Icy conditions risked a second cancellation of this fixture, but an early confirmation that the pitch was playable sent our Mens 1sts east for their furthest away game of the season.
Arriving rested, if not a little less fit from a lengthy christmas break, Carmarthen looked to build on an impressive last 5 games that had yielded enough points to secure 9th in the table.
Gwent began the game with first pushback and promptly settled into a patient passing game, utilising 4 players at the back to push and pull Carmarthen’s press left and right. Both teams exchanged early periods of pressure, with chances on both sides.
Gwent broke the deadlock from a short corner with a phenomenally placed strike beating keeper Lee Jones at his left post. Carmarthen dug in and despite winning multiple penalty corners through forwards Duncan Ecclestone and Josh Richardson, were unable to convert.
Gwent attacked again, with Jones called into action for multiple saves and some crucial deflecting touches from centre back Russell Horsey kept the men in orange at bay. Carmarthen entered half time a goal down with work to do.
Adjusting their tactics and pulling captain Jonti Merry slightly deeper, Carmarthen started the 2nd half at blinding pace, with the wingback rotation of Josh Gwynne, Ryan Carvey, William Heath and Anselm Brand providing constant options out wide and plenty of leg work in defence.
Carmarthen erased the deficit early in the half when rightback Steffan Walters took a long corner and found Merry at the top of the D, who fired a reverse strike into the bottom left corner.
Carmarthen’s momentum began to build, with the midfield triumvirate of Merry, Luke Dunning, and Osian Evans asserting more control over the game, with fresh legs from the bench in Logan Mackenzie Jones ensuring the frontline press kept the pressure on.
They were duly rewarded when an overlapping run from left back Cai Morgan won a long corner. Evans took it quickly to release Merry, who beat his man and hit an impossibly angled reverse strike into to the top right corner to give Carmarthen their first lead of the game.
Gwent were up to the challenge however. They equalised from an excellent team goal before restoring their lead with a carbon copy of their opener, their talisman striker once again finding the same corner of the goal from a set piece.
The game entered the final minutes and with Carmarthen desperately seeking an equaliser, Coach Kate Williams elected to throw players forward to try and create one final chance. In the dying seconds, Carmarthen forced a foot in the opposing D, and were duly awarded a penalty corner. The umpires whistled for full time - this would be the game’s final play, and Carmarthen’s last chance.
Carmarthen elected for a dragflick attempt from Evans which deflected onto a defenders foot, thus forcing a re-take.
The second attempt saw Josh Richardson inject the ball to Merry, who slipped a pass to Evans to evade the charging defenders. Evans’ pushed attempt was denied by the Gwent keeper. The ball rebounded to a waiting Josh Richardson, who flicked the ball over the prone keeper, off the shoulder of the covering defender, and into the goal. The final whistles sounded as Richardson was mobbed by teammates, having snatched a draw at the death.
A phenomenal team performance showing a dogged unwillingness to be put away, Carmarthen’s M1s were smiling every inch of the 70 mile drive home, having secured their point and distanced themselves further from the relegation zone. Man of the Match went to captain Jonti Merry for two scintillating goals.
They host Penarth 2s at Carmarthen next saturday, looking to avenge a narrow defeat in the away fixture, and reach double digit points on the season.
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