Cardiff Draconians vs Cwmbran Celtic

Match Report

For the 3^rd game running we took the lead but again were unable to stay in front and the Draconians recovered to win 2-1, their 2^nd win against us within the last 14 days.

The Draconians wasted no time in laying siege on the our goal and in the 2^nd minute a great cross ball put left wing Myles Corson in to shoot wide across the goal. Josh Hinwood shot over the bar from the edge of the penalty box and then Corson turned provider when he set up a shot which went just wide of the right post. In the 9^th minute against the run of play we took the lead when Finley Hayman played a long ball out of defence to the unmarked Josh Gibson who hit a glorious lob over the keeper Johnson who had started to advance, then back-tracked and finally fell over his own feet as Josh’s cool lob floated into the net. Thereafter, the home side dominated the rest of the half with Corson playing havoc on the left with his direct running and on the half hour he set up what looked like a certain 2^nd goal with a ball into the box where Dan Bowen, timing his run to perfection, pounced to shoot goalwards. However, Sam Powell raced back to clear off the line to deny a goal. In the 41^st minute Josh Gibson chased a clearance near the half way line and collided with the railing and was replaced by Gabriel Howells.

We managed to hold on to our lead until the 58^th minute when Nathan Mathias played Sam Roberts down the left. He cut in and placed the ball past Watkins into the net. The hosts then missed several chances to increase their lead – a header wide from an open goal, a diving save by Watkins, a shot blocked and a clearance off the line before they eventually took the lead in the 78^th minute with a carbon copy of their 1^st goal, Roberts collecting a long clearance by Kazadi,  driving in from the left to rocket his 2^nd goal into the net. The Draconians continued to press and Harri Edwards followed up his own free kick to strike on the right bye line to bring a fine save from Watkins.  Our woes were complete when skipper Andrew Larcombe was red carded. Running out of defence, he brushed into Harri Edwards who pushed him. Andrew pushed back. It was nothing more than handbags but the referee only saw the last push and decreed that it was a sending off offence which brought congratulations to Edwards from a team-mate. The view from those on the sidelines was that it looked a ridiculously harsh decision.

This was our 12^th game without a win. For the record we have only played 3 games at Celtic Park having played 2 floodlit games on away grounds. We have not won away from Celtic Park since 1^st February.