The Saints are out of ‘The Welsh Cup’ after a 2-1 loss away at Kerry FC.
Full match report –
The Saints struck the first blow in the eighth minute when young striker Matty Tong ran on to a Jamie Howard throughball played out of the Saints’ defence and composed himself before beating the Kerry goalkeeper.
The hosts responded with a 25 yard effort that just cleared Steve Jones’ goal straight after the restart before the Hay St Mary’s defence was caught napping in the 15th minute but the move climaxed with a weak shot at Jones.
Veteran midfielder Kevin Jones latched on to a ball from Jamie Howard but fired his effort across the face of the Kerry goal in the 18th minute and then Adi Lawford was closed down by an advancing home custodian two minutes later. The Lambs were back on level terms in the 28th minute courtesy of Luke Mumford’s penalty after Saints defender Adam Finn was penalised by the referee.
Lawford then had a shot deflected behind for a corner just a minute later before the hosts broke quickly from their own half on the half hour but fired over the Saints goal. The opening period ended with a shot straight at Steve Jones after a cross into the visitors penalty area was headed down.
Kerry started the second-half on the front foot and fired wide from the edge of the Saints’ penalty area in the 47th minute after the visitor’s defence failed to clear their lines and Jones then saved a 25 yard drive some three minutes later.
Callum Maddy saw his first-time effort just clear the target in the 56th minute before Mark Hughes headed home a second goal for the hosts after the Saints failed to clear a corner adequately.
Jones was forced to parry a 20 yard pile driver three minutes later following another home corner and the goalkeeper had to make another smart save after the Lambs broke quickly in the 68th minute.
Substitute James Smith headed over from a 70th minute cross before Howard fired a 25 yard effort over the Kerry goal just a minute later as the Saints started to renew their optimism.
Kerry struck the upright with a first time shot from nearly 30 yards out in the 77th minute before Kevin Jones had an effort parried from the edge of the penalty area six minutes later.
Summer signing Max McLaughlin nearly put the match out of sight for the hosts in 84th minute but saw his effort narrowly fly over the Saints crossbar as his team booked their place in the draw for the next round.