Briton Ferry Llansawel remain top of the JD Cymru South after winning an eight goal thriller against the Young Guns of Caerau Ely at Old Road on bank holiday Monday.
A first half blitz from the Reds saw them canter to a 3-0 lead at the interval with goals from Luke Bowen 2 and Connor Goldsworthy, a brave Caerau Ely made more than a game of it second half though scoring straight after half time before Tom Walters made it 4-1. The Young Guns brought it back to 4-3 to create a nervy 20 minutes before Josh Bull secured the 3 points with minutes remaining.
On what was a rare Bank Holiday Monday schedule in Tier 2 the Old Road saw another good attendance of 358 in a game that most would have left satisfied and another superb advert for the Cymru Leagues.
Andy Hill give a first league start to young full back and academy graduate Morgan Hutin and also welcomed back Luis Bates to the starting line up for the first time this season, centre back Kris Evans was missing due to work commitments and Keiran Williams remained sidelined through injury.
Referee Alex McInch started the encounter with the Reds Academy U9's enjoying the walk out with players pre-match, a confident start saw Hill's team move the ball well to probe for an opener and the first goal came on 19 minutes through Ferry number ten Luke Bowen.
Joseph Jones sent a long raking pass into the right channel for Tyler Brock who done well to manouvere and create enough space to send a deep cross that Bowen met with his head to make it 1-0.
Just over ten minutes later the lead was doubled, Connor Goldsworthy reacted quickly from a Ferry attack to disposses Caerau Ely full back Jac Davies and ran on to finish low past Rhys Jones for 2-0.The Reds continued the early onslaught and were 3 up on 38 minutes, this time another long ball from Jones found Tom Walters who was given enough space to turn and shoot from 25 yards, Rhys Jones spilled the effort and Bowen was there to tap in for his third league goal of the season. Bowen was denied his hat trick before half time when Walters crossed from the left just before the break and after Bowen slotted home the assistant raised his flag for what was adjudged as a trip on the defender in the build up.
HT 3-0
The second half started as it would go on, credit to Caerau Ely who made a treble change at half time and instead of settling for damage limitation took the game to the Reds straight from the second half whistle, within a minute Hywel Davies scored after Luis Bates was dispossesed at the back with what initially seemed a foul on the defender but McInch waved play on and the goal stood for 3-1.
The lead was back to three for the Reds on 50 minutes with Connor Goldsworthy feeding the ball from a poor clearance from the substitute keeper Harry Johnson and Tom Walters punished the mistake past the despairing dive from the young keeper.
For many this might have been seen as a final nail in the Young Guns coffin but they more than kept going and played some excellent football to control the game for the next 20 minutes, a good header from James Williams on 76 minutes and a freak goal from Liam Bishop saw the lively winger charge down a Rhys Wilson clearance to make it 4-3 with 6 minutes of normal time remaining.
A nervy last period was to follow but again a superb goal from substitute Josh Bull finally secured the win in stoppage time, a long ball from Ferry keeper Wilson was flicked on by Bowen and with only one thing in his mind Bull drove inside from the right flank and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards to give him his third league goal since signing in the summer at Old Road.
FT 5-3
Man of the match- LUKE BOWEN (sponsored by Gareth Rees Accountancy)- Two goals and an assist for the last seasons top scorer, led by example all game.
