Welsh League Division One - Afan Lido 4 Monmouth Town 3

MONMOUTH Town FC suffered another bad day at the office as they lost 4-3 to Afan Lido after being 3-1 up at half time.

The Kingfishers were looking to record their second win of the season and manager Andrew Smith made two changes to his side that edged past Brecon, bringing in returning captain Rob Laurie for Rhodri Lewis and Kazeem Kareem for Sam Manful. The Town’s opponents hadn’t started the season off great themselves, having only picked up three more points than the Kingfishers and sitting two places above them.

Afan Lido started the game off the brighter out of the two sides with both of their wingers causing havoc in wide areas of the final third. Lido continued to dominate the early stages with their winger Chris Hartland getting in behind Monmouth’s defence and cutting in on his dangerous right foot. The first real chance of the game was in the fifth minute when a home attacker headed the ball just over the bar from two yards out.

Monmouth managed to come into the game and kept possession, getting into Lido’s half. Their first chance of the game came in the 10th minute when Newport County loan signing Dafydd Jones played a one-two with left back Jake Robinson and went down the by line and squared it across goal. An Afan Lido player cleared it away only to Sam Palmer who hit his first time shot just wide of the post. The Kingfishers continued to dominate possession but against the run of play Lido took the lead when their centre back clipped a ball in behind Monmouth’s defence which their striker ran on to slot it into the bottom corner giving Lee Williams no chance.

The visitors emphatically replied a few minutes later when Kazeem Kareem switched the ball to Robinson who found loads of space in front of him and his shot fizzed into the bottom corner of the net. The Town continued to attack Lido with real intensity and nearly found themselves ahead in the 38th minute when Jones once again found his effort saved after good work from Elliot Ford and Harrhy. The Kingfishers’ persistent dominance was rewarded when two minutes later they took the lead. Jake Robinson beat his man and whipped in an inviting ball into the box which found Harrhy. He touched it down for Jones who went one on one with Afan Lido’s keeper and this time Jones came out on top when he chipped the ball into the top corner. Against the run of play Monmouth found a third when again Jake Robinson beat his man and whipped a ball into the box which found Nick Harrhy on the edge of the box who volleyed into the top corner, leaving Lido’s keeper no chance.

Lido’s positive start to the second half paid off and they got a goal back two minutes in, when their full back played the ball up the line to his winger who ran at Jake Robinson and eventually passed it across to his teammate on the edge of the box who took a touch and shot under the arms of Lee Williams. It was all one way traffic in the early stages of the second half and the home side’s positive play found them the equaliser in the 55th minute when their target man pounced on a loose ball in the box to head into the back of the net.

The Kingfishers struggled to get into Lido’s half, although they had a golden opportunity to regain the lead when Jones hit the post. Lido never gave up and their dominance and resilience finally gave them the lead in the 75th minute when their player floated in a free kick which found their centre back at the back post and he headed it back across goal and found his teammate who headed the ball home finding the bottom corner.

After the game manager Andrew Smith described the result as “frustrating” and “harsh”. He said: “I’m absolutely gutted we have lost that game. I felt we had created enough chances to win the game. Individual errors are costing us time after time. I feel that the boys gave 110 per cent throughout that game and I couldn’t fault them.”

The Kingfishers travel to fellow Gwent side Cwmbran Celtic next week in which Andrew Smith has described as “a must win game”. Kick-off is 2.30pm.