Nana Baah makes feelings clear after Cardiff Dracs rescue point against Carmarthen Town

Cardiff Dracs manager Nana Baah praised his side’s character after they fought back from two goals down to earn a draw against Carmarthen Town, despite both teams finishing with 10 men.

The Dracs looked to be facing defeat after Lewis Reed scored from the rebound following his missed penalty before 17-year-old Hari Jones doubled Carmarthen’s advantage on the stroke of half-time.

However, second-half changes proved crucial as Cardiff mounted an impressive comeback, with Cameron Egan scoring within seven minutes of returning from a hamstring injury before captain Sam Cawley rescued a point with four minutes remaining.

The contest was also shaped by two controversial red cards, with Carmarthen striker Liam Thomas dismissed before Dylan Amin was sent off for the Dracs just four minutes later.

Nana Baah questions controversial red cards and penalty decision

Baah was unhappy with several key decisions during the encounter, particularly the dismissals that left both sides with 10 players.

The Dracs boss felt Carmarthen’s red card was harsh, believing the referee could have shown a yellow card instead.

“Personally, I thought the first one was a bit dubious for Carmarthen, their red card,” he admitted in an interview with the club’s media.

“I was quite surprised he had a red card; I thought it would be yellow,” he said.

Baah was even more critical of the decision to dismiss Amin, describing the incident as “crazy” and questioning whether the challenge warranted a red card.

“Our one was crazy. Two players are going for the ball. He’s jumped up, turned, and the keeper has kicked it; he’s then in the air, and he’s given the red card,” he explained.

“If these sort of tackles are going to be red cards, it’s going to be really difficult for players to play at this level.”

The two dismissals forced Baah to change his formation and adjust the positions of several players, making an already challenging afternoon more difficult.

Despite that disruption, he was pleased that his side continued to try to play football and move the ball around.

Lewis Reed and teenage star Hari Jones put Carmarthen in control

Cardiff Dracs had to contend with a two-goal deficit at the break after a difficult first half.

Reed initially missed his penalty but reacted quickest to score from the rebound, giving Carmarthen the advantage.

The Old Gold then struck again on the stroke of half-time, with 17-year-old Jones doubling their lead and leaving the visitors with a significant challenge after the interval.

Baah also questioned the penalty decision, describing it as “really soft”, although he acknowledged that the contact allowed the referee to intervene.

“The penalty was soft, really soft, but at the end of the day you know when you put your hands around a player, and they’re leaning back, you’re giving the referee an opportunity to make a decision,” he said.

The Dracs boss also felt his goalkeeper Harry Johnson had been fouled in the build-up to Carmarthen’s second goal.

“The second one as well, then Harry’s caught the ball in the air, he’s been barged, and he’s dropped it, and the guy has obviously tapped it in. For me, that should have been a free-kick,” Baah added.

Despite trailing 2-0, the manager remained convinced his side could get back into the contest.

“To go 2-0 down, at half-time I spoke to the boys and said, look, we’re by far the better side. Just keep doing what we’re doing, you know?”

Cole Mace and Josh Stephens make an impact as Cardiff Dracs fight back

Baah’s half-time changes helped transform the game, with Cole Mace making his first appearance for the Dracs since August 7.

Mace had been an unused substitute against his former side Newport City the previous week, but he made a strong impression after coming on against Carmarthen.

Baah was particularly impressed with his contribution, describing him as “fantastic” and “really electric”.

Josh Stephens, who is on loan from Cardiff Met, also entered the game, replacing the injured Jacob Benford and earning praise from his manager for his performance.

“I made a few changes, brought on Cole, who I thought was fantastic and really electric. He was brilliant,” Baah said.

“I brought on Josh as well; he was strong. Jacob had to go off. The boys were brilliant, and really, really good.”

The substitutions gave Cardiff renewed energy as they looked to overturn Carmarthen’s advantage.

On the hour mark, Egan returned from a hamstring injury, replacing Dan Bowen, and wasted little time making his presence felt.

The forward scored within seven minutes of coming on, cutting the deficit and giving the Dracs renewed belief that they could salvage something from the match.

Sam Cawley completes Cardiff Dracs comeback with late equaliser

Cardiff continued to push for an equaliser and were rewarded with just four minutes remaining when captain Cawley found the net to make it 2-2.

Myles Corson claimed his second assist of the afternoon by setting up the late goal, completing a remarkable comeback after the Dracs had gone into half-time trailing by two goals.

For Baah, the result was a reflection of his players’ resilience, particularly after the disruption caused by the red cards and the need to reorganise his side.

Although he was frustrated by the officiating, the manager was pleased with the response and the impact of his substitutes.

“We’ve got to be happy with a point after being 2-0 down at half-time,” he said.

“When you’re playing the likes of Newport City and Carmarthen, who are established Cymru South and Cymru Premier sides, you know you’ve got to take pride that they didn’t beat you.

“We’re going to take this into next week and see what happens.”