Lacklustre Barry fail to avoid the drop (From Barry And District News)

Lacklustre Barry fail to avoid the drop

Barry Town 0

NEWI CEFN DRUIDS 1

BARRY started the match as the better team, threatening from set-pieces and looking sharp around the penalty box.

The game quickly developed into an end of season midfield battle though, with Barry lacking the urgency to really take the game to the visitors and Druids happy to soak up the pressure.

After half an hour of stalemate, the first golden opportunity of the match fell to the home side. Mattie Davies kept close control of the ball in the Druids penalty area but after deft footwork by Gavin Allen, it fell to Richard Kennedy who sidefooted his shot agonisingly wide of the visitors goal from the edge of the box.

The importance of that miss was underlined after 36 minutes when Cefn Druids took an undeserved lead.

Lying on the floor, Mark Allen hooked the ball forward and it fell neatly for the league's third top scorer, Aden Shannon. Having beaten the Barry offside trap, he took the ball around goalkeeper Lee Rudall before neatly chipping the ball over the legs of the despairing Barry defence who packed the box to try and prevent him shooting.

Barry's confidence, brittle all season, evaporated completely, and the Dragons were grateful to hear the half-time whistle as the visitors set up camp around the Barry penalty area and Rudall pulled off three important stops to keep the home side in the game.

An early second half goal was crucial if Barry were to have any hope of taking all three points. It very nearly came when substitute Lee Matthews released Jamie Michael down the Barry left, in the 53rd minute. His shot beat Mike Price in the Druids goal, it hit the post square on, and although the ball bounced back to his feet, Michael was caught off balance and his second attempt went disappointingly wide of the open goal.

The moment summed up Barry's season and the lack of luck that Addison's team have had to deal with all season.

The game, and Barry's chances of avoiding relegation, came to an end in a drab final half-hour in which the Dragons lacked the imagination to undo the Druids defence.

Barry Town: Rudall, Picknall, Duckett, Philpott, Shakespeare, Kennedy, Sherbon (Twynham), Sherman (Matthews), M Davies (Elliott), Allen, Michael. Unused: Minett

Barry's final away game of the season is this Friday (tomorrow) when they travel to Haverfordwest County. The coach leaves at 3:45pm.

There is an open meeting of supporters at Barry Town Social Club next Tuesday evening, starting at 7:45pm.