The Saints started the brighter of the two sides and kept the ball well early in the first half but never really troubled the Rhayader keeper. The home teams game plan seemed to be letting us have the ball and hit us on the counter attack which early on we coped with well. After twenty minutes the Saints lost midfielder Garry Keeble with an ankle injury, he was replaced by the returning Josh Davies out wide right. Kevin Martin missed the best chance early doors when the Saints were caught on the break,he also missed a simular effort a few minutes later. Both sides managed to put the ball in the net around the 30 minute mark but both goals were ruled offside. Rhayader’s first goal was slightly controversial when their player manager Dylan Mcphee took the ball off Kevin Jones in midfield and his arm caught Jones in the face, while everyone was protesting the home team broke down the left and defender Chris Murphy was on hand to put them 1-0 up in the 43rd minute. Ht 1-0
Hay dominated long periods of play in the second half and their best chance fell to leading scorer Jones, his header beat the keeper but a Rhayader defender headed off the line to keep it 1-0. The home team kept soaking pressure up and hitting the Saints on the break and keeper Bryan Kirkham must have had at least 6 one on one situations to deal with and made save after save to keep the Saints in with a chance of getting something. Kevin Jones tried another looping header which their keeper tipped over and just after this the goal of the game came when the impressive Martin again broke down the right and crossed for strike partner Mark Davies who finished well with a diving header to make it 2-0.
I thought we looked the better footballing side but never looked like winning the game,we had loads of possession but played into Rhayaders hands by pushing too much(which in the end we had to do) and kept getting caught with counter attacks. The man of the match for us would have to be keeper Bryan Kirkham who had an excellent game between the sticks.