Clevedon Town 1-0 Port Talbot Town - Pre-Season Friendly Match Report

Coach Matthew Bishop took charge of the side with manager Nicky Tucker away due to holiday commitments and welcomed back defender Lee Surman while new signings Darren Davies and Jason Welsh both made their Port Talbot Town debuts. Port Talbot started the better of the two sides with Lee John a constant threat from midfield while Davies and Adam James were instrumental in opening up the home sides defence. Sam Baker offered an outlet upfront and impressed far more than his strike partner Welsh who did little to inspire in his first match for the club. Clevedon took the lead when former Merthyr Tydfil player Simon Heal picked up the ball in midfield and drove an unstoppable shot past Kristian Rogers to hand Clevedon the lead. While Port Talbot had the better of the possession, they struggled to test the home goalkeeper but did force a number of corners before the break. Two early substitutions for Port Talbot did little to inspire as the influential duo of Darren Davies and Lee John were replaced by trialists Layton Maxwell and Jonathan Coates. Port Talbot lacked pace without John although Scott Barrow came close to an equaliser when his free kick hit the post midway through the second half. The warm afternoon resulted in a much slower second half although Kristian Rogers became the far busier of the two goalkeepers but performed well to keep the deficit at one goal. Port Talbot can take positives from their opening half performance but a lack of goals during pre-season will be a concern for the side.