Euro dream over (From Barry And District News)

Euro dream over

Barry Town 0 SKONTO RIGA 1

(Champions League qualifying round second leg)

BARRY TOWN crashed out of the Champions League last night in a gripping second leg qualifying round at home.

Despite plenty of enterprise, Barry were unable to defeat Skonto Riga which, with its six international players, had a little too much know-how for the Dragons.

Even so, it was a much better performance by Barry than the first leg performance last week when they lost 5-0 to the Latvian team in Riga.

Simon Rayner in the Barry goal again was in outstanding form and Lee Jarman and Lee Phillips were solid at the back for Barry.

There was plenty of enterprise from Barry's mid-field of Bishop, Kennedy and Cotterill, but too often Barry were pulled out of shape.

The Latvians were sharper and quicker to the ball and their team play was excellent. Striker Verpakovskis brought the best out of Rayner with some on-target shots.

Barry's defence was hard pushed at times but they did well to keep the scoreline goal-less at half-time.

The deadlock was broken after 51 minutes when Korgalidze supplied the cross for Kolesnicenko to volley home to make the score 1-0.

Cotterill was playing really well for Barry in defence and with some good forward runs but Barry were finding it difficult against the strong defence of Skonto Riga.

Jamie Moralee was struggling to find his form but was brought down in the penalty area by Morozs. He capped a poor game by firing the spot kick over the bar.

Barry brought on all their substitutes but were not able to find an equaliser. The game came to an end with the Latvians taking a 6-0 aggregate score into the next round.

Analysis of first leg

All expectations of Barry getting a reasonable result against Skonto Riga were dashed when they lost 5-0 in Latvia.

Shattered dreams, huge disappointment even embarrassment at the result was hugely damaging for players, officials and supporters.

Kenny Brown more than anyone will feel devastated by what happened. His plans for Barry to be primed ready for the battle fell apart at the seams.

Barry Town synonymous with success are not used to thrashings. The facts are that Barry have received a few hammerings in Europe. So high is the standard so much higher than the League of Wales. How can we catch up?

What are the answers?

People in various quarters of Wales will snigger at this result and certain sections of the media will once again attack the League of Wales. One of the obvious facts about continental sides is the fact that they are so much more skilful and technical than British sides. Liverpool for instance make no attempt to match the opposition away from home.

They simply play a spoiling game, stopping the opposition from playing and get them back to Anfield to play their normal attacking game.

Maybe Kenny's plan to attack Skonto was a mistake and he should have kept it tight.

Marking is one thing but watching the runners is another. Continental sides are very skilful at running off the ball.

Kenny said that Barry's defending was abysmal and yet praised keeper Simon Rayner for his efforts because he was often exposed by Barry's normally strong defence.

Ex manager Peter Nicholas was upset for Kenny Brown and the result shocked him. "I thought Barry would do better and after the display against Millwall, it's a shock," exclaimed the former Welsh International.

Nicholas says the League of Wales has to get stronger and clubs need a major financial boost. "The way forward is through a major sponsor. It is absolutely vital because the clubs have no money to pay for decent players," explained the former Barry Town manager.

Barry will get £35,000 for reaching the first qualifying round and approximately £65,000 for winning the league.

John Deakin, League of Wales secretary said how disappointed he was at the 5-0 away thrashing. He has tried to secure a sponsor for several seasons, but says that may not be the answer. "Even if every club got £10,000 how would that dramatically change things?

"I believe that we should alter our season, as the continental sides do, Skonto have already played 16 league games whilst Barry have had two friendlies," stated Deakin.

ANALYSIS

THE BARRY Town team line up in the Latvian National Stadium at Riga prior to the start of their European Champions League match against Latvians Skonto Riga.

Disappointment at the defeat could not detract from wonderful effort of the Barry team to again qualify for a level of football that legendary teams such as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur could, for this year at least, only dream about. Skonto were a skilful team fielding a number of full International players.

All credit to Barry that they matched them for 60 minutes only to see heat, humidity and the ill-fated run of the ball conspire to produce a cluster of late goals and a scoreline that was not deserved. The decisive second goal for Skonto was the result of either the most brilliant or the most fortunate of shots as it clipped the underside of the crossbar in the top right hand corner on it's way to the net from 45 yards!

Wales is a country that gets little recognition abroad. Barry could be proud of it's ambassadors to this small nation at the other end of the Baltic Sea. Throughout the 90 minutes no Barry player was shown a yellow card.

On the night they lost to a sharper, more incisive team but in defeat Wales could be proud of the National image of fair play and effort portrayed by the Barry players in this small ex Soviet Bloc country.