Principality Welsh Premier League

Sunday, 16th August 2009

at Stebonheath Park, Llanelli

Llanelli 2-2 Airbus UK Broughton

Goalscorers

Llanelli

Rhys Griffiths (76)

Wyn Thomas (89)

Airbus UK Broughton

Marc Lloyd-Williams (3)

Marc Lloyd-Williams (57)

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Llanelli

Team - Ashley Morris, Steve Jenkins, Andy Legg, Andrew Mumford, Stuart Jones, Wyn Thomas, Jason Bowen, Antonio Corbisiero, Rhys Griffiths, Craig Moses, Owain Warlow

Subs - Craig Jones (rep Jenkins - 5), Chris Holloway (rep Mumford - 62), Jordan Follows (rep Warlow - 82), Ryan Batley (Unused), Craig Frater (Unused)

Yellow Cards - Andrew Mumford (43), Rhys Griffiths (65) Red Cards - Andy Legg (57)

Goalscorers - Rhys Griffiths (76), Wyn Thomas (89)

Airbus UK Broughton

Team - Kristian Rogers, Ryan Edwards, Giovanni Feliciello, Matty Woodward, Gareth Sudlow, Rhys Roberts, Ashley Williams, Danny Desormeaux, Carl Owen, Marc Lloyd-Williams, Matthew Cook

Subs - Paul McManus (rep Woodward - 71), James McIntosh  (rep Lloyd-Williams - 89), Paul McManus (rep Woodward - 71), Jack Abraham (Unused)

Yellow Cards - Ashley Williams (30) Red Cards - None

Goalscorers - Marc Lloyd-Williams (3), (57)

Attendance - 281

Referee - Mr Andy Harms

Goalkeeper Kristian Rogers made his Airbus debut in this match following his move from Port Talbot Town while experienced striker Marc Lloyd-Williams also made his debut for the side and immediately made a big impression. Llanelli defender Steve Jenkins was injured in the opening challenge of the match and while he was off the field receiving treatment Lloyd-Williams exploited the space at the back to score with a free header from a cross. The goal rattled Llanelli as Jenkins was replaced with Craig Jones following the re-start as Airbus took charge of the game and could have added to their advantage with Lloyd-Williams and Carl Owen a constant problems for the Llanelli defence. Craig Moses had the best chance for Llanelli in the opening half but his shot was well saved by Rogers. Moses again came close with a shot that went wide as Llanelli began to take control of the game but were still uneasy in defence and Airbus could have increased their lead before the break but had a strong penalty appeal turned down. Airbus started the second half brightly and Lloyd-Williams again came close to scoring but could not direct his header on target from close range. The lead was doubled in controversial circumstances on 57 minutes when Lloyd-Williams scored his second of the game despite strong appeals from Llanelli for a hand ball. The protests added to Llanelli’s problems as player-manager Andy Legg was dismissed for his comments to referee Andy Harms. Airbus continued to push forward and should have further added to their tally but Llanelli were allowed back into the match on 76 minutes when Rhys Griffiths made no mistake from close range after missing a similar chance minutes earlier. The goal offered Llanelli a chance to take something out of the game and with the match deep into injury time the equaliser eventually arrived through defender Wyn Thomas after a scramble in the penalty area. The referee brought the game to a close as the game re-started to leave Airbus with only a point to show for their efforts in a game they deserved to have won.

17th August 2009 - Western Mail

Llanelli boss Andy Legg sees red in first game

Llanelli manager Andy Legg made the worst possible start to his managerial career when he was sent off in the 57th minute for foul and abusive language. It followed a controversial second goal for Airbus’ new striker, Marc Lloyd Williams, who appeared to punch the ball into the net. The score gave the Wingmakers a two-goal cushion after Williams had given his side a third-minute lead and put them on course for a first win at Stebonheath Park. Williams now has 304 top-tier goals in a career spanning seven top-tier clubs, but his afternoon was to turn sour in the final 11 minutes. Rhys Griffiths’ strike in the 79th minute gave the Reds hope of an unlikely comeback, which materialised four minutes into added time when defender Wyn Thomas headed home a Jordan Follows cross.

17th August 2009 - South Wales Evening Post

Legg sent off but Reds salvage a point in dramatic finale

Llanelli’s new player-manager Andy Legg suffered the indignity of a first-day dismissal against doughty opponents Airbus UK but at least had the satisfaction of seeing his off-colour side claw back a 2-0 deficit in the final 11 minutes. In a dramatic finale, Rhys Griffiths gave his side hope of a recovery, striking his side's first goal of the campaign in the 79th minute. The Reds then laid siege to the Wingmakers' goal, but it was not until four minutes into added time that the equaliser materialised, sending the disappointingly small home crowd of 281 into raptures. Sustained pressure caused Mark McGregor's side to wobble and it took the coolness of Jordan Follows to provide the final ball into the box, defender Wyn Thomas the grateful recipient with a powerful header. The Welsh Premier's all-time top scorer, Marc Lloyd-Williams, took just three minutes to post his first goal for his new club and take his extraordinary tally to 303 goals in a career spanning seven top-tier clubs. And he added the second 12 minutes into the second period, although there was more than a suspicion that a hand guided the ball past Ashley Morris. The incident led to Legg's dismissal for foul and abusive language, poor discipline which meant his team played 33 minutes with 10 men. “Williams admitted after the match that he had punched the ball into the net,” said Llanelli secretary Nigel Richards. “In the end we were grateful for a point, which was a good outcome after falling two goals behind. Airbus battled hard and gave us lots of problems but we never let our heads drop”.

16th August 2009 - www.llanelliafc.org

Match Report

On the opening day of the season, this was not the result the Reds were expecting against opponents who had yet to record a success at Stebonheath during their previous visits. In fact, it was only a goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time, courtesy of a Wyn Thomas header which saved their blushes, as up until then they seemed destined for defeat. There were many controversial incidents during the course of the ninety minutes, starting with a challenge on Stephen Jenkins in the opening seconds, necessitating with him having to come off to be replaced by Craig Jones, while the second goal for the visitors was a blatant hand ball, seen by everyone except the match official, while he also turned down a strong penalty appeal following a foul on Jason Bowen. The disruption caused by the injury to Jenkins may have had an effect on the home side, but it was rank bad marking which led to the visitors notching their first goal when Carl Owen crossed into the middle where the prolific Marc Lloyd Williams was found unopposed to direct a header past Ashley Morris after four minutes.

Owen could well have added to the lead when he took advantage of some indecisive defending by Thomas, but on this occasion, Morris did well to block his effort in the box. The home defence was looking decidedly shaky, and when Owen met a driven low cross into the middle by Ryan Edwards, an opportune deflection took it off target. When the Reds gradually got their passing game together, it led to a corner involving Bowen and Legg, and when the former crossed for Rhys Griffiths, his goal bound shot was cleared off the line. Another potential scoring chance was spurned by Lloyd Williams when a deep cross by Matthew Cook was kept in play, but he failed to make a decent connection from close range. Kristian Rogers in the Airbus goal signed from Port Talbot Town during the week, pulled off a great save to keep out a shot from Craig Moses, while at the other end, an underhit pass by Thomas gave Owen another shooting chance which he despatched over the bar. Just before the break, the Reds went close to clawing themselves back into the contest with both Griffiths and Moses directing their attempt just off target, but early in the second period, Airbus had another chance of extending the lead when Lloyd Williams was found unmarked in front of goal, but glanced his heard wide from close range.

Having survived this miss, the Reds countered with Bowen making a run into the box where he was brought down, but the referee was not interested and awarded a goal kick. If this decision was not bad enough, shortly after the Reds found themselves two down when a cross from the right saw Lloyd Williams blatantly handle the ball into the net over Morris, but to the astonishment of the spectators it was allowed to stand, and even worse, led to the dismissal of Legg for protestations to the match official, in the 59th minute. The hosts were now really up against it, and staring defeat in the face, and could well have conceded a third but have Morris to thank for coming off his line to deny Owen on the edge of the box when he was played through.  Out of the blue, the deficit was reduced on 75 minutes when Chris Holloway, on as a replacement for Andrew Mumford, sent Moses clear, and he in turn set up Griffiths to slide a shot low beyond Rogers into the bottom corner.  Having hauled themselves back into contention, the Reds survived another narrow escape following a ball into the middle from Gio Feliciello which Owen met with a sweet strike which was goal bound, but Craig Jones on the line diverted it against a post where it rebounded to safety. Griffiths missed a great chance of levelling the scores when he met a cross by Warlow at the far post, but with the goal gaping, he could only find the side netting.  This appeared to be the Reds best chance of getting something out of the contest and it appeared as if the season would be getting off to a negative start, but in the fourth minute of injury time, a Craig Jones free kick into the area was headed out only for Jordan Follows to hoist it back in, and Thomas reacted first to send a header beyond the despairing dive of Rogers to secure a point and get the home side out of jail.