Firsts Surrender 2 Goal Lead Against Tiger Bay

The First team welcomed Tiger Bay to a very blustery Pontcanna Playing Fields for their penultimate home League game of the season, and looking to reverse the history of the recent meetings between the two sides, which has seen the Bay win the last 6 games.

On a very difficult surface to play football, it was the visitors who were getting the rub of the green with the breaks and bounce of the ball, in the early exchanges.

However on 21 minutes, the Cons forward pair of Dyan Waddington and Max Stevens combined well on the right hand side, with Stevens being able to cross the ball into the penalty area. The Tiger Bay defender fluffed his lines in trying to clear the ball and it continued through to Cons Player/Manager Rickie Jones who was able to fire strongly home high into the net to score his ninth goal of the season.

Three minutes later the lead was doubled when a Bay defensive clearance rebounded off a player wide on the left and Waddington was able to run onto the ball and advance towards the penalty area before lobbing the oncoming goal keeper and seeing the ball bounce into the empty goal, to give his side a 2-0 lead at half time.

The visitors were becoming increasingly rattled and on 50 minutes they were reduced to 10 men when a player, who had been booked in the first half, received a second yellow card for a rash aerial challenge against Cons midfielder, Craig Parker.

On the hour the Cons lead was reduced when a corner from the right was headed home.

Despite having the extra man, the Cons were unable to create any meaningful pressure and if anything, it was Tiger Bay who were having the better of the game, and refereeing decisions.

On 75 minutes the ball was fed through to a Bay striker, who was facing his own goal about 25 yards out, with Gareth Lloyd tightly marking him. The striker fell to the floor with no apparent contact from Lloyd, but the referee gave the free kick which was converted by the player to bring the scores level.

The last quarter saw the Cons apply some pressure on the Bay defence but they were unable to convert a number of half chances, and the game ended in a draw, giving the Cons their first point against Tiger Bay since February 2022.