Presteigne Reserves were 3-0 victors in the Mid Wales League (South) derby match against CP Llanandras at Llanandras Park on Wednesday night but they will know that they could easily have paid the price for a disappointing first-half showing.
CP Llanandras could have been in front inside the first two minutes when Mark Ammonds’ drive came back off an upright and Mike Lewis’ follow-up effort went over the bar.
Mark Ammonds was again in on goal later in that first period when the Reserves’ keeper Trevor Gummer had to be alert as he came smartly off his line to save with his legs at the expense of a corner.
But the Reserves took the lead before the interval when a long cross-field ball picked out Callum Matthews whose fierce half-volley beat Jordan Pritchard in the CP Llanandras goal at his near post.
Despite the slender interval lead, the Reserves’ boss Barry Williams admitted afterwards he had been far from happy and hadn’t held back in tellling his side at the break.
“It was the original game of two halves,” he said. “Fair play to CP Llanandras, they did really well in the first half and there were a few choice words in our dressing room at half-time.
“But they responded well to what was said and we scored a couple of good goals after the break to run out fairly comfortable winners in the end.”
Johnny Bird scored the second goal after a Reserves’ move down the right-hand side, while Mark Weiland wrapped it up with the third with a neat finish after he was picked out unmarked just outside the box.
CP Llanandras will probably feel it was never a 3-0 game (in fact, I know they feel that way!), but while the debate over the margin of the win could rage on for some time, the Reserves were ultimately good value for the points due to their improved second-half showing.
As the game doubled up as a Bucknell Cup semi-final tie, this means the Reserves will now be in action on Sunday 18 April as they will head to Bucknell for the final in which they will take on Ludlow Town Colts in a 3.00pm kick off.
There will be more detailed match reports up on the team’s respective pages as soon as I have received the thoughts of the managers.