New Brighton Villa 2-2 Coedpoeth United

Following last weekend’s first win of the season, we welcomed Coedpoeth United to the Estadio de Mark Lopez looking to get points on the board in the WNL Division One. Relegated from the Premier Division last season, our visitors have made a mixed start to the season and like ourselves are a young, local side. Team news saw Jordan Dorrington deputise in goal for the unavailable Rhys Peers. Braden Lavin and Sam Moffatt replaced Mike Price and Jack Leonard-Gill who were also away this weekend. Nathan Griffith, back from suspension, joined George Jones and fit again Liam Davies on the bench.

On a wet day at the Estadio we looked to make a good start in ideal footballing conditions. Early on it was clear it was going to be an end-to-end encounter. 5 minutes in and Max Quinn had our first chance but headed narrowly wide from an excellent Ste Orsler delivery. Coedpoeth went up the other end moments later but fired over. In a frantic few minutes, Kallum Pierce robbed possession from the full back and was denied well by the goalkeeper before another Coedpoeth counter-attack was wasted with a shot going wide of the mark. After that 10 minute spell the game settled down with the visitors having the better of proceedings, being quicker to react to the second ball and moving the ball quickly out wide. James Beck was then denied by the goalkeeper after some excellent work from Matthew Robinson. Our indifferent start saw us punished on 30 minutes. Slow to react to the Coedy throw-in saw the midfielder with time and space to play a ball over the top under no pressure at all. As JD came to claim the ball along the ground the ball slipped out of his hands on the soaking wet surface allowing an easy tap in to put the visitors 0-1 up. This gave us a wake up call as we were no where near good enough in that opening half an hour. First Pierce tested the goalkeeper who made a good one-on-one save after being supplied by Beck from the left hand side. The keeper was in fine form an produced a superb acrobatic stop to deny Paul Rambaldi’s effort before he saved from Pierce again at the near post. Eventually we did get our equaliser as Sam Wainwright played a short corner to Beck. This created the space for Wainwright who cut in from the edge of the box to drive a low shot past the goalkeeper with the aid of a divert in the box allowing the ball to skip up off the turf. We went in to half time all square at 1-1, however we could have gone in ahead had Rambo’s close range effort found the back of the net from Orsler’s cross after the best move of the match.

George Jones replaced Moffatt at half time to screen the back four and add a bit of stability as we looked a little open on the counter. Despite a better start to the half JD was called in to action and made a good stop on 50 minutes. Unfortunately he could do nothing about the effort which saw the visitors go 1-2 in front as the long ball down the left saw the quick winger drive in to the box and fire in to the far corner. In response Wainwright went close but his 25 yard effort went just wide of the post. Liam Davies replaced Rambo and within 60 seconds proved to be super sub as he won a penalty after the referee adjudged him to have been tripped in the box as he was about to pull the trigger. Davies picked himself and fired past the keeper in to the corner to draw us level at 2-2. Shortly afterwards substitute Jones had to be replaced himself due to injury as Griffith replaced him. Towards the end of the game it could have been anyone’s game although despite Coedy threatening on the counter, JD didn’t have to make a save. Davies almost got his second but a superb ball in from Pierce just evaded his head a few yards out. A neat one-two between Beck and captain Orsler saw the skipper denied by a great save with minutes to spare. Wainwright almost had the last word but couldn’t hit the target from a superb Robbo cross from the right.

Honours even and a fair result upon reflection of the game. We weren’t at it in the first half and unfortunately you can’t play well for half a game and expect to take all three points against a good side. We had chances but couldn’t take them. Credit to JD who performed admirably in goal deputising for Rhys. It takes a lot of bottle to put the gloves on but even in poor conditions he played well. We travel to Plas Madoc next weekend in the FAW Welsh Trophy Round Two as they look to avenge the result a fortnight prior.

MOTM: Sam Wainwright - got his first of the season and tried to make things happen in the second half. Unlucky not to have won the game near the end.