Hay Reserves made it three wins on the bounce with a 6-2 victory over Builth Wells Reserves last night at Forest Road. It was the second successive 6-2 scoreline, having defeated Llandrindod Wells Reserves three days earlier. Harry Gilbert handed Hay the lead, before the visitors equalised with a goal direct from a corner. Will Goodwin and Kyle Harding added further goals in the first-half, before Jamie Mcalroy headed in before the break. In the second-half, after a nervy twenty five minutes, Hay made the game safe with a double strike from Kevin Goodwin sandwiching another W. Goodwin goal. The match was delayed by two nasty injuries; Dave Jones had sustained ligament damage to his knee, and there also looked to be a nasty knee injury to the Builth number 10. On behalf of the club, I’d like to wish both players speedy recoveries.
With Hay missing a number of players after Tuesday’s win, including Dan Jones, Stu Rees, Jack Cripps and Tom Weaver, it was always going to take a while to settle with the makeshift team. The opening minutes were scrappy and both sides were failing to get a foothold on the ball. Yet, it was the Saints who managed to make the first breakthrough. A cross from the right wing was spilled by the goalie and H. Gilbert, having ventured forward from left-back, tucked in from three yards. After D. Jones was carried off after his injury, Connor Lewis came on at right-back, with Dan Scaife moving into centre half alongside Andrew Gilbert, and Joe Emmett pushed into a more familar midfield role. The visitors capitalised on this shift, when they won a corner on the left. It was swung in dangerously at the near-post and floated above stand-in ‘keeper Harry Ratcliffe to make it 1-1. The Saints then started to settle and began getting the ball down and using the width. They were rewarded when W. Goodwin picked up the ball around 40 yards from goal, burst 15 yards forward past his marker and sent a chipped effort over the ‘keeper and into the far corner. The striker was then involved in the third goal, feeding his strike partner Harding who, in what is becoming a familiar sight this season, raced onto the ball ahead of his marker and struck past the outrushing ‘keeper. Builth once again had a response though; another corner from the left caused problems and Mcalroy powerfully rose and headed in at the back-post.
After Tiny Harding’s half-time team talk, Hay looked more confident and grew into the game in the opening stages of the second-period. Darren Horrigan was causing problems down the left-hand side, whilst Rory Hackett was beginning to get on the ball more and more in the middle of the park, and was dictating play. Half-chances fell to Harding, who saw a shot blocked by the ‘keeper and Horrigan, who followed up a save from the ‘keeper but blazed over from three yards, when it was probably easier to score! Luckily for Hay, Builth only really threatened through their tall number nine and he had a couple of long-range efforts that were off target of Ratcliffe’s goal. Hay added a fourth when K. Goodwin waltzed past two men on the edge of the box, before cutting inside another defender and hitting a shot with the outside of his right-foot that was placed in the far bottom corner. W. Goodwin curled a free-kick over the crossbar, before he added his second of the day; he was on hand to follow up a shot that was parried and he toe-poked in from close-range. With just a few minutes remaining, Hay scored a sixth and final goal of the evening through K. Goodwin. A Hackett free-kick was curled in from the left-wing and rebounded off the crossbar but K. Goodwin struck a sweet half-volley through the crowd of players and into the roof of the net.
After a shaky start, Hay certainly grew in confidence, especially in the second-half when they started creating some excellent chances and using their pace on the break. What was extremely pleasing was that this was a real team-effort, everyone played their part when injuries have stretched the squad. Tiny gave his man of the match to K. Goodwin, for his two goals and general work on and off the ball, but I thought that Scaife at centre-half had his best match this season; he was dominating at the back and was communicating throughout with his fellow defensive back-line, that hadn’t played with each other before. With all the injuries that have come about in recent weeks, it’s pleasing that Hay now have a break of three weeks until their next game.
Hay: Ratcliffe, Scaife, Emmett, A. Gilbert, H. Gilbert, K. Goodwin, Hackett, Jones, Horrigan, W. Goodwin, Harding.
Subs: Lewis, Cooke, Workman.