The Saints progressed to the semi-final of the league cup with a hard earned victory over Builth on Saturday.
The Saints started strong in the first 10 minutes knocking the ball around with Builth working hard to close them down, the home side finally got into the game and won themselves a corner from which Willie Lindesay hit the bar with a thumping header, Lindesay then headed a cross into the corner of the goal only for Richard Sullivan to make a diving save tipping it around the post for a corner. The Saints did have a couple of chances themselves with a Ben Bevan shot going just wide and Kevin Jones making John Hope save well to deny him, just after this another Lindesay shot thumped the bar with Sullivan well beat. The opening goal came on the stroke of half time, it came when Bevan took a quick throw in to Josh Wisniewski who cleverly flicked it first time to the oncoming Sam Mayglothling who smashed a goal of the season contender into the top corner of the net from the right hand side of the box. ht 0-1.
The Saints got on top at the start of the second half playing the better football keeping the homeside on the back foot, on the hour mark it was 0-2 when Kevin Jones outpaced the Builth defence and rounded their keeper with everyone expecting him to shoot he instead crossed for Wisniewski who no made no mistake from 8 yards. Builth pulled a goal back on 65 with captain Shane Claridge heading in from close range 1-2, this didn’t last long as once again Jones was the provider this time crossing for Ben Bevan who drilled the ball into the net through a crowded goalmouth. Jones then put the icing on the cake of an excellent performance by linking up with Joe Mayglothing and hitting a 20 yarder past the stranded Hope who didn’t even move as the ball whistled past him. Builth managed to hit the bar again and score a consilation goal in the last 5 minutes but it was too late with the ref blowing up with the score 2-4.
Another hard fought victory against a side who don’t lost many, 1 defeat in 10 and that was in the league against us, both games we’ve played on the Lant have been very hard going, on another day we could of been 2 or 3 down but the lads stuck to it and were the better side in the second half and got their just rewards. We now face Llandrindod Colts in the semi final at home after their shock 3-2 victory over Sennybridge.
Phil Davies worked very hard throughout as did the two Sam’s in the middle of the park but for me the man of the match was the person who was the difference on the day between the two sides and that was Kevin Jones.
Team- R.Sullivan, R.Jones, P.Davies(J.Davies), C.Preece(c), M.Havard, B.Bevan, S.Powell, S.Mayglothling(J.Mayglothling), G.Williams, K.Jones(R.Snedden), J.Wisniewski.