Three players that stood out between Barry and Cwmbran Celtic

Last night, Barry defeated Cwmbran Celtic 2-1 at Jenner Park, but were certainly made to battle for all three points.

There were certainly players who stood out on both sides, but there three stars who shined brighter than most.

Alex Bonthorn

With 13 goals already this season in 12 games, there’s no doubt Bonthorn is on fire.

What impressed me most about him last night was, up against defenders who have played in the Cymru Premier for many seasons, Bonthorn kept them guessing for the majority of the first half.

His agility, but also his awareness of where the defenders and his own teammates were was of the highest standard.

Even a minute into the contest, he was already dancing his way through the defence and, if it wasn’t for Mike Lewis in goal, would’ve had two for the night overall.

With no disrespect to Cwmbran Celtic, I think Bonthorn could make the step up to the Cymru Premier the way he’s currently playing, but the Celtic Park faithful will be delighted with his performances so far this season.

Liam Warman

Since joining from Met in the summer, Warman has really impressed for the Linntets, and he proved his quality on Tuesday night.

In a game where Barry were struggling for large portions to get attacks going, Warman was always an outlet.

He would often be in space, and if his teammates final ball to him were that tiny bit quicker or slightly more accurate, Barry would not have been under the cosh as much as they were.

When he did receive the ball, he wasn’t afraid of taking on his man and his crosses into the box were dangerous.

His goal was well taken too, and while it’s one that Cwmbran keeper Lewis Watkins won’t want to see back, it still needed a cool and calm finish, and that’s what Warman produced.

A good night’s work for the tricky winger.

Barry Town United 5-0 Goytre United in the Cymru South at Jenner Park Stadium on September 25 2022. Credit: Louis James

Evan Press

We’re used to seeing Barry’s number 33 perform his defensive duties well, but going forward, he really stuck out for me.

Perhaps with the absence of Jordan Cotterill, there was more of an emphasis on Press to get forward and help the attack, and he did it superbly.

His hold up play allowed the likes of Greening, Graham and McLaggon to get behind him into dangerous areas.

As they ran beyond him, Press had the vision and presence of mind to often pick his man, epitomised by his assist for Graham’s goal, a clever knock back into a dangerous area.

Press certainly showcased that he has more in his arsenal going forward than maybe some had known.

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