This, on paper, was a game which Port should have won at a canter but in reality a much changed and much improved Llanelli will feel that they could quite easily have claimed all three points. On this showing those who have already sent Llanelli packing back to the Motaquote Welsh League will need to reconsider.
Llanelli made a spirited start and after only three minutes McGuigan had to be quick off his line to cut out a useful Craig Williams cross. Port responded when a Mike Foster break on the left resulted in an accurate cross only for Mark Williams to put his header wide of the target. Then the home side put themselves ahead in the tenth minute when Craig Williams beat Tony Williams to a low ball played in from the right and from the edge of the box curled a fine shot into McGuigan's top right hand corner.
There followed a period of stalemate as Port struggled to get the coach journey out of their legs and try to establish a platform. They struggled to get any real pattern into their play and get their usual passing game going. The play lacked movement and width and consequently the ball was airborne far too often. Then as if to prove the point just after the half-hour mark following a good build-up Mark Williams played a clever ball to free Ritchie Owen wide on the left and Gareth Caughter got his name on the scoresheet again in his second game up front, when he turned well to steer the cross past Gareth Williams in the home goal. Play was fairly even for the remainder of the half Shephard shot over from 25 yards for the home side and at the other end Gareth Parry burst into space in the middle of the field but Williams dealt with his 25 yard shot.
Port applied the early pressure in the second period and in the first minute Mark Williams just failed to take advantage of a Dafydd Evans cross to the near post. Within minutes the same pair almost produced a goal but this time Mark Williams steered his shot narrowly wide. Though Port pushed forward in search of the winner they were not able to exert control in midfield and this was in no small measure the result of an outstanding performance by Neil Thomas - ironically from Dyffryn Nantlle - for home side, who on the day controlled things in midfield and always found the space to play some really telling passes.
As Port pushed forward they were caught out after 74 minutes when Shephard played the ball into space behind the defence for Craig Williams to run on to but he had the misfortune to see his shot scrape the top of the bar.Twice again, in the last five minutes, Llanelli got in behind the visitors defence and probably should have scored. First it was Shephard whose shot went narrowly the wrong side of the post and then Cheesman set up Shephard again but the forward was again off target. At the other end Gareth Parry had a header saved while Ritchie Owen tested the keeper, who had strayed off his line, but then Williams retreated to catch the 25 yard lob under his bar.
Port will on reflection consider that this was a point gained on an afternoon when most fifty fifty decisions went against them, a legitimate penalty appeal for hand ball was ignored and Gareth Parry was yellow carded for kicking the ball away when he clearly thought it was still in play.
Report by Gareth Williams
