Goytre 3 Monmouth 1

MONMOUTH Town crashed out of the JD Welsh Cup after an agonising extra time defeat at Goytre United last Saturday. 

The town travelled knowing they were in for a tough encounter as the Swansea based outfit were still undefeated and lying in second place of the Welsh First Division. The Kingfishers, on the other hand, have suffered their worst start to a season for a number of years but were buoyed by the previous weeks victory against Britton Ferry.

Manager Andrew Smiths plans of an unchanged eleven were dashed with the late withdrawal of centre-back Ben Evans. Jacob Guy stepped in and Sam Plamer kept his place on the left in a more solid looking five man midfield.

It was, indeed, the visitors that started the brightest, with Elliot Ford getting into good areas without actually troubling the home goalkeeper. The first twenty minutes saw the Town take the game to Goytre but the home side looked quick and sharp when they had the opportunity to counter. 

The Town were guilty of giving away a number of free kicks in dangerous areas when challenges weren’t really necessary and this put the side in yellow on the back foot at times. As the first half came to an end, however, the Town could be pleased with their first forty five minutes and foundations were laid to have a real go in the second period. Veteran Aaron Davies defied his years and aching limbs with many surging runs from full back and Sam Palmer seemed to be back to his probing best, getting the better of the home full back numerous times. 

The half time team talk demanding more of the same, remaining focused and hard to beat was turned on its head however as the Kingfishers failed to deal with a non threatening home attack and conceded within ninety seconds of the restart. In recent weeks, the Town have folded when going behind and folded too easily but there does seem to be more heart and vigour in recent weeks and the Town certainly regrouped and stuck together. 

On sixty minutes, Smith changed to a 4-3-3 and the Town saw immediate rewards. Richard Greaves replaced the tiring Davies and Mitchell Palmer reverted to left back. Greaves nearly scored with his first involvement, just failing to get a touch to Mitchel Palmers free-kick into the box. 

With Ashley Ford and Mitchel Palmer getting forward from their full back positions, the town looked far more threatening when going forward. They drew level on 65 minutes when a Mitchell Plamer free kick was swung into the box only for Greaves to be upended and the referee to point to the penalty spot. Nick Harrhy continued his fine goal scoring form by stepping up and sending the home keeper the wrong way.

Chances came and went for both teams as the game opened up into an enthralling cup tie. On 79 minutes, the Town thought they had won it. Another surging run down the right from Ashley Ford ended with a superb cross that was met by Greaves who headed firmly past the keeper.

The travelling faithful crossed everything and hoped the Kingfishers could hang on, and they nearly did. However, on 87 minutes the home side made progress down the Town left and a square ball across the goal was tapped in at the far post to take the tie into extra time.

With a tense thirty minute period ahead, the Town again had the worst possible start.  Just one minute in, Guy committed a foul in the corner when the winger had nowhere to go and, as the free kick sailed into the box, Blackburn in the Town goal called but failed to collect and the home centre back headed in at the back post with a free header.

The Kingfishers probed and probed, Ashley Ford forcing a superb save from a twenty yard strike and the home defence somehow kept the ball out - blocking twice on the line after a goal mouth scramble following a deflected shot off the crossbar. 

In the second period of extra time, the Town had to go all out for the equaliser but the game was sealed when home skipper Tim Hicks fired a ferocious strike from the edge of the box into the top corner. To their credit, the Town continued to attack but were never going to pull two back and bowed out of the famous competition at the first attempt.

After the game Andrew Smith commented. "We’re obviously disappointed with the result and, after getting ourselves in front with just ten minutes remaining, believed we could hang on and go through.

“We’ll take the positives and, after a very poor start to the season, we’ve come here and more than matched a side that remain unbeaten in the league.

“The last two performances have been promising and I think we’re starting to establish what our game plan and strengths are all about. I want any team that I send out to represent what I was about when I played and that was work rate and endeavour above anything else.

“We’ve got to realise that without the basic ingredients of passion, desire and energy we’ll get turned over. I can’t fault the squad for their application today but we’ve still got lessons to learn. We can’t afford to lose focus or switch off for one minute.

“The fact we’ve conceded two goals today within two minutes of restarting the game suggests we’re not mentally at the races when we should be. But we’ll learn from that. We’re not far away and we’ll continue to do all we can to win games of football."

The Kingfishers are next in action when they travel to Ton Pentre for a Welsh League Division One game next weekend.

Meanwhile, Town Reserves hosted Abergavenny in a local derby game and won 3-1, with Craig Lewis adding two goals to his season total so far and one for Brad Bradley.