CP Llanandras put in a spirited showing in their Mid Wales League (South) home match against league leaders Rhosgoch Rangers but ultimately slipped to a 2-1 defeat at the John Beddoes School field.
A goal down inside three minutes there were concerns among those watching that Rhosgoch could be looking to run up a cricket score, and the home side were indebted to goalkeeper Maurice Murphy who made a number of fine first-half saves.
CP raised their game after the break and had double claims for a penalty waved away by referee Dave Bywater – the first, for handball, was one of those that are sometimes given and sometimes not – the second for a blatant foul should have resulted in the home side being awarded a penalty.
Rhosgoch were still playing the bulk of the football inside the CP Llanandras half of the field but solid defending from the home team kept them out until around 70 minutes when the league leaders doubled their lead after Maurice Murphy parried an initial shot, only for a Rhos player to react the quickest to net from a narrow angle.
To their credit, CP Llanandras upped their game again and fashioned their own chances – Chris Ammonds’ long throws were causing consternation in the heart of the visitors’ defence and, from one of these, CP were awarded a penalty for a clear handball.
Chris Ammonds stepped up and kept his cool during negotiations as to whether the ball was actually on the spot to beat the Rhos keeper low to his left to make it 2-1.
Rhosgoch were now clearly getting twitchy as they knew CP Llanandras would probably get another chance and so it proved – a last-minute corner was palmed away by the visiting keeper straight on to the head of Chris Ammonds, but the ball bounced over the cross bar and with it went CP Llanandras’ last opportunity.
But this was a spirited performance by ‘Crowie’s’ side who could easily have nicked a point at the death and who battled back very well after conceding so early in the match.