of play, Afan Lido found an equaliser with less than 25 minutes to play. The experienced Chris Jones played a cross into the box which was met by the head of Sean Hanbury, who was left with the simple task of heading it home.
Less than ten minutes later, Afan Lido took the lead, another header which this time came from Cai Owens. A corner was played in and found Owens at the far post, whose header was deflected in.
Shortly before the goal, there was a moment of controversy when Risca were denied what they believed should have been a penalty. Lido goalkeeper Aaron Jones dived into tackle a Risca player, bringing him down in the process, but referee Gavin Townsend was adamant that the goalkeeper got the ball and that it was a fair challenge.
Risca continued to press for at least an equaliser late on, but nothing seemed to stick for them. Matthew Thomas managed to get behind Afan Lido’s defence but he failed to direct his shot towards the target. Aaron Jones was again called into action to deny Tom Gameson’s effort from range, before he bravely got his body in the way of Matthew Thomas’ effort on the rebound.
The result means Risca finish the season three points from safety, but had they held on to the lead they got in the first half, they would have been safe due to Cwmbran Celtic’s 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Llantwit Major. Afan Lido, meanwhile, finish the season in a respectable 10th place, although the fact they were only eight points clear of relegation could cause some to worry.
Line-ups
Afan Lido: Aaron Jones (Gareth Couch 90+3′), Conor Harris, Sam Baker, Ben Keen, Michael McCalmon (Luke McDonald 80′), Liam Griffiths (Matthew Andrews 90+3′), Sean Hanbury (Calum Dougal 89′), Harry Davies (Stephen Morris 46′), Chris Jones, Matthew Beynon (C), Cai Owens
Goals: Sean Hanbury 68′, Cai Owens 76′
Yellow card: Liam Griffiths 39′
Risca United: Tom Chorley, Dan Spencer (Alex Newman-Jones 77′), Arthur Furness (Sam Palmer 79′), Ricky Hodge (C), Callum Hodges, Tom Gameson, Ryan Wheeler, Harvey Selway (Jack Darby 79′), Matthew Thomas, Morgan Stead (Mason Keepin-Davies 79′), Leon Thomas (Jake Morris 58′)
Goal: Morgan Stead 5′
