Match Reports
2008/2009 Season Review
With the 2008/2009 season now over, the Lake can look back at an improved campaign all around with the final league position of 7th a massive leap from last years run in the douldrums. An improvement it may be but much more is still to come from this side and a little more consistency throughout would have served the side well. Promotion places were mused about pre-season but were never really in the frame following a poor start to the campaign and the seeming dominance of sides such as Welshpool Res and Defaid Du.
Highlights of the season started early with the Llanfechain KO triumph, beating many higher ranking sides on our way to the glory. A 2-0 victory over Berriew away from home will be seen as a tremendous result and our biggest victory of the season against Dyffryn Banw Res seemed to set the base for a true assault on League 2. A run of 7 wins out of 8 through December-February gave a real boost to the league standings and the only defeat from those games was at Spar Mid bound Montgomery Town, ending our Emrys Morgan cup dream after 2 long, away ties.
Defeats against the likes of Trewern, Dyffryn Banw, Llanfechain and Llanidloes were common place in our season, with all of those results easily reversed were it not for our fabled half time collapses. The Trewern games in particular will stick in the mind with such dominance being shown in both 1st halves, only for utter incompetence to be shown in the final 45. The opposite was true at Trefonnen however with a 2-0 half time deficit being turned into a 4-2 victory after a steamrolling 2nd half. If by next seaon we could join both halves together on a regular basis then further movement up the table will be expected.
Let's all now have a good rest before next season, get a solid pre-season under our belts and really push on next year!
Until next season, your diligent match reporter.
Referee hogs the limelight as Llanwddyn fluff their lines
Kerry Reserves 4 - 1 Llanwddyn - League - 30/04/2009
What was meant to be an end of season flourish turned out be everything other than that on Thursday night at a sodden Kerry ground. With Kerry already relegated from the Spar Mid Wales the inclusion of 1st teamers was to be expected into their reserve set-up, although this seemed to hold no worries for Llanwddyn pre-match. The shrewdest signing that Kerry have made all season was getting the referee on the night to officiate this match. There is no other way to explain it other than she was an absolute disgrace and certainly swung the match in Kerry's favour through her appalling decision making and obvious bias towards the home side. I am not blaming Kerry for this in any way but I think that even they would agree that she does not deserve to referee another match until she gets her act seriously sorted. The official is the same one that was responsible for the antics seen between Welshpool Res and Llanfair Res earlier in the season...lightening doesn't strike in the same place twice and major cock-ups like this don't happen through bad luck alone.
Ben Williams, Gary Richards and Lee Cheesman were all made unavailable for this final league encounter of the season with Jake Warne returning to the starting XI at left back with Captain Lee Richards partnering the most used player of this term, Gwynedd Jones at the back. Rhys Roberts was re-called in at right back in place of the bed-bound Jamie Williams and Phil Roberts replaced Craig Scott in the centre of midfield. Inspirational Shaun Clark showed enough heart, passion and determination to slot in at right midfield and Llion Parry at left midfield was looking for at least 4 goals along with goal hungry Tim Gomm and goal shy Aaron Parker-Bowles up front.
On a slippery surface the early play in match was lackadaisical from both sides with the added speed the ground was giving the ball catching everyone out at early doors. It was Kerry that started the brighter with them finding more space with which to operate in and keeping the ball away from the men in green with some quality. The space between midfield and defence was often punished by them with their target man No.9 causing real havoc and showing some class with his head. When the Lake got the ball however, everyone could sense that a chance was going to be created with the pace all-around dominating the shaky Kerry backline. Shaun Clark was once again having fun down the right wing and delivering into the box at every opportunity, and Tim Gomm was living off the balls over the top and the flicked winners courtesy of AP-B. It was the Lake that made their chances pay earliest with Shaun Clark finally finding the back of the net after fiddling with the ball in the 6 yard box for what seemed like an eternity, following a Tim Gomm delivery that the Kerry No.5 was unable to clear. Llanwddyn continued to press on after this but started to come up against the referee along with the 11 players in white. Any 50/50 challenges were awarded to Kerry and consistent fouling and shirt pulling were merely disregarded by the bloody woman, unless Llanwddyn were the accused in which case it was certainly a foul and a narrow escape from a yellow card! Kerry made their extra 'man' count with devastating consequences, scoring twice before the break. The first was poked home by the lively front man, with his partner scoring a near post header direct from a corner as a direct result of Aled Williams getting smashed in the chops by Gwynedd Jones whilst trying to clear the ball. Rhys Roberts throughout the opening 45 despite coming up against Kerry's best performer had an absolute blinder and didn't give the No.11 much of a sniff despite the constant possession he recieved, winning some massive headers and putting himself in where it hurts.
HALF TIME
The final 45 minutes of the 2008/2009 campaign were upon us with Llanwddyn having to pull something out of the bag to walk away with the 3points everyone so desperately craved, and with 10 minutes gone, this was beginning to look like an uphill struggle with little being created from the green men and with Kerry continuing to look to push home their advantage. Llanwddyn finally got the equalizer on 58 minutes with Lee Richards flicking home a Phil Roberts free-kick into the top corner...until the referee dissallowed the goal for offside! Never has an act of cheating on behalf of the Kerry linesman been seen as he obviously reacted soley on the pressure given towards him by the Kerry players. For him then to raise his flag with the ref watching is one thing, but for her to accept it when the call came 5 seconds after the incidnet and due to peer pressure alone is totally another, and I think that even she knew that goal should have been given, what a moron! 5 minutes later however and the Lake really should have been level with Llion Parry putting Aaron Parker-Bowles in one-on-one with the clumbersome keeper but he cold only hit it straight at him with the defnece then scrambling the ball clear. 3 minutes later and it was Llion Parry that should have brought the game level after being put in himself by Tim Gomm. After an initial touch his effort seemed goal-bound into the bottom corner only for the despairing keeper' toe to knock her out, with Parry's swivel shot again being blocked by a Kerry defender. Tim Gomm was then brought down by the keeper in the box and he then stayed down, suffering from the hefty collision with the man twice his size. After picking himself up and getting back onto the pitch, he found himself through on goal when he was brought down by the Kerry No.4. A free-kick was shockingly awarded to the Lake for probably the first time but how the perpetrateur escaped with only a foul to his name is a mystery. Another big talking point in the game came when Kerry scored their 3rd, under the exact same circumstances as the 2nd Lake goal that was never given. After delivering a free-kick into the box, Kerry's No.6 headed home only for the flag to be raised to signal offisde, only this time the referee decided to ignore the signal and award the goal. What the bloody hell was she doing? 1 rule seemed to apply for 1 side with another for the opposing side. Phil Roberts was later booked for plaeading his case when another free-kick was wrongly awarded against him and the final nail in the coffin came as No.6 completed his brace and end the game as a contest, with no interference from the referee. Throughout the game she often said that she couldn't give a decision because she was too far away to see the incident, I'm sorry, but what the hell is she doing on the pitch if she can't keep up with play and give an honest decision? She did however always seem to keep up with play when a Kerry free-kick was awarded. A total disgrace.
TEAM: Simon Williams (Scott Roberts, 67), Rhys Roberts, Lee Richards (C), Gwynedd Jones, Jake Warne, Shaun Clark (1), Aled Williams, Phil Roberts, Llion Parry, Aaron Parker-Bowles, Tim Gomm.
Llanwddyn look up the table as the goals flow at Wddyn Park
Llanwddyn 7 - 4 Churchstoke - League - 25/04/2009
Llanwddyn' faltering end of season push gained a timely boost on Saturday following the demolition of a keen Churchstoke side that can count themsleves lucky to walk away with as much as 4 goals to themsleves. The result was never really in doubt for the men in green following an early blitz, but on another day the clear defnsive frailties could have cost dear.
A near full strength Lake squad was present for the penultimate fixture of what has been a much improved season, if not a little dissapointing in places. Birthday boy Aled Williams was sadly unavailable to turn out, as was Justin Robinson with veteran Simon Williams filling his large boots in the cage. Craig Scott returned to the starting XI after missing the Du fixture and was partnered by captain Lee Richards, with available again Phil Roberts only deemed neccessary for a place on the bench. Gary Richards and sidekick Lee Cheesman were also back in the squad with Richards forming the centre back partnership with Gwynedd Jones, Cheesman could only find a place on the bench along with Jake Warne, Scott Roberts and Rhysainator Roberts.
On a perfect day for football Llanwddyn accepted mother nature' gift with an opening 5 minutes worthy of any action movie. Within 30 seconds of the kick off the Lake had won possession and Tim Gomm fired narrowly wide of the right hand stick after bursting through the rickety Churchstoke defence. This miss was soon put into the back of everybody' mind however as Llion Parry surprisingly found the net from close distance follwing great work from Shaun Clark to initially put Tim Gomm in behind the claret back line to deliver across the 6 yard box. A mere 2 minutes later and the provider had turned goalscorer with Gomm getting onto the end of Craig Scott' quick ball from the edge of his own box to fire home for his 34th of the campaign. Chances continued to flow for the Lakemen with everyone getting in on the act, with one notable chance coming to Lee Richards following a sublime turn in the box to beat 3 'Stoke defenders in one felled swoop with his left footed effort at least working the goalkeeper. Shaun Clark can consider himself to be wasteful in front of goal on this occasion but his dominance down the right signalled the end of the opposition' left back after only 20 minutes, 1-0 Clark indeed. Totally against the run of play however Churchstoke with their first real challenge on the Llanwddyn goal clawed back a goal with their central midfielder powering home after the inital corner ball wasn't cleared sufficiently. Normality was soon restored though with Craig Scott rising highest from a corner to power home into the bottom corner to get his name on the socresheet. Tim Gomm then extended the advantage even further, somehow finding a gap though the keeper to add to his ever growing reputationand to give the Lake a little breathing space. This additional goal was to prove handy as Churchstoke somehow found another goal from somoewhere in a half that they'd barely had a sniff! With half time approaching, chances continued to rain down and selfishness in front of goal seemed to be contaigous on this day. The Churchstoke defence more than made up for his however with some very generous play that gifted another chance to Tim Gomm who saw his effort hit the bar and knocked home by Llion Parry.
HALF TIME
With thoughts of a convincing win starting to swirl in everybody's minds the Lake players seemed to pull their foot off the gas for the 1st 20 minutes with little or no activity taking place at either goalscoring end. The game started to gain some pace with Llanwddyn enjoying the run of the field and looking particularly penetrative all over the pitch. Tim Gomm predicatably was looking lively and creating chances with Shaun Clark giving right back #2 a rough ride. Llion Parry probably should have done better with a header straight from a corner whilst looking for his 3rd after getting a legitmate goal dissallowed in the 1st half. Ben Williams can claim to have had his best game of the season at left back on this day and the midfield partnership of Scott and captain Richards seemed to win the battle of the centre throughout. Llion Parry' last act of the game appeared to put the game out of reach with him claiming his maiden Lake hat-trick after powering in a Shaun Clark ball into the box with his unfavoured right boot. He was replaced by super-sub Jake Warne who was looking for his 3rd consecutive goal coming on as a sub, and indeed he did come very close with a low diving header beating the keeper' hands but not his stomach, saving the ball on the line when it looked for all the world as if it was in. Churchstoke claimed another goal to their tally in the 70th minute but was little more than a consolation as the Lake grabbed their 7th soon after. Jamie Williams who was nearing the end of his game 'rushed' upfield to challenge for yet another corner. Williams who was carrying an injury only just managed to reach the are in time due to his hobble, he somehow managed to find the rebound from a Gwynedd Jones to prod home from close distance for his 1st goal of the season. After a quick jolt of celebration his injury kicked back in as he collapsed on the pitch, unsurprisingly he was subbed and replaced by Rhys Roberts and was joined on the bench by Gary Richards who had picked up a knock and replaced by Phil Roberts. Churchstoke claimed yet another goal late in the day and what may look like insignificant goals now could come back to haunt Wddyn in the goal difference column and is an obvious area that needs to be sorted by the dawning od the season 09/10.
Team: Simon Williams, Jamie Williams (1, Rhys Roberts 80), Gary Richards (Phil Roberts, 74), Gwynedd Jones, Ben Williams, Shaun Clark, Craig Scott (1), Lee Richards (C), Llion Parry (3), Aaron Parker-Bowles, Tim Gom (2)
Battling performance yields no points, but plenty of spirit
Defaid Du 4 - 2 Llanwddyn - League - 14/04/2009
Defaid Du sealed promotion into League 1 last night following a gripping game at the Du Camp that could have gone either way in the final minutes. Llanwddyn can go away feeling slightly dissapointed but can hold their heads up high after a solid performance against arguably the best side in the league.
Craig Scott' well documented blister kept him out of contention for the midweek fixture and he was replaced up front by Aaron Parker-Bowles, who was making an unexpected start up top. More prediactable was his partner, the returning Tim Gomm, as was Shaun Clark who slid right in at right wing, replacing Lee Cheesman who was once again AWOL with Gary Richards. Jake Warne was once again unavailable, as were brothers Roberts, both still away in France.
With rumours of Defaid Du's all conquering total football circulating, it was with much suprise that all there witnessed what can only be described as the long ball strategy being employed for the 1st 20 minutes. It was a tactic however that had many rewards for the Du, with their No.6 in particular finding his striking options over the top with the minimum of fuss throught the game, in what was undoubtedely the man of the match performance. Defaid Du however were wasteful in front of goal and their defensive line was proving to be less than miserly with every attack looking to cause problems if not always clear opportunities. It was Defaid Du however that made the initial breakthrough with their goal-scoring machine No.9 beating Justin Robinson to the ball near the edge of the box and firing home. The Lake however were not ready to give-in just yet and soon Tim Gomm found his name once again on the scoresheet, following good work from the front 4 allowing Gomm to poke home past the opposition keeper. 10 minutes before half time however the Du raced back into the lead, with the goal coming from the usual source, with the No.9 this time finding the bottom left corner.
HALF TIME
With just the single goal deficit, Llanwddyn came into the 2nd half, full of belief that they could turn around the game in their favour and cause what would be a shock result. It was Du however that came out on top, with Llanwddyn finding it hard to keep any sort of possession and to get action man Tim Gomm into the game. It must be said that throughout the half, keeper Justin Robinson did more that his share to keep the game competitive, pulling off save after save to keep the Lake in with a shout. It was Robinson' error however that did let Du grab a big grip on the game, taking down the No.9 under innocuous circumstances. The resulting penatly was initially superbly saved by Robinson, but the ball somehow trickled it's way into, and under the net to spark confusion, but the goal was rightly awarded. With Du fans now starting to relax, a quick shot in their arm was given to them when Shaun Clark in his 2nd consecutive game superbly finished from the right hand side of the area on the half volley to find the bottom corner to bring real life back into the game, with the light now starting to fade. A blow to the Wddyn resurgence was had when a double injury occured. Tim Gomm was the first to fall heavily, following a crunching blow to his right knee, and not soon after, a knee to the back of Llion Parry did little to help the cause, with both players struggling to shake the injuries off. With only minutes left in the game, Defaid Du wrapped up the 3 points with their No.10 bursting down the left channel and firing high into the net, to end an enthralling spectacle for all spectactors present.
FULL TIME
TEAM: Justin Robinson, Rhys Roberts, Jamie Williams, Gwynedd Jones, Ben Williams, Shaun Clark (1), Aled Williams, Lee Richards (C), Llion Parry, Aaron Parker-Bowles, Tim Gomm.
Llanwddyn no obstacle for Welshpool on course for the championship
Welshpool Reserves 7 - 2 Llanwddyn - League - 11/04/2009
Welshpool Res gained a valuable 3 points on their path towards the league 2 title on Saturday against a Llanwddyn side that could only compete for 30 minutes against the dominant Welshpool. Llanwddyn can rue a few opportunities and misjudgments that went against them but were fairly and squarely outplayed on the solid 'Pool surface.
In-form striker Tim Gomm was made unavailable for the trip to Welshpool whilst having a trial down at MK Dons, according to all sources the trial ended in dissapointment and he will return for the Tuesday night fixture. Phil and Scott Roberts were both over in France and enjoying some continental culture for the game at their home town and Shaun Clark was back on the quest for world domination at a gaming event in the Midlands. Lee Cheesman and Gary Richards both returned straight into the starting XI following a spell out of the squad, with Richards leading the line up top with Craig Scott in an unexpected change. Simon Williams was available and eager on the bench.
With a somewhat weakened team and Welshpool really in the hunt for the glory, all concerned knew what a tough match this would be under warm, spring conditions. These thoughts were quickly confirmed as after 8 minutes Welshpool were in the lead following good play through midfield and with strikers flowing through on goal like a knife through butter. The lead was soon doubled with the No.11 rifling an effort into the bottom corner after cutting in smartly from the right. With Welshpool continuing to look dangerous on the attack with the ball moving freely from one side of the pitch to the other, Llanwddyn claimed back a goal, somewhat against the run of play some would claim. After Aled Williams found Llion Parry in the centre cirlce, Parry quickly turned and beat the Res' right back with a show of his trademark pace and got to the byline to deliver in and onto the head of Gary Richards who made no mistake from 6 yards to claim his first goal for quite a while. With thoughts of a revival on the mind with only a goal separating both sides Llanwddyn continued to attack and began to find some joy out of the miserly defence. This attacking impetus however left even larger gaps for Welshpool to exploit and only a couple of minutes later their No.10 doubled his tally for the day with another well worked goal coming straight down the field. After this it was now Llanwddyn' turn to storm up the field and grab a goal back. With Lee Cheesman pressurizing, Welshpool were forced to concede the corner and after only half clearing the inital ball in, Llion Parry fizzed in another ball and onto the head of a raging Ben Williams who had made up the hard yards from left back to get his name on the scoresheet. With the game nearing the 30 minute mark, a disastrous 15 minutes from the Lake' perspective gave Town a comfortable lead going into the break. Gwynedd Jones can feel himself incredibly unlucky to have conceded a penalty on 35 minutes after making a superb last ditch challenge on the No.10 who once again picked himself up to claim his hat-trick. Shortly before the break, their lead was cemented their right back firing in smartly from 20 yards with an effort that gave Robinson in goal little or no chance.
HALF TIME
Throughout the 2nd half, Welshpool continued to look a threat with Llanwddyn offering little and conceding only 2 goals in a half that could have yielded so many more. 1 on-target effort was had throughout the 45 for the Lakemen and that was of no concern to the Welshpool keeper who had an easy day at the office. Note must be made of the cameo appearance from Simon Williams that sparked some real life into the Wddyn play with the veteran leading the line like a 20 year old, with fire in his belly, if not belief that the cavernous deficit could be reversed.
FULL TIME
Team: Justin Robinson, Rhys Roberts, Jamie Williams, Gwynedd Jones, Ben Williams (1), Lee Cheesman (Aaron Parker-Bowles, 70), Lee Richards (C), Aled Williams, Llion Parry, Gary Richards (1, Simon Williams, 81), Craig Scott.
Wddyn made to sweat despite dominance in the dark
Llanwddyn 3 - 2 Llansanffraid Res - League - 07/04/2009
With the days growing ever longer and with Llanwddyn permanently bathed in glorious sunshine, matches into the night are now a reality. Following a quick turnaround from the weekend' victory over Churchstoke, Llansanffraid Res were welcomed to Wddyn Park fielding a much changed squad from previous meeting, with a tangible continental feel to their side. Wddyn hopes were raised pre-match with the news that Llansanffraid 1st team were in action, which nullified the threat of a 1st team influx to try and rescue the reserves.
Ben Williams returned following his absence at the weekend and slotted into left back, allowing Lee Richards to move into central midfield to replace Phil Roberts who betrayed the Lake by going to watch the dirty Mancs at Old Trafford. Father Alwyn Richards made a welcome return to the squad, as did Rhys Roberts who filled in for Aaron Parker-Bowles at right back. Parker-Bowles was unavailable due to work commintments, a much worthier reason that Lee Cheesman could muster with Gary Richards away stuffing his face at a local restaurant.
The unfamiliar looking 'Ffraid squad were hit in the 1st half by an Wddyn onslaught, with near domination in much of the pitch. The defence looked to have learnt from previous outings and were now emplyoing more of a route one strategy, with Craig Scott proving more than adept against the big opposition centre backs and Tim Gomm' pace an ever present threat. Despite the monopoly on possession and terriotory that the Lake had established, it wasn't until the 28th minute that the breakthrough finally came. Follwoing an incisive break down the left, the ball into the box somehow found it's way to the feet of Tim Gomm. With Gomm ready to pull the trigger he found the ball pick-pocketed by Craig Scott who stormed in and finished into the bottom corner to get himself back on the scoresheet following a barren spell. Scott was also involved with the Wddyn 2nd following interplay between both strikers and the central midfield partnership. A perfectly weighted ball from the middle, cut the 'Ffraid defence open to put Shaun Clark in on goal and from 14 yards he made no mistake with a sweet finish into the far bottom corner, leaving the goalie stranded. The pressure continued to mount on the Res. back 4 with Llanwddyn looking hungry to add to their tally. Scott could easily have added to his tally and Gwynedd Jones was involved in a goal-mouth scramble that the 'Ffraid were lucky to escape from. A debateable moment was had when Tim Gomm appeared to be taken out by the opposing keeper out of the referee' eyesight. Some say he went down like a sack of 'spuds'. Gomm was understandably frustrated and came out with some cracking lines to put yet more fire in the Wddyn bellies, althought to little avail before the interval. As the whistle blew, the game lay very much in the Lake' hands with a 2 goal cushion.
HALF TIME
The second half began much in the same vein as the 1st had been played, with Llanwddyn looking to be on the front foot and to race into an unassailable lead. With the game wearing on, big gaps started appearing all over the grpund with Shaun Clark being fed in down the right channel on multiple occasions, but often with dissapointing results. It was down the right however that the crucial 3rd goal arrived. Clark found himself 16 yards out and his effort was cleverly saved by the keeper only for it to rebound into the path of Tim Gomm who incredibly hit the bar from 8 yards! The 2nd rebound off the bar hung in mid air for what seemed like an age and with the whole crowd expecting Llion Parry' standard acrobatic finish they were surprised to see him let the ball drop for Scott who rifled in from close range to grab his brace. Many say that Scott has been in a battle with Father Time all season long, with the grapple being tightly contested at all times, with both sides claiming victories, tonight however, it was Scott that came out on top. After 63 minutes, Ben Williams left the field of play to a standing ovation with Alwyn Richards the man coming on to play on the right wing. Llion Parry dropped to left back with Shaun Clark swapping flanks. Chances coninued to be created from then on, with Alwyn Richards finding himself on the end of a few but with Llansanffraid maybe starting to grab more of a foothold in the game against a tiring Lake side. On 79 minutes, gasps could be heard all around the ground as 'Ffraid grabbed a surprise goal. When 1 of the Llansanffraid immigrants launched a speculative effort on 86 minutes that took a wicked deflection off the heel of Aled Williams and looped over Justin Robinson and into the net, a real sense of deja vu was being had, looking back at the numerous 'Wddyn collpases of this season. But Llansanffraid were unable to make any more inroads into the Llanwddyn defence despite pumping everyone up there and the Lake walked away with all 3 points in almost dark conditions due to the quickly failing light.
FULL TIME
TEAM: Justin Robinson, Rhys Roberts, Gywnedd Jones, Jamie Williams, Ben Williams (Alwyn Richards, 67), Shaun Clark (1), Aled Williams, Lee Richards (C), Llion Parry, Craig Scott (2), Tim Gomm
Rare revival regains position for Lake
Churchstoke 2 - 4 Llanwddyn - League - 04/04/2009
The Lake staged their very own comeback on Saturday in an ironic twist of fate that has so often been their downfall this season. On a hard and unpredicatable Chruchstoke surface, numerous chances for both sides went a begging in a game that could truly have gone either way. Llanwddyn will no doubt be more than happy to have left the ground with all 3 points after a generally poor performance against under-par opposition that did well to cause so many problems in the early stages of the match.
The core of last week' squad remained in place for this fixture with only 2 notable absentees from the side. Ben Williams was unable to make himself available due to work commitments with Gary Richards and Lee Cheesman not making the trip either because they went shopping to Wrexham. Unreliable Richards was replaced by 110% man Aled Williams in the centre of midfield and was partnered by Phil Roberts. Justin Robinson remained in goal behind the back 4 of Parker-Bowles, Williams, Jones and the captain Lee Richards. Llion Parry and Shaun Clark were given the duty of supplying Tim Gomm and Craig Scott up front with some ammunition.
On a glaring day at the bumpy old Churchstoke ground, it was the home side that made all of the early running. Their burly keeper was a source of much trouble for the back 4 with his long, searching clearances causing all sorts of trouble at the back in dealing with the ball. The tall No.6 winger was getting Aaron Parker-Bowles into a massive tangle down the right and it was down their right that much of the early play was to be seen. Before the breakthrough came for the Clarets, they could count themselves unlucky on 2 occasions, missing cracking chances in front of goal through a combination of the side netting and Justin Robinson. The goal finally arrived on 21 minutes, courtesy of another hopeful punt from the defence that was once again not cleared by the men at the back. The ball then fell to the right winger who delivered into the area, and the ensuing header sent Robinson in the wrong direction and he could only get a flailing arm to it as the ball trickled over the line. The goal sort of moved the Lake up a few gears, probably from 1st to 3rd, as a couple of good chances were created. Tim Gomm found himself through with the keeper but could only drag his effort wide on the difficult surface, and some last ditch defending was the only thing between Llion Parry and a surprise goal. Aled Williams will also be dissapointed to blaze over from close range after a rampaging midfield burst. These missed chances were soon to be rued as Churchstoke doubled their adavantage under improbable circumstances. Their right winger seemed to be going nowhere when Lee Richards had him pinned on the bye line, but he somehow managed to turn the captain inside out and fizz an effort into the back of the net despite the close attendance of Justin Robinson, much to the incredibility of the away supporters.
HALF TIME
From the outset of the 2nd Half, Llanwddyn seemed to be the dominant side in all areas of the pitch, playing the ball freely down both wings and through the middle. Many a good move was however scuppered by the clueless Churchstoke linesman who is believed to have read the rule book whilst standing on his head and as a result gave every clear onside as an offside decision, and vice versa. This was not enough however to stop goal hungry and in-form Tim Gomm who recovered well from a heavy blow in the 1st half. Gomm broke through down the right channel and despite his effort not being of a vintage nature, it was good enough to beat the home keeper who could only help the ball into the net. The relief that this goal gave the whole side was tangible and the pressure from then on continued to mount with efforts raining down from every direction, even from left back with Lee Richards attempting 2 speculative 30 yard drives. The equalizer came on 63 minutes after some good work from Craig Scott, with his effort hitting the post and rebounding to Gomm who rifled in from 8 yards and into the roof of the net. The Lake stormed into the lead soon after with Phil Roberts' left footed effort finding the far corner in a shot more based on placement than power. Shaun Clark after this hit the post and Tim Gomm, Craig Scott, Llion Parry and Aled Williams could all be held accountable for missing chances in the dying minutes. With Llanwddyn now looking comfortable at 3-2, the Gaffer, Simon Williams took off Llion Parry and Shaun Clark with Tuesday's crunch match in mind. Jake Warne and Scott Roberts replaced them respectivley. But with only 5 minutes to go, the Lake used up the last of their nine lives with the 'Stoke No.10 finding himself through and lobbing Justin Robinson only for his effort to hit the base of the post and save the Lake 2 precious points. The game was then finished off as a contest with super-sub Jake Warne once again coming on and claiming a goal from close range, again with his right foot!
TEAM : Justin Robinson, Aaron Parher-Bowles, Jamie Williams, Gywnedd Jones, Lee Richards (C), Shaun Clark (Yellow, Scott Roberts, 87), Aled Williams, Phil Roberts (1), Llion Parry (Jake Warne, 82, 1), Craig Scott (Yellow), Tim Gomm (2)
Defensive frailties outdoes attacking guile in a 9 goal thriller
Llanwddyn 4 - 5 Trefonen - League - 28/03/2009
A packed Wddyn Park were treated to a cracking game of football on Saturday, but went away with a bitter taste in their mouths after the Lake come out on the wrong side of the verdict. The ever-improving Trefonen outfit arrived at the Fortress with high hopes of a positive result, but after 45 minutes they must've thought that they'd arrived at the wrong ground following a cracking first 45 for the men in green. For the Lake to leave this game empty handed was unthinkable after 45, but at the full time whistle and following a 2nd half collapse, such ideas were no longer pipe dreams.
Following last weeks total disintegration of the squad, the Lake welcomed back many of those absent from the previous week and thus reverting to the familiar 4-4-2 formation. Justin Robinson was back in goal after a lengthy spell out of the squad and Captain Lee Richards was back following an injury and he slotted in at left back. Gary Richards played for the first time in 5 weeks and was suspectly called into play at centre midfield with Phil Roberts. As a result, Jamie Williams was left to partner Gwynedd Jones at the back, with Aaron Parker-Bowles doing the business at right back. Shaun Clark and Llion Parry took up standard winging duties with Tim Gomm and Craig Scott leading the line. Jake Warne was back from the mountains and could only make the bench as he was still wearing crampons, and was joined by Ben Williams for some reason.
The game opened on a typical Wddyn day with the sun shining and the football moving along at a blistering pace. Trefonen seemed to be stuck in the blocks and their defence looked rickety from the outset, and the Lake pressure on the goal began to mount from an early stage. Despite the Lake probably edging the early play Trefonen still looked to have dangerous outlets, especially in the form of their No.10 who seemed a cut above the rest. But it was the Lake No.9, Tim Gomm, that cut the mustard first on this afternoon by breaking the deadlock on 18 minutes by slotting a characteristic finish into the back of the net. Chances continued to folw the Wddyn way after this, with both wings looking particulary penetrative and Craig Scott a constant aerial threat. It was in the air that a chance for Scott fell courtesy of a Phil Roberts free kick, but he was unable to get enough on it to challenge the keeper and the Trefonen scoresheet live to fight another day. Another day was soon on the horizon as Tim Gomm doubled his afternoon's tally by finishing powerfully in the right side of the goal after Llion Parry found him through a row of red shirts. Chances continued to be created with Shaun Clark finding acres of space down the right wing and delivering some tasty balls that were always just a little off the mark for Llanwddyn to build a large lead. On 35 minutes, the controversy of the afteroon raged after referee Alan Williams awarded a dubious penalty for the away side. Jamie Williams was adjudged to have fouled the Trefonen No.10 just on the edge of the box and television replays remain inconclusive as to whether the penalty was correctly awarded or not. Some argue it was a clear foul, and others claim that the No.10 did his best to win an OSCAR and fell with no one within touching distance of him, we shall never know. All that matters now is that the ensuing penalty was clinically put away into the bottom right corner despite the best efforts of Justin Robinson who managed only to get a hand to it.
HALF TIME
The dreaded 2nd half arrived for the Lake with only a slim 1 goal lead to show for near total dominance of the 1st half. This did little to dampen spirits however and the same desire and energy was there for all to see at the opening of the half with the front 4 continuing to attack at will and run riot on the Trefonen defence. This good attacking work was undone however on 54 minutes as Trefonen drew level after breaking free through midfiled and finding the striker over the top of the defence. A mere 5 minutes later however and the Lake were back in the driving seat, with who else but Tim Gomm this time heading the ball reversley into the bottom corner and out of the keeper' reach. His war cry of "I'm stronger than you" can still be heard echoing around the valley. He was soon to be eating a little humble pie however as Trefonen soon drew level and then raced into the lead, following 2 errors at the back that let the away side grab a firm grip on the game. At 3-3 Llion Parry was replaced by Jake Warne at left midfield and following the fourth Jamie Williams was pulled off to be replaced by Ben Williams. Jamie was no longer to be seen after this, and the only trace of his being was his shirt that was left pitchside. The Lake knowing that they needed a goal began to pour forwar and despite creating chances it was Trefonen who seemingly put the final nail in the coffin, with their No.10 slotting the ball home for a 2 goal cushion with time running out. A mass goal mouth scramble was had up at the Trefonen end and unbelievable the ball was unable to find it's way into the net. With 4 minutes remaining another goal mouth scramble this time resulted in Jake Warne scoring from close range to revive the dying embers of Wddyn hope. With literally 20 sconds remaining, a golden opportunity was given to Jake Warne as a ball was floated in from the right wing. The ball was however on Warne's unfavored right foot and minimal contact alone was made between boot and ball in the final play of the match, with the Lake leaving Wddyn Park empty handed and a little down, following a performance that promised so much.
FULL TIME
TEAM: Justin Robinson, Aaron Parker-Bowles, Jamie Williams (Ben Williams, 70), Gwynedd Jones, Lee Richards (C), Shaun Clark, Phil Roberts, Gary Richards, Llion Parry (Jake Warne, 66, 1), Craig Scott, Tim Gomm (3)
No consolation in the cup for Llanwddyn
Llanwddyn 2 - 6 Llanfechain - Consolation Cup - 21/03/2009
A heavily weakened Lake side succumbed to Llanfechain on Saturday in the 1st round of this years Consolation cup. The delapadated squad that included at least 7 potential first XI players out of action, did little to impress the home faithful on a beautiful spring day that was ideally suited for a game of football. An injury to the evergreen Simon Williams did little to help proceedings and indeed, 3 keepers were called into action during the 90. With 7 league games now remaining, a full and healthy squad are needed more than ever for the final end of season push, as was evident on Saturday.
As was mentioned earlier, at least 7 potential starters were unavailable for the weekend fixture. These included keeper Justin Robinson who was busy purusing a career in television, Captain Lee Richards who is yet to regain fitness following a freak injury 2 weeks ago and Jake Warne who was in exile high up in the French Alps. Midfielders Aled Williams, Phil Roberts and Craig Scott left a massive gap in the middle through their absences, and this was compounded by home-again Scott Hamilton defecting from the Lake in search of greater triumphs at Shrewsbury. Centre back Gary Richards' composure was once again lost from the side, as was Jon Hunter, who has now picked up a ligament injury that could see him ruled out for the duration of this season. Due to this epidemic of players unavailable, a new 3-5-2 formation was called into action for this match. The back 3 consisted of Jamie Williams, Aaron Parker-Bowles and stand in captain Gwynedd Jones with Rhys Roberts and Llion Parry providing the width down both sides. A new look midfield trio of Ben Williams, Shaun Clark and Scott Roberts were given a run for what will surely be the last time, with goal-hungry Tim Gomm this time partnered by Lee Cheesman in attack. Will Clark was welcomed back into the side as a substitute and Simon Williams was once again in charge of goalkeeping duties.
The first 45 opened with the thread-bare Wddyn side struggling to keep any posession and to pose a threat, although the new formation was certainly creating big spaces for the forward players to run into and look for the breakthrough. The feisty Llanfechain side that have now garnered a reputation as a somwhat unsavoury side did little to quash that theory during the opening 45 and their inability to punish what chances they had, did seem to ruffle a few feathers amongst their ranks, and inevitabily a few started to turn up the aggresion and turn on their mouths, if not always their brains. This was only heightened on 23 minutes as Tim Gomm once again steered home a cracking finish into the roof of the net. The midfield battle was won by Ben Williams who then found Lee Cheesman out wide on the right who delivered a low cross for Gomm who hit it on the up and past the keeper who barely saw it. From then on, things went downhill as Llanfechain drew level within 4 minutes after beginning to look dangerous on the attack. A second arrived soon after, following some sloppy defensive play let the 'Fechain straight in and they duly scored what was a fully deserved goal based on the balance of play to that point in the game. The third goal arrived just before half time and it sparked much controversy amongst the faithful. Llanfechain won a free-kick in a reasonably dangerous area of the pitch and floated the ball into the box. Keeper Simon Williams sought to claim the ball on the deck but was clattered from behind with the ball squirming out for the No.10 to poke home from 0.5 yards. Simon Williams was hauled off following a lengthy break in play and was replaced by Scott Roberts in goal with Will Clark coming on to play alongside Tim Gomm up top.
HALF TIME
After a half time dressing down, the 4-4-2 formation was reverted to and the Lake seemed much more solid for it. Without creating any chances of note, the Llanfechian dominance seemed to have been halted. After managing to last the pace of the last 2 games, standard procedure took over for Ben Williams who on 60 minutes had to replace Scott Roberts in goal due to having no subs left. Within 5 minutes, Williams was picking out of his own net after a major mix-up with Gwynedd Jones at the back that let the opposition striker to waltz in and finish for their fourth. The fifth arrived no more than 3 minutes later following another blunder gifted the Llanfechain forward with another goal to add to his collection. Some semblance of honour was re-established on 70 minutes with Tim Gomm taking the ball down from high in the air and hitting it low into the bottom right corner with his second touch in what was the best goal of the game. Llanfechain had more chances with No.6 missing a golden opportunity with his feet and later his head after Jamie Williams cleared off the line. The final goal did arrive late on however following a tidy finish from a cross that was nudged into the left corner of the goal.
FULL TIME
TEAM: Simon Williams (Will Clark ,40), Rhys Roberts, Jamie Williams, Gwynedd Jones (C), Aaron Parker-Bowles, Llion Parry, Shaun Clark, Ben Williams, Scott Roberts, Lee Cheesman, Tim Gomm (2)
8 goals not enough to separate the Colts from the Lake
Waterloo Colts 4 - 4 Llanwddyn - League - 14/03/2009
Llanwddyn were once again unable to hold onto a lead on Saturday, as they let 2 vital points slip in a game that really should have been theirs. Refereeing decisions certainly played their part towards the final outcome, but a battling Waterloo Colts did all they could to cause an upset on a rolling surface at Welshpool. Many key players were missing from the squad, and if the Lake wish to progress further in this league and beyond, a higher level of commitment is surely asked for.
A big welcome back was given to Scott Hamilton on Saturday who returned to the Lake following a brief 4 month loan switch into the Hyundai A-League. Key men Ben Williams and Gary Richrads were both missing from the side for different reasons. Ben in particular must feel aggrieved to have missed out on such a crucial game, after seeing the red half of Manchester get absolutely demolished on their own ground by a resurgent Liverpool side. Back to the JT Hughes Montgomeryshire League 2 now, where Aled Williams was once again unavailable, and was joined on that unfortunate list by Captain Lee Richards that was struck down by a freak ankle injury that arises twice annually, when Waterloo are in action versus the Lake! Scott Roberts was given a start on the right wing, with Shaun Clark only able to play the 2nd 45 due to Morrissons. Lee Cheesman partnered the prolific Tim Gomm in attack, with Jamie Williams accompanying stand in captain Gwynedd Jones at the back. Aaron Parker-Bowles walked straight back into the starting XI following a lengthy lay-off, and Simon Williams was called back into action in the cage, with Justin Robinson another big name casualty from the squad.
Captain for the day Gwynedd Jones got proceedings off to a cracking start, with the Lake winning the toss for a change, and opting to shoot uphill in the first 45 on the notorious Waterloo surface. The early 1pm kick off seemed not to favour Llanwddyn in the early stages with Waterloo looking to run riot in the opening 20 minutes. They dominated posession and territory during this period, without ever really challenging the safe hands of Simon Williams. The Waterloo long throw in particular were causing some real problems with the No.8 looking to win every challenge in the air. Despite this early dominace, it was the Lake who broke the deadlock on 23 minutes following some great counter-attacking football down the left wing. Tim Gomm was released down the left flank following some good play between the Wddyn trio of Gwynedd Jones, Jake Warne and Llion Parry. Gomm then lived up to his repauation and stormed down the wing and delivered a cross into the box that was only parried by the keeper into the path of Lee Cheesman who cooly brought the ball down and slotted it home through the keeper and defender. A mere 2 minutes later and Llanwddyn had a real grip on the game following some intense pressure on the Colts goal. All the running was done down the right flank for this goal and at the 2nd time of asking the ball was delivered into the box with a defnder this time turning it away, but only straight towards the oncoming Phil Roberts who was able to drill his effort home and into the back of the net following a strong run from midfiled and a bit of clever obstruction work from his teammates. As the story has been on so many times this season, some sloppy defnesive work let the opposition back into the game, and this was to be the case once more. A quickly taken Waterloo throw was aimed at the dependable No.8 who turned Jake Warne inside out and fired a majestic right footed effort right into thr corner of the goal, giving the keeper no chance. No complaints can be had about the finish, but to give the oppositions danger man that much space in front of goal was surely asking for trouble. Waterloo found new belief in their play following that goal and despite the Lake continuing to push on, it was Waterloo that drew the game level. Wddyn minds were slow to react to a quickly taken free-kick that was floted into the box and brought down well by the No.9 woh then raced on, only to be heavily floored by Gwynedd Jones. Jones believed he was off because of his position as last man and indeed he set about pulling his shirt off and walking off the pitch...only for a yellow to be brandished by the ref. This however, did little to raise his spirits, and they sunk to an even lower level as the Waterloo punished the error with a well taken penalty into the bottom left corner. Just before half time the right chance fell to the wrong man as Llion Parry was fed in on goal by Tim Gomm via a beautiful defence splitting ball. Parry raced onto the ball and hit a first time effort that was placed perfectly into the corner, only for the oppositions' keeper to pull off a stunning save using the very end of his toes, diving low to his right.
HALF TIME
With the slope and desire in their favour, Llanwddyn came out with all guns blazing for the 2nd half. 5 minutes in and Shaun Clark was brought on to replace Scott Roberts on the right wing and chances began to fall the Wddyn way. Aaron Parker-Bowles was looking determined to push on from right back and Craig Scott remained dominant in the air. The lead was back in Llanwddyn' favour on 55 minutes following some quick thinking. Llanwddyn were awared a thrown-in that was immediately picked up and taken by Llion Parry who found Tim Gomm 1-on-1 with the keeper, and from then on, there was little doubt as to what the conclusion was going to be, with Gomm firing in beneath the keeper. The game was now becoming wide open with the play moving from 1 side to another at a scorching pace. Waterloo found their way back into the match on 63 minutes through another penalty! Phil Roberts turned from hero to villain as he was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, a harsh decision in anyone's book, but a decision that was indicative of the referee' prerogatives on the day. The same penalty taker as earlier stepped up and pushed the rewing button as he put the ball in the same position once more to bring the game level. A few minutes later and Llanwddyn thought that they'd retaken the lead once more, as Craig Scott beat the keeper to a Phil Roberts free-kick to nod home, only for the assistant' flag ot be raised as a result of offside. An incorrect decision, no doubt about it. 5 minutes later however and the Lake did take the lead following another Phil Roberts free-kick form a very similar position. This time, the ball soared above everybody's head, including the keeper and into the back of the net, to complete Roberts' brace. The lead could have doubled soon after with Llion Parry turning his man inside the box and beating the keeper with his curling effort, only for the ball to sail agonisingly over. With the time remaining into single figures now, Llanwddyn once again collapsed. After losing the ball in midfield the Colts surgd down the left flank and into the box where the original effort was saved, but only rebounded into the path of the No.10 who did nothing all day and walked away with a hat-trick. Waterloo spurned a late golden opportunity to take all 3 points but the sub lacked the composure to finish from 4 yards, much to the relief of the men in green.
FULL TIME
A game blighted by poor refereeing decisions ended in a draw that was perhaps generous towards Waterloo Colts, who maybe feel a little lucky to walk away with a point. The January team of the month (?) are now an experienced outift and should contine to progress but the ease at which the Lake were able to penetrate the back 4 will surely become a problem for them if it persists. Llanwddyn will hope to have a near full strength squad for the home fixture next week versus surprise package Churchstoke. The double header of fixtures that are coming up will no doubt prove to be of massive significance and 6 points should see the Lake leadfrog Churchstoke.
TEAM : Simon Williams, Aaron Parker-Bowles, Jamie Williams, Gwynedd Jones (C, Yellow), Jake Warne, Scott Roberts (Shaun Clark, 50), Craig Scott, Phil Roberts (2), Llion Parry, Lee Cheesman (1), Tim Gomm (1).
Trewern fight back as Llanwddyn lose heads in 2nd half
Llanwddyn 3 - 6 Trewern - League - 07/03/2009
Another second half calamity act by the men in green, once again resulted in vital points being lost on Saturday, following a strong first 45. A hard fought first half ended with the Lake gaining the upper hand, thanks in no small part to the deadly finishing of Tim Gomm. The second half however proved to be a different matter, as has been the case all too often this season. Trewern eventually romped home to cement their league topping status.
The arrival of the league leaders to Wddyn Park was once a source of fear for many, but the pre-match mood on Saturday was one of hope and expectation, and a positive result was expected from all concerned. Shaun Clark dampened the spirits somewhat through his exclusion from the starting XI, due to newly found work commitments. Adaptable Phil Roberts replaced Clark on the right wing. Gary Richards however, made a welcome return to the Wddyn mix, partnering the ever present Gwynedd Jones, who has been having a tremendous season so far. Justin Robinson took 90 minutes out of his busy television career to fill the role of man between the sticks, with Jamie Williams and Jake Warne continuing in their respective full back positions. Craig Scott was partnered with Captain Lee Richards in the middle this week, with Llion Parry looking to support the front pairing of Tim Gomm and Ben Williams. Jon Hunter again played the role of honest linesman, with Scott Roberts and Lee Cheesman warming the bench up. Undependable Aled Williams was once again unavailable.
On an awful Wddyn day with the wing billowing in every direction, a shaky start was had throughout the Lake XI, with Trewern looking to put their mark on the game early on. The big No.9 forward proved to be an elusive man to mark, and their midfield seemed to be very composed on the ball at all times. The same however, could not be said for the orange back 4, who started off in a less than convincing fashion, with Gomm and Williams looking to hassle at all times, and finding much joy in the aerial battles, despite the height given away to both centre backs. The breakthrough in the game came on 23 minutes. Tim Gomm found himself through at the keeper following good work, and despite pressure from the bald centre back, Gomm was able to drag his left footed effort into the far corner, past the keeper who did little to try and avert the goal. The tidy finish raised Lake siprits yet further, but these were soon brought back down to earth a mere 2 minutes later, as Trewern got back onto level terms. A sloppy free-kick was given away on the Trewern left and after only half-clearing the inital delivery, the ball found it's way to the ginger centre-back who miraculously only managed to hit the bar, but the rebound once again found it's way to a goal-hungry Trewrn midfielder who made no mistake from 6 yards, to bring the match level. Although unhappy with the goal, the Lake were not disheartened, and with Tim Gomm in the form of his life, it wasn't long until the lead was regained. The 2nd goal was a thing of beauty with Craig Scott winning the initial header and placing it into the path of Ben Williams who then fed Tim Gomm, who once again slotted home with his left boot to give the keeper no chance. The third goal was soon to follow, with Tim Gomm picking up his hat-trick ball after blasting past the keeper into the top corner, once again with his unfavoured left foot, following a good battling drive from the front man which resulted in an appauling error from the bald headed Trewern centre back. With half time beginning to loom and the 3-1 lead looking good, Trewern grabbed themselves a lifeline, as a result of Jamie Williams putting into his own net, much to his own dissapointment. A skidded cross in from the Trewern left resulted in Justin Robinson moving down low to make a brave stop, but he was only able to divert the ball into the path of the oncoming Williams, who could do little to change the fate of the ball hitting the back of the net.
HALF TIME
The second half opened with no changes to the Wddyn XI, but with Trewern making a tactical change to try and grab a result from a game that was proving to be crucial for their title and promotion aspirations. As with the Dyffryn Banw game, one opposition player was to prove to be the difference, and it was the time of the giant No.9 to shine, chipping in with 2 goals and a massive performance for his team. Trewern were soon on level terms, following a period of prolonged pressure in the Wddyn box. With crosses coming in from right and left, the Lake were glad to see the ball out of their area, only for it to come straight back and to the feet of the No.7 who drilled in past Robinson. The fourth was soon to follow, with the rangy Trewern centre back capitalising on Justin Robinson missing a cross he had come for and winning the aerial battle to take them into the lead for the first time on the day. The importance of that goal was to be seen on all the Trewern faces. Llion Parry was brought off on 60 minutes with the game still much in the balance, with Lee Cheesman his replacement moving over to the right wing, with Phil Roberts coming over to fill in down the left. And it was down this left wing, that a calamitous mix-up between Roberts and left back Jake Warne led to the ball finding it's way to the troublesome No.9 who was able to find the bottom corner to really cement their position in the game. The remainder of the game was played predominantly in the Wddyn half, and the Trewern 6th was expected, if not a little harsh on the hard working Lakemen. Jon Hunter was brought on late in the day, with Phil Roberts the 2nd left winger to make way in the 90. Few opportunities were presented to the forward pairing in the second half, with 2 free kicks being the only notable chances, minus Lee Cheesman' deceptive effort from the right wing that landed on the bar.
FULL TIME
Once again, Llanwddyn let 3 points slip following a strong half time position. Surely this is an issue that needs to be looked into in detail, and needs to be resolved as soon as possible to make sure of any progress for this side. Trewern continue to set the pace at the top of the table, yet have failed to impress in both encounters this season, but have walked away from the 2 fixtures with 6 points! Based on the 2nd half performance, the result is an accurate description of the game, but any sort of performance that would have mirrored the first half would surely have brought the 3 points in a totally different direction.
Another tough test beckons this Saturday, with the Lake away at Waterloo Rovers Colts. Their season mirrors our own form this term. Following an atrocious start to the campain, recent form shows the Colts to be in with a shout of European qualification, even if it has all arrived a little too late. The progress is to be seen in both sides, and it shall be interesting to see which way the cookie crumbles this coming Saturday. Hope to see you all there.
TEAM : Justin Robinson, Jamie Williams (OG), Gary Richards, Gwynedd Jones, Jake Warne, Phil Roberts (Jon Junter, 80), Lee Richards (C), Craig Scott, Llion Parry (Lee Cheesman, 62), Ben Williams, Tim Gomm (3)
Kerry push Lake to limit in a tight encounter
Llanwddyn 2 - 1 Kerry Reserves - League - 28/02/2009
Llanwddyn's excellent recent form contiuned on Saturday, against a Kerry side the belied their lowly league position and could easily have gone away from Wddyn Park with a priceless point in their quest to climb up the league table. Despite the fact that Kerry came close to snatching a point, this would have been very harsh on the Lakemen who on the balance of play, fully deserved the 3 points and possibly a greater winning margin.
The Llanwddyn starting XI had many familiar faces missing on Saturday, with 3 obvious absentees coming in the form of Welshpool trio, Captain Lee Richards, Phil Roberts and Aaron Parker-Bowles who all seemed to be working in cahoots. Scott Roberts was the sole survivor of the quartet and took up a position on the bench. Gary Richards was once again unavailable with Lee Cheesman also a casualty from the previous weeks encounter. Tim Gomm was on holiday...in Aberystwyth, and was replaced by Radu Vlad who would be putting on the green shirt for the last time before moving over to the continent in search of European football. Jon Hunter returned to partner Gwynedd Jones at the back with Jamie Williams moving over to right back. Aled Williams also made a timely return to the centre of the park, with Llion Parry and Shaun Clark occupying the wide roles.
On a typically overcast February afternoon, the early play to the match did little to warm the hearts of the Wddyn faithful with Kerry looking to pose problems all over the park and use the pace of the front men in particular, and their 5 man midfield also proved to be a helpful addition to their play throughout the afternoon with the availability of a deep lying central midfielder always looking to be the free man. With half chances starting to fall the Kerry way, Llanwddyn looked to break against them early, with Jake Warne the main exponent of Justin Robinson's vision. It was down the left flank that the first Wddyn chance was created, following a 1-2 between Llion Parry and Ben Williams with Parry unable to hit the target from 23 yards, much to his disgust. From then on, Llanwddyn gained a foothold in the game and continued to push for that elusive breakthrough. Ben Williams' new training regime seemed to be doing wonders for him, and looked more lively than he has done for quite a while, the same could be said for Shaun Clark, who looked dangerous down the right, it was nice for all concerned to see Shaun sober on a Saturday afternoon. It was however from the left wing that the opening goal of the game came, courtesy of a Llion Parry corner that was scored by the departing Radu Vlad who was obviously delighted by his powerful header on an importnat day for himself. Soon after this, Llanwddyn recieved a shot in the arm when a Kerry midfielder unleashed from 30 yards only to be stopped by the woodwork to prevent what would have been a tremendous effort. 5 minutes before the interval, Craig Scott had a chance to double the Lake advantage but could only guide the header agonisingly wide of the left hand upright, following commendable work down the right flank.
HALF TIME
The Lake started the second half in a rampant mood with possession in abundance and with Kerry unable to penetrate the wall that was the Wddyn back 4. Early on the in the 2nd Half, Craig Scott continued his purple patch of goalscoring from the centre of midfield, by pouncing on a flicked header by Radu Vlad that he poked past the keeper to double the advantage for the home side. The goal was one to savour for Scott, with it coming from his foot rather than head, which has now become very much his trademark. Craig Scott 10 minutes later thought he had doubled his own account and added another for Llanwddyn when he once again beat the keeper and seemingly the offside trap with the linesmans flag staying down, only for the referee to correctly award the offside. Praise must be given to the opposing linesman for being so unbiased, as some obviously are these days, but he must be questioned as to how he managed not to flag for that certain offence. A 3 goal cushion would surely have killed the game off as a contest with Kerry remaining to to look toothless, but on 70 minutes and against the run of play, they somehow squeezed one through a defenders legs, past the despairing arms of Justin Robinson, and into the goal, to halve the deficit. For the last 20 minutes the game became scrappy with Llanwddyn beginning to look nervous at the back, and missing crucial chances at the other end that would have hammered in the final nail into the Kerry coffin. On 80 minutes, the whole Wddyn squad and support skipped a couple of heartbeats as the Kerry left winger cut in and appeared to be fouled in the box. The referee said no penalty, much to the incredibility of the Kerry players and also the Llanwddyn XI, who all seemed to think that it should have been awarded. Following this stroke of luck, Kerry continued to push on desperately looking for an equalizer, and into the 93rd minuted, they were awarded a corner which signalled for their keeper to join the attack. The ball was delivered and only half cleared by the Wddyn defence and after the keeper attempted a volley, another corner was awarded. A Kerry centre-back rose and fired the header on target with the keeper Robinson beaten, only for Jamie Williams to rise at the crucial moment to clear the ball off the line in the last action of the match, in a herculean effort.
FULL TIME
TEAM: Justin Robinson, Jamie Williams, Jon Hunter, Gwynedd Jones (C), Jake Warne, Shaun Clark, Aled Williams, Craig Scott (1), Llion Parry, Radu Vlad (1), Ben Williams.
Llanwddyn capitalise on Carno indiscipline
Llanwddyn 4 - 1 Carno Reserves - League - 21/02/2009
Llanwddyn returned to winning ways on Saturday, reversing a half time deficit into a comfortable winning margin. Following a poor showing in the 1st half, the half time break seemed to change the game in Llanwddyn' favour, added to some favourable refereeing decisions and a little help from the oppositions back 4, the Lake leapfrog Carno Res in the league. Much will be made of the 2 red cards awarded to the opposition's players in quick succession, but there can be no doubt that the referee on the day, got all the big decisions correct.
Gary Richards failed a late fitness test hours before the match to rule him out of the game due to an injury sustained the previous week away at Dyffryn Banw Res, with Jamie Williams deputising for the injured Richards at centre back. Phil Roberts and Aled Williams were unavailable and left a void in the centre of the park that was to be filled by Shaun Clark who partnered Craig Scott, who was once again playing in a deeper role. Lee Cheesman was recalled to the starting XI on the right wing, and new boy, Scott Roberts partnered the ever present Tim Gomm up top. Justin Robinson retained his place in goal, despite last weeks performance, with Simon Williams the reserve keeper on the bench. Ben Williams was declared unfit to start the game and dropped to the bench.
On the hottest day of the year so far, Llanwddyn soon found out that Carno Reserves were no pushovers and struggled from the off. The Carno No.9 in particular ran the back 4 ragged for most of the opening 45 and was unlucky to go into the break with only the single goal to his name. His goal came courtesy of some poor defending that saw centre back stalwart Gwynedd Jones attempt a 25yard back pass that came up short of keeper Justin Robinson and instead fell to the Carno frontman who rounded the keeper neatly and found the bottom corner. From there in, neither side was able to create many openings, however Craig Scott forced a clever save from the Carno keeper straight from a dangerous looking free-kick, and Scott Roberts unleashed a snapshot from the edge of the box that did little to worry the Carno faithful in a dour first half from the Lake' point of view. Relief rang around Wddyn Park when the whistle went for half time, as everyone knew that the homeside deserved nothing from the opening 45.
HALF TIME
At half time, a slight reshuffle of the pack was had with Llion Parry moving into the centre of midfield, with Shaun Clark taking over wing duties. After 50 minutes, Ben Williams was brought into the fray to partner Tim Gomm, and as we know by now, those two love to grab a goal. Despite this new impetus, Llanwddyn were unable to brak Carno down for the first 14 minutes of the second half, with the opposition continuing to pose a threat. The real watershed arrived as the Lake created 2 chances within a minute that gave everyone in the side belief that the deficit was not out of reach. Llion Parry's volley from 25 yards after taking it down on his chest gave the keeper something to think about and no less than 40 seconds later, Tim Gomm found himself 1-on-1 but was unable to convert this time. The Wddyn breakthrough came following a quick throw-in from Jake Warne down the left wing, that was returned for him to deliver a peach of a ball onto the greatful head of Craig Scott who beat both keeper and defender to it. A couple of minutes after, and Llanwddyn raced into the lead thanks to Tim Gomm racing onto Lee Richards' sumptuous through ball to drill home his 14the league goal of the season. With confidence now pumping all through the side, Craig Scott went on a mazy run, beating 3 players in the process before winning a free-kick 30 yards out. The award of the free-kick was met in disgust by the opposition's No.4 who decided that thumping the ball at Scott from 3 yards in plain view of the referee would be a good idea. This action was duly rewarded with a red card and the No.4 Carno centre back would be having an early bath. In the bath, he would also be joined by their keeper, who's show of dissent towards the referee earned him a red card also. The keeper was obviously looking forward to the early bath as he took to pulling the lions share of his clothing off before even exiting the field! Added to this were 2 Carno yellow cards, and after the long delay, the Lake came close to another after Lee Richards found goal-hungry Ben Williams from the ensuing free-kick, Williams was however unable to capitalize on the defence that were caught napping. In a game of incredible moments, the most incredible was perhaps saved until 75 minutes when a Carno defender lobbed his own goalkeeper from 30 yards to find the roof of the net, to further compound the disastrous 2nd half for the Carno men. Following this, Tim Gomm had an opportuinty to add to his single goal, and Llion Parry will feel dissapointed not to have got his name on the scoresheet after spurning 2 decent chances. The icing on the cake was added late on as Shaun Clark found the inside of far right hand post to roll in the Llanwddyn 4th. The whistle finally blew as Ben Williams found himself clean through, but it was all of little significance as the Wddyn took the 3 points up to the hotel with them after, following a solid 2nd half performance.
FULL TIME
The win moves Llanwddyn above Carno Res in the league and into 8th position and only 4 points from 4th position side Churchstoke. Struggling Kerry Reserves are the next opponents that the Lake now face in the laeague, and despite their lowly position, no-one will see this game as a fore gone conclusion following the disastrous showing at bottom side Dyffryn Banw Res only 2 weeks ago. A pre-season defeat to Kerry shows their capability, but was in no way a true reflection of this side's capabilities, due to the match being used to run out for the fringe players of the squad. Squad players may however be crucial in this upcoming fixture due to the unavailability of many of the clubs stars. A big performance is called for by all, and if this requirement is met, then, we can all hope of another 3 points.
TEAM: Justin Robinson, Lee Richards (C), Jamie Williams, Gwynedd Jones, Jake Warne, Lee Cheesman, Craig Scott (1), Shaun Clark (1), Llion Parry, Scott Roberts (Ben Williams, 50), Tim Gomm (1)
Banw cause major shock to promotion chasing Llanwddyn
Dyffryn Banw Reserves 6 - 3 Llanwddyn - League - 14/02/2009
Llanwddyn produced a shambolic second half performance and succumbed to defeat at basement side Dyffryn Banw Reserves on Saturday. The result was a shock for the in-form Lakemen who were on a cracking run of form, and was made all the more surprising following 35 minutes of near total dominance in the first half for Llanwddyn, who could feel hard done by to only go in at the break with a 1 goal advantage.
Justin Robinson was back in contention for the Lake after a lengthy spell out of the side and was re-instated immediately into his No.1 shirt with Simon Williams dropping down. Gary Richards came in to replace Jon Hunter at the back with Hunter unable to make the squad, with Richards partnering the ever reliable Gwynedd Jones. Lee Richards and Jake Warne took up their respective full-back positions with Llion Parry and Shaun Clark looking to penetrate down the wings. Ben Williams was paired with Phil Roberts in the middle of the park in what was a new partnership, with Tim Gomm up alongside Craig Scott looking to fire the Lakemen to victory. Lee Cheesman dropped to the bench alongside Scott Roberts, Simon Williams and Jamie Williams.
* A note must be made of Scott Roberts' excellent effort at an overhead kick during the warm-up. Emphasis must be put upon the word 'effort' due to the lack of success that was witnessed in the overhead kick, with zero contact coming between boot and ball.
But it was very funny.*
The game opened on an appauling School Field with the Lake looking dangerous and a lethargic Banw befitting the look of a side who had struggled up until now in the league. Despite this dominance Llanwddyn were unable to penetrate the Banw defence due in part to the condition of the pitch which bobbled and kicked up at every opportunity. However, on 20 minutes, Tim Gomm found himself 20 yards out with only the keeper to beat following good work from Shaun Clark on the right wing. A goalkeeping howler somehow let the ball squeeze into the back of the net and it was 1-0 Lake. Soon after the lead was doubled with the prolific Tim Gomm once again the beneficiary of some good build up play and lackadaisical Banw defending to cement the Lake dominance. In the next 10 frenetic minutes, the Banw keeper was called upon on mny occasions to save the home side's blushes. Llion Parry forced him into 2 saves within a minute, with Craig Scott's effort scraping the right hand post with the keeper getting the credit for the fingertip save. Tim Gomm once again found himself free down the right and fired in a fizzing goal-bound effort that was once again tremendously saved by the oppsoing No.1. From the resulting corner Banw somehow managed to scramble the ball clear following efforts from Shaun Clark, Llion Parry and Phil Roberts, and in the following attack the keeper was once again called into action after Llion Parry managed to turn away from the intrests of a defender and fired a shot in, which was straight at the goalie. With half time looming, Lake indiscipline once again cost them after Gary Richards was adjudged to have brought the Banw target man down in the box. The re-called Justin Robinson once again lived up to the hype, saving the ensuing penalty, but Banw were first to respond and the veteran midfielder fired into the top left corner, to grab an undeserved goal just before the half.
HALF TIME
The second half opened with Llanwddyn now shooting uphill, and indeed, the second half did prove to be a massvie uphill battle. Within 20 minutes of the restart, Llanwddyn somehow found themselves 5-2 down. The Banw equalizer was the result of some very poor defending but the finish from the Banw No.9, was of the highest order in all fairness. 2 of the other 3 goals were headed in from set-pieces, with no-one appearing to be challenging the goal scorers for dominance in the air. The area were the Lake had been so strong in recent weeks had been capitulated in 20 second half minutes against the league's basement side. With time beginning to run out, Llanwddyn were dealt another blow with Ben Williams, Gary Richards and Shaun Clark all having to leave the field, but one of the replacements did send the Lake a lifeline with 20 minutes left. Llion Parry's driven shot from 20 yards was majestically saved once again by the keeper only for the rebound to land at the feet of Lee Cheesman who made no mistakes from the rebound, to bring real life back into the game. The Lake huffed and puffed for the next 15 minutes to try and grab another couple of goals, but poor decision making was the order of the day for many and the dream comeback fialed to materialise despite the best efforts of everyone involved. To rub yet more salf into the gaping Wddyn wound, Banw No.11 broke away for the umpteenth time down the Wddyn right and rounded Justin Robinson to cap off a wonderful afternoon for Banw Res.
FULL TIME
The Lake following this performance can look back and say that it really was a game of two halves. Based on the first half performance and chances created, 4 or 5-0 at the half would have been a fair reflection, but the second half was a totally different story and a reverse of the same scoreline would perhaps be generous on Llanwddyn following the shambolic performance. Certainly, a tougher performance from the back 4 would have made a difference, and sometimes, as was the case today, it's just better to hoof the ball upfield. The the potency up the field through midfield and up top seemed to be lacking that killer tough or the cutting edge also. Big questions need to be asked following this performance, and although it may only be a blip, the complacency shown by many on Saturday has to eradicated, and quickly.
TEAM : Justin Robinson, Lee Richards (C), Gary Richards (Jamie Williams, 60), Gywnedd Jones, Jake Warne, Shaun Clark (Lee Cheesman, 52,1), Phil Roberts (Yellow), Ben Williams (Scott Roberts, 59), Llion Parry, Tim Gomm (2), Craig Scott (Yellow).
Lake hold tight to bring home the 3 points
Berriew Reserves 0 - 2 Llanwddyn - League - 31/01/2009
Simon Williams rolled back the years on Saturday in an inspired performance that guaranteed the Lakemen their fourth consecutive league win in what has been a cracking start to 2009. The stout back 5 yet again provided another clean sheet with the goals continuing to flow at the other end.
A beleagured Lake side travelled to Berriew on the back of a drubbing the previous week to Montgomery with Gary Richards and Ben Williams out of the side. Added to this was the omission of Aled Williams who has shined in previous weeks, due to other sporting commitments. Dependable right back Aaron Parker-Bowles was also unavailable with fellow right back Jamie Williams only strong enough for the bench on his road to recovery. A welcome return was given to long time injured Jake Warne who slotted straight back into his favoured left back position with captain Lee Richards moving over to right back. Jon Hunter, Scott Roberts and Lee Cheesman were called into the starting XI, with Shaun Clark only making the bench.
The game started on the heavy Berriew surface with the opposition looking dangerous down both flanks without creating any chances, and with the pitch taking time to get used to, a sloppy opening was had. On 12 minutes however Tim Gomm found himself clean through with only the keeper to beat, but his shot was rushed when he had more time to compose himself for what was a golden opportunity, on a day of few chances. Returning Jake Warne soon let the faithful know that he was back with a driving run from left back deep into the heart of the Berriew defence. As he was about to pull the trigger many felt he was fouled but the ball somehow found it's way to Scott Roberts who drilled in from 10 yards for his maiden Lake goal. With the game continunig to be bogged down in the middle of the park, a chance was gifted to Llion Parry from 20 yards out whose goal-bound effort took a touch on the way through to inch agonisingly wide. From the ensuing corner a stone wall penalty for handball was dismissed by the referee, who in fairness, did a good job on the day. Berriew towards the end of the half started to pressurize the Llanwddyn goal with Simon Williams pulling off 1 save in particular, down low to his left that was worthy of any occasion.
HALF TIME
After the interval the pattern of play was soon established with Berriew maintaining much of the posession and forcing Simon Williams into a string of saves. The introduction of Shaun Clark for the goalscorer Roberts gave more pace and threat down the right with Lee Cheesman moving over to the left flank with Llion Parry playing the holding role in a 4-5-1 formation with Craig Scott looking to flick the ball through for Tim Gomm using his arial prowess that has come to typify his game.
Berriew continued to press with 2 glaring chances being missed and with the Llanwddyn counter attack beginning to look dangerous. With 20 minutes remaining there was no doubt that this was to be a backs against the wall job and a lot was asked for by the two centre halves, Jon Hunter and Gwynedd Jones who's dominance in the air had a massive impact on the final outcome. Simon Williams continued to hold the Berriew forwrds at bay and into the last 5 minutes victory was assured by a rising Craig Scott who met a Phil Roberts cross that had goal written all over it.
FULL TIME
The victory sees Llanwddyn surpass last years points total but for now, that is all but a distant memory as their impressive mid-season form continues. A 2-0 win against top half opposition with arguably half of the starting XI unavailable shows the fierce competition for places now at the Lake and it's surely getting harder for the gaffer to pick his best XI from week-to-week. Scott Roberts has come into the side and made a big impact up top and with the return of Jake Warne, the already congested squad is yet again tightened. The return to the bench for Jamie Williams shows fitness is returning and Craig Scott continues to find the back of the net. Interesting times lie ahead.
TEAM : Simon Williams, Lee Richards (C), Jon Hunter, Gwynedd Jones, Jake Warne, Lee Cheesman, Craig Scott (1), Phil Roberts, Llion Parry, Tim Gomm, Scott Roberts (1, Shaun Clark, 52)
Montgomery 8 - 1 Llanwddyn - Emrys Morgan Cup Round 4 - 24/01/2009
Llanwddyn were brought back down to earth on Saturday against, what was on the day, a far superior Montgomery side who now look dangerous for the latter stages of the cup following this resounding victory.
The same XI as the previous week was chosen by the Manager who himself retained his goalkeeping spot. Craig Scott was brought back into the squad with Jon Hunter fulfilling the role of linesman.
On a sodden Montgoemry pitch the match started with the home side creating chances but with Llanwddyn looking to break on the counter, making most of their pace up front. However Monty soon stormed into a 3 goal lead following some debatable offside decisions and quality shooting (or was it a cross? I think not). With the pressure continuing to mount on the Lake goal, they somehow grabbed a goal back following a hopeful punt over the top that was chased down by Tim Gomm who was brought down in the box by the oppositions right back. Lee Richards stepped up to take the penalty and sent the keeper the wrong way to claw back the deficit by a goal. This good work was undone however soon after and just before the break with Monty passing the ball at will almost into the goal to lead 4-1 at the interval.
HALF TIME
The 2nd Half marked the Lake' worst second half performance of the season to date and they were lucky to escape with only another 4 conceded, with the bombardment of the goal almost incessant throughout the half. The oppositions 4 goals came within 20 minutes of the restart and with the game from then on a formality, the fight was lost from the Lake defence and midfield who seemed to stop running, although praise must be heaped upon Aled Williams who was tireless all game and had a couple of chances to get his name in the County.
FULL TIME
A Dominant Montgomery performance was however disrupted and spoiled by the actions of many of the Montgomery home support, who for 90 minutes managed to direct insults and hurl abuse at whoever was nearest to them. Many were left dissapointed by this, and would hope to see an improvement by the next time the sides meet.
TEAM : Simon Williams, Aaron Parker-Bowles ( Craig Scott, 50), Gary Richards, Gwynedd Jones, Lee Richards (1, Lee Cheesman, 31), Shaun Clark, Phil Roberts, Aled Williams, Llion Parry, Tim Gomm, Ben Williams (Scott Roberts, 72)
Llanfechain 0 - 2 Llanwddyn - League - 17/01/2009
The first match of 2009 kept the momentum up for a confident Lake side who's success in recent weeks must be accreditted to miserly defending for the solid back 5. With only 4 goals now conceded in the last 4 games, some can only look back in disbelief at last seaons goal difference. The win was a big one for Llanwddyn who looked dominant throughout against top 5 opposition.
Llanwddyn started the game with The Cat, Justin Robinson once again not in contention, as was Jamie Williams follwing an incident the night before with his position being filled by Aaron Parker-Bowles. Craig Scott missed his first game in a while to be replaced by Aled Williams in the middle of the park. Simon Williams retained his place in goal, looking for another solid performance behind the pairing of Gwynedd Jones and Gary Richards to bring home the dream team points. The news that Jake Warne is soon to be back in contention for a starting place once again raises the question of team selection.
A frantic opening was given to the match with sloppy passes and a midfield dogfight being the status quo. After only 10 minutes Gary Richards was in the book after being adjudged to be pulling the shirt of the oppositions striker. A debatable decision let's say, made even more so given some of the unpunished challenges that were to fly in later. After the scrappy opening Llanwddyn started to stamp their authority on the match with Shaun Clark on the right wing always available and willing, and Ben Williams and Tim Gomm linking up well with eachother. The game saw the re-introduction of Aled Williams into the fold after a lengthy spell out of the side and after 25 minutes he fed Llion Parry who's snapshot was cleverly saved by the goalkeeper diving low to his left. Soon after Tim Gomm found himself 1-on-1 but was unable to convert following some heavy pressure by the opposition's defence. The opportunities kept flowing after this, yet the Lakemen were still unable to convert their dominance, with the front 6 playing lovely football. On 35 minutes however and following a ferverent penalty claim for handball the breakthrough finally came from the resulting corner with Llion Parry slotting home at the back post follwing some cheeky work from Gary Richards. A few openings were had at either end just before the half with Simon Williams relishing his return of the past months to the goalkeeping fray to keep the Fechain out.
HALF TIME
The 2nd Half opened with the dream start for Llanwddyn with the prolific Tim Gomm weaving his way through 2 defenders and finding the back of the net from an acute angle to double the lead. Minutes later Llion Parry had a chance to add to add to his tally only for the keeper to pull off another cracking save once again diving low to his left. Follwoing this, chances were few and far between with one notable being Shaun Clark' attempted 20 yard drive finishing nearer to the corner flag than the goal, much to the amusment of the fans. Late on, Llanfechain began to throw the kitchen sink at the goal but all to no avail with the back 5 remaining solid and staunch for the 90 to celebrate a good victory for the promising Lake side.
FULL TIME
Montgomery now beckon in the Emrys Morgan 4th round next week in what promises to be a tough match against quality opposition, and it will surely prove to be an effective gauge of how far the club has come in 12 months following last years embarressment at their hands.
TEAM: Simon Williams, Aaron Parker-Bowles, Gary Richards, Gwynedd Jones, Lee Richards (C), Shaun Clark, Phil Roberts (Scott Roberts, 85), Aled Williams, Llion Parry (1, Lee Cheesman, 65), Ben Williams (Jon Hunter, 75), Tim Gomm (1)
Trefonnen 2 - 4 Llanwddyn - League - 27/12/2008
Llanwddyn's last game of the calendar year capped off a tremendous December for the club in a year that has seen the Lake steadily improve into a side now capable of competing against any side on their day. Much will be made of the fighting spirit shown by the boys on Saturday following a disastrous first half performance that saw them trailing 2-0 at the interval.
The first half opened with neither side showing much bite in their game but with Llanwddyn dominating territory with Trefonnen looking to break when possible. Llion Parry flashed a volley just over the bar early on from a corner with the front pairing of Tim Gomm and Benjamin John looking lively but struggling with the sheer size of the oppositions 2 big centre backs. Tim Gomm though soon found himself 1-on-1 with the keeper, but as he was about to pull the trigger the Trefonnen school pitch came into play with the ball taking a horrendous bobble to see his effort go wide. Ben Williams also broke through only to see his effort smothered by the opposing keeper when really it would have been a better option to pass. Against the run on play, Trefonnen soon broke into a 2-0 lead, the first coming courtesy of a far post header following a dangerous cross from the right and the 2nd taking a massive deflection and spinning in off the post despite captain Lee Richards' best attempts.
HALF TIME
Gaining inspiration from Phil Brown' antics the day before after seeing his Hull side go into the interval 4-0 down the same treatment was given to the Lake players who found themselves only trailing by 2 goals and the effect of this was soon to be seen with the Lake immediately stamping their authority on the 2nd half. Tim Gomm was soon felled inside the area to gain a penalty that was dispatched by the clinical Lee Richards. A mere 4 minutes later Llanwddyn were back on level terms following a quickly taken free-kick by Llion Parry that was then flicked on by Tim Gomm into the path of Craig Scott who buried the header, giving the keeper no chance. With the adrenalin pumping Trefonnen soon lost their heads with a series of rash challenges going un-punished by the leniant ref much to the dismay of the thousands in attendance. Llanwddyn however capitalised on this scoring from a Tim Gomm cross that eventually found it's way into the box on the 2nd time of asking that was powered in from 6yards by the lively Craig Scott. With the game still in the balance the Lakemen were given a lifeline through Simon Williams who reputedly managed to keep the ball out of the net with his heel following a bobbling effort from the hosts. With 15 minutes remaining, the game was killed off as a contest with a Treofnnen defender putting into his own net following a cross from a left. Following this, the late Trefonnen challenges continued to pour in with Llion Parry, Lee Cheesman, Craig Scott and Tim Gomm all getting caught late without the ball, with only 1 yellow being brandished in retribution. The game soon came to an end however with Llanwddyn delighted with another 3 points to cement their 100% record in December.
FULL TIME
And so we now look forward to 2009. A year of opportunity for many and a year that will hopefully see the club go from strength to strength. A true test of the players at the Lake will come on Saturday in the form of League 1 promotion contenders Montgomery in the Emrys Morgan Cup.
TEAM : Simon Williams, Jamie Williams, Gary Richards, Gwynedd Jones, Lee Richards (C, 1 Pen), Shaun Clark, Aaron Parker-Bowles, Craig Scott (2), Llion Parry, Tim Gomm, Ben Williams (Lee Chsseman, 65)
Llanfair Reserves 0 - 3 Llanwddyn - League - 20/12/2008
Christmas came early for Llanwddyn on Saturday, bagging 3 vital points away at Llanfair Res on a soggy Mount Field. They will now go in the festive period full of confidence following a Scrooge-like defensive performance with a bit of bite coming from the front men.
The Lake welcomed Ben Williams back into the starting XI for the first time, in a long time, which was to prove invaluable with the expulsion of Tim Gomm, due to holidaying reasons. The game opened in a lively but scrappy manner with no chances of real note falling to either side but with the Lakemen dominating the midfield battle. The first real talking point of the game arrived after 30 minutes with Llanfair's left back, who found himself deep into opposition territory seemingly lashing out and kicking at the tempremental Gary Richards, an offence that deserved red but only recieved a yellow, much to the bewilderment of both sides. Only minutes later with the previous incident still fresh in the minds, Jamie Williams also saw yellow for a late and dangerous challenge. On the stroke of half time, Wddyn were awarded a soft free-kick on the edge of the Llanfair area, with responsibilities given to the inconsistent free-kick man, Phil Roberts. This time however, Roberts did not dissapoint the hoards of Lake fans with a screaming effort that found the roof of the net.
HALF TIME - NO LUCOZADE'S GIVEN BY CRAIG SCOTT
The 2nd 45 started in much the same fashion as the first with scrappy play from both sides resulting in a lack of chances, but as the half wore on Llanwddyn started to once again dominate and eventually they were camped in the Llanfair half for long periods at a time. The pressure finally paid off a third of the way through the half with Craig Scott leaping majestically to power a header into the bottom corner in what was a classy finish. What followed straight after will certainly follow that goal into the Lake history books with the goalscorer Scott bursting into celebration on the floor in what can only be called 'The Salmon Dance' - quite horrific scenes on the Mount Field. 10 Minutes later the game was over as a contest with the goal hungry centre back Gwynedd Jones creeping in at the back post to prod home the free-kick that was whipped in from the half way line. From then on, the opposition seemed to lack any hunger for the game and were happy to keep the ball moving in their own half, although Simon Williams was forced into a clever save late on in the day.
FULL TIME
The Lake will go away from this result happy with their dominant performance, in the kind of game that has seen them come un-stuck on so many occasions this season. Merry Christmas from Llion Parry to one and all.
TEAM : Simon Williams, Jamie Williams (Yellow), Gary Richards, Gwynedd Jones (1), Lee Richards (C), Shaun Clark (Lee Cheesman, 70), Aled Williams (Jon Hunter, 75), Phil Roberts (1), Llion Parry, Craig Scott (1), Benjamin John Williams (Aaron Parker-Bowles, 75)
FC Phoenix 2 - 4 Llanwddyn FC - Emrys Morgan Cup, 3rd Round 06/12/2008
Llanwddyn's Emrys Morgan cup dream stayed alive following a 4-2 victory over Aberystwyths tax dodgers on a soggy surface down by the seaside. The game was initially delayed due to the referee's lack of timing but this wasn't enough to deter the Wddyn from what was to be their day.
The game started with the Lake fielding a weakened team with 7 potential first teamers out of action for various reasons, but the men that stepped into the breach did more than cover themselves in glory and soon went into an early lead through a Lee Richards free kick that somehow found it's way into the back of the net from 40 yards. Gary Richards claimed the goal for himself, although this fell on deaf ears. The Students however fought back into the game by drawing level with a clever lob beating the vetran, Simon Williams who was once again in the cage, despite his earlier claims that he would never play again - quite to the contrary, he even had new boots! But just before half time the Lakemen restored their advantage through the prolific Tim Gomm, finishing cleverly from an acute angle into the bottom corner. Tim Gomm was joined up top for the first time this season by Chris Jones, who was bringing back memories of his cup heroics from last season.
HALF TIME
The second half opened with the Lake extending it's advantage, once again through Tim Gomm finishing into the bottom corner to give Llanwddyn a little breathing space. This was to be of much use when the Phoenix pulled another back with a smart finish past the desparing Gaffer. Indiscipline was slowly creeping into the game with yellow cards flying in left, right and centre with Gary Richards, obviously announcing his return back into the side with one of four yellows. Another introduction was made soon after the 5th goal of the game with Chris Jones being replaced by sick note himself Benjamin John Williams who had been out for over 2months following an ankle operation. Many are glad to see him back in the mix. The Lake polished off the game soon after with Shaun Clark capitalising on some indecision within the Phoenix back line following Scott Roberts' vicious cross in from the right.
FULL TIME
Team : Simon Williams, Phil Roberts (Yellow), Jamie Williams, Gwynedd Jones, Lee Richards (1,C), Scott Roberts, Craig Scott (Yellow), Gary Richards (Yellow), Shaun Clark (1,Yellow), Chris Jones (Ben Williams,60), Tim Gomm (2)
Llanidloes Reserves 2 - 0 Llanwddyn - League 29/11/2008
Llanwddyn's poor form of late continued down south at a frosty Llanidloes where they were once again unable to capitalise on the majority of play and even Craig Scott's half time Lucozade' weren't enough to stop the rot following the long trip.
The game opened with Llanwddyn again losing to toss and coming under some heavy early pressure whilst still creating the odd chance on the break. Scott Roberts was making his first full appearance for the club and was making an impression on the oppositions defence, burning down the right wing with regularity and looking dangerous. Llanidloes made the breakthrough midway through the first half under fortuotous circumstances with the goalscorer lobbing The Cat, Justin Robinson with the ball rolling off his shin, up and in after being given a chance to release an effort that really shouldn't have been granted to him. Lake looked detirmined to bounce back with Craig Scott somehow not getting a clean contact on a free kick from the right and Phil Roberts once again wasteful with a free kick from outside the box.
HALF TIME - Lucozade
The frozen and misty Llanidloes pitch was lit up in the second half by the introduction of...the floodlights, in what was an otherwise lively but error strewn second half. It started with Lee Cheeseman unleashing a thunderbolt from his right boot following clever interplay down the left that brought a cracking save from the keeper that fell to Scott Roberts at a tight angle to knock the ball into an open goal, that agonisingly hit the side netting for the rookie. Following that, Llani raced into a 2-0 lead following another over the top ball that was picked up and slotted home past the desparing fingertips of Justin Robinson. With time running out the Lake pulled one back through Tim Gomm only for it to be incorrectly dissallowed for offisde, and was to be the final nail in the coffin for the Lakemen who trudged home wondering where it all went wrong.
FULL TIME
Next week see's the Lake challenge the might of FC Phoenix in the Emrys Morgan cup where much is anticipated, none less so than the re-introduction of Ben Williams and Gary Richards into what is now a very competitive Llanwddyn side.
Team : Justin Robinson, Aaron Parker-Bowles, Jamie Williams, Gwynedd Jones, Lee Richards (C), Lee Cheesman, Phil Roberts, Craig Scott, Llion Parry, Scott Robeets (Chris Jones,85), Tim Gomm
Llanwddyn 4 - 6 Waterloo Reserves (AET) - League Cup 22/11/2008
A depleted Llanwddyn gave League 1 Waterloo Reserves more than a fright on Saturday after losing out in the dying stages of an enthralling game held under difficult conditions at Wddyn Park.
The game started lively with Waterloo dominating early on with pressure from both wings and the middle, although they were unable to capitalise on this and soon The Lake were ahead with the Prodigal Son, Craig Scott claiming his first goal for the club since his mid-season return from League 2 strugglers Llansantffraid Reserves, heading in from a beautifully weighted Aaron Parker-Bowles free kick. The Lakemen continued to look dangerous with Llion Parry coming 'close' following a run from his own half and Tim Gomm lively as ever up top. Despite this, Waterloo were soon back on even terms following a highly controversial goal, given, despite the linesman's flag being raised. Llanwddyn soon got back down to work, battling hard in every part of the pitch in a dogged display that was rewarded just before the half with a penalty given for an infrigement against Aled Williams that was cooly slotted away by Craig Scott, who was adapting to his new central midfield role.
HALF TIME
Llanwddyn started exactly where they had left off in the 2nd half with Tim Gomm extending the lead to 3-1 following a questionable handball decision. The 2nd half reflected in many ways the season so far for the Lake, after leading 3-1 they soon found themselves in a deep hole, 4-3 down following some poor decision making and good play by the opposition on what can only be called 'heavy underfoot conditions'. With the clock ticking down, Scott Roberts came on for his Llanwdyn debut, replacing 'Dad' Alwyn Richards who put in a cracking shift on the right wing. The equalizer soon followed with Tim Gomm this time turning provider onto the grateful head of Radu Vlad who expertly finished with a strong header into the corner of the net. The game stayed this way for the duration following some half chances being stifled by the keeper Simon Williams
FULL TIME / EXTRA TIME
Extra time began with both sides looking fatigued yet determined to come out on top, but it was to be the same old story for the Lake, coming out on the wrong side of a 6-4 verdict. Who knows what could have happened if the full side had been out but the 12 that played can certainly hold their heads held up high following a gritty and hard fought performance by all concerned. Heads are still being raised at how one un-named Waterloo player was not sent from the field of play following an 'assault' on captain Gwynedd Jones. How a yellow was a worthy reprimand for such actions is still unknown.
Team : Simon Williams, Aaron Parker-Bowles, Jamie Williams, Gwynedd Jones (C), Llion Parry, Alwyn Richards (Scott Roberts, 70), Craig Scott (2,Yellow), Aled Williams, Phil Roberts, Radu Vlad (1), Tim Gomm (1)
Expectations are now high down at the Fortress for the same kind of attitude and performance on Saturday versus a Llanidloes Res team that look more than ready for the taking.
Llanwddyn 1 - Welshpool Res 4 - League - 08/11/2008
Llanwddyn once again failed to make an impact in the league, succumbing to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of league leaders Welshpool Reserves, on a difficult Wddyn Park surface.
A boost was given to the Lakemen shortly before kick-off with the news that Gary Richards was allowed to play despite his impending suspension following on from his red card from the Trewern game. The game started with chances falling to both sides but with none of them being converted until Welshpool soon raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of some quality finishing from their strike force. The Lake heads seemed to drop for a while until just before half time they were given a lifeline back into the game following Llion Parry re-diverting Phil Robert's free kick onto the head of Gary Richards for his 1st goal for the club.
HALF TIME
Following on from the boost that the goal had given them just before half time, the Lake pushed on hard in the early stages of the 2nd half with efforts coming in from all over the park, with Llion Parry blazing one over, Tim Gomm coming close and Phil Roberts as always attempting the long range effort, much to the delight of the capacity crowd adorning Wddyn Park. But the pressure failed to materialize and soon Welshpool mounted a counter attack to devastating effect with the lead growing to 3-1 and soon to 4-1. Many felt the game was lost but Llanwddyn continued to play, with Jamie Williams pushing on from right back with a fierce drive that the keeper tipped over the bar. Lee Cheesman was brought on to liven things up in a cameo appearance but even the Cheese couldn't penetrate the tough Welshpool defence that had been bolstered by the inclusion of a few 1st teamers. In the end, the result reflected the match and league table in many ways and I'm sure the Lake will have better days.
FULL TIME
Team : Justin Robinson (Yellow), Jamie Williams, Gary Richards (1), Gwynedd Jones, Jake Warne, Aaron Parker-Bowles (Lee Cheesman, 74), Lee Richards, Phil Roberts, Llion Parry, Tim Gomm, Craig Scott
Trewern 4 - Llanwddyn 3 - League - 01/11/2008
The day following Halloween turned out to be a nightmare for the Lake up at the School Field, letting a clear 2 goal lead slip in the 2nd Half, following the best 1st Half performance from the Lakemen this season.
The game erupted early on with Phil Roberts slotting home after all of 12 seconds follwing good interception work from Tim Gomm straight from the kick off. Less than a minute later Llion Parry came close hitting a snapshot looping just over the bar. The game found some sort of rhythm following the frantic couple of minutes with Trewern troubling the Lake defence with their vicious set pieces, although not living up to their 2nd in the league billing. Despite this they did draw level, predictably from a set piece that Llanwddyn were unable to clear. This seemed to glavanize Llanwddyn and they went into the half time break 3-1 up, punishing the languid Trewern defence with Tim Gomm's electric pace and Craig Scott's aerial ability knocking on twice from Jake Warne's long distance punts downfield.
HALF TIME
The 2nd Half was played with the Lake now attacking up hill on the notoriously steep Trewern School Field and this seemed to take the bite out of their attacks with the fluidity of the 1st half rarely being repeated, although chances were created, but not punished. Punishment was to be the tale of this half for the Lake with Trewern pulling a goal back with a fabulous lobbed finish that left Justin Robinson stranded. His mood worsened soon after following another goal for the opposition that made it's way through the Lake' wall and into the corner of the goal. On 80 minutes the unbelieveable happened as Trewern scored again to eradicte the half time disadvantge into a decisive winning margin. This, coupled with the referee's apparent inability to spot any infringments was enough to throw Gary Richards over the edge as he walked off and recieved a red for dissent at the referee's decision. In the dying stages, captain Lee Richards came close with a long distance effort and the strike force continuing to harry and hustle, although to no avail this time.
Trewern moved to the top of the table with this result and Llanwddyn remain languishing in 11th place, although much better is expected if performances like this are put in every week.
Team : Justin Robinson, Jamie Williams, Gary Richards (RED), Gwynedd Jones, Jake Warne, Phil Roberts(1), Aled Williams, Lee Richards, Llion Parry (Lee Cheesman, 80), Tim Gomm(2), Craig Scott (Aaron Parker-Bowles-80)
