Hay Reserves were comprehensively beaten tonight by an impressive Rhosgoch side at Forest Road. The scoreline of 5-1 was about the right result on the night, with the away team benefiting from a couple of goalkeeping mistakes. The Saints’ only goal was scored mid-way through the second period when Johnny Daw’s long-range effort slipped through the hands of the Rhos goalie.
In the opening minute, a ball across the 18 yard box was hit wide by Kevin Goodwin with his left-foot. Rhosgoch then began to assert their control on the game, breaking with some pace and looking sharp up front. They took the lead early in the game when a cross from the right was eventually well finished. Johnny Daw linked up with Goodwin and the former showed good skill to create an opportunity for himself, sending a left-foot strike over the bar. However, it was Rhos who were looking most dangerous and Tom Bevan had to make some good saves to deny the visitors a second but it eventually came towards the end of the half. Another well-worked goal saw the striker fire past Bevan at his near-post.
Into the second-half and it was more of the same, as Rhosgoch pressed forward in numbers. A fairly weak looking shot by Josh Watson slipped under Bevan at the near-post to make it 3-0. The Saints gave themselves a lifeline when Daw broke through the middle and his 25 yard left-foot shot went through the visitors ‘keeper and into the net. Paul Ward-Willis had a good chance to pull another goal back following good work from Tom Wilkes, but he failed to steady himself and didn’t catch the shot cleanly. Rhos added two goals in quick succession, with a long-range effort catching sub goalie Josh Barrell off guard. Minutes later, a pass into the attacker on the left was flicked up and volley in at the near-post, Thierry Henry style. In the closing stages, Hay created a couple of good chances as Goodwin crossed from the left for Ward-Willis, the striker taking a touch but firing over from 8 yards out. Good work by Daw saw him beat two men before passing inside to Goodwin, but his 25 yard effort went over the bar. Rhosgoch still looked dangerous on the break in the last couple of minutes but failed to add to their five goals.
The visitors looked a really decent outfit; they were well-organised, hard-working, fit and played some good football to add to those. The Saints showed glimpses of what they can do but too often, they lacked shape in their play, although hopefully that will come with more games.
Hay: Bevan, Keeble, Bradley, Ward, Bounds, Goodwin, Howard, Badham, Wilkes, Price, Daw.
Subs: Barrell, Snedden, Ward-Willis, Evans, Pugh.