The Saints won 2-3 this afternoon at Crow Lane, Jack Biggs(2) and a Brendan Hackett 30 yarder sealed the win.
The Saints took control of the game from the off and within four minutes were 0-1 up after Brendan Hackett shot from distance giving Adam Jones no chance in the home goal.
More Saints pressure followed and from a Hackett corner striker Jack Biggs out jumped the home defence to make it 0-2 after just nine minutes. During the next fifteen minutes the visitors really should of put the game to bed, a succession of corners saw Preece and Biggs head over the bar when really they should of done better, Jones also saved from Biggs on two occassions when the striker got through on goal.
The Saints had control of the centre of the park, Howard, Preece and Hackett were winning that battle which meant the home team couldn’t get the ball to their inform front men. Rhosgoch came more into the game in the last 15 minutes which saw the visitors having to put in two or three last ditch blocks to deny Geraint Lloyd and his brother Trevor, the leagues top scorer Joey Price was kept pretty quiet by Sam Bradley although he did get free near half time but his effort went high and wide. Ht 0-2
Two goal man Jack Biggs.
I expected Rhosgoch to come out all guns blazing at the start of the second half but it was the visitors who were on top in the first ten minutes and again should really of extended their lead but for some poor finishing and a couple of good saves by Jones especially one from Biggs after a good Hay move saw the score stay at 0-2.
The next twenty five minutes saw both sides have chances,Price got clear but again scooped his effort over the bar, up the other end McNamara saw his effort saved by Jones.
The game seemed all over in the 79th minute after Hackett and Biggs combined, Biggs hitting the ball across the diving Jones to put the visitors 0-3 up with just over ten to go.
Brendan Hackett two assists and a goal.
To the homesides credit they don’t ever give up and two minutes later Geraint Lloyd hit a left footed curling effort into the top corner which no keeper would have saved to make it 1-3.
With the ninety minutes up player manager Liam Jones who had been quiet most of the game went on a mazy run in the box and blasted the ball past two defenders plus the Saints keeper to make it 2-3 and squeaky bum time.
The referee for some reason played about 7 minutes of injury time which gave Rhosgoch time to have one last effort from out wide on the right a cross come shot sailed over everyone and landed on top of the net, a few hearts were in their mouths. Ft 2-3.
When that ball sailed over everyone in the 97th minute I thought nooo, football is so unfair, we deserve to win this game on chances and possession, luckily it didn’t go in.
We won this game through hard work, for once we matched Rhosgoch in that department, we kept their attacking players fairly quiet which was also a massive plus and they struggled to deal with ours especially Hackett and Biggs in that first half an hour. I said to someone last week if they all worked as hard as Will Goodwin we would take some beating, today they all did.
Tom Weaver was a happy man, he said afterwards “We had to win that to stand a chance of qualifying, I’m really happy with the performance, Sam Bradley was excellent marking Joey but my man of the match goes to Biggsy”.
Next up Presteigne at Home.