Season's really over (From Barry And District News)

Season's really over

Barry Town 2 AFAN LIDO 5

EXPERIENCED Welsh Premier League outfit Afan Lido saw to it that Barry Town would have no further involvement in the Welsh Cup.

It is a competition they have won on six previous occasions - the first being 50 years ago this year.

Alas, that's pretty much the end of Barry Town's season now, with the club knocked out of both cup competitions they were threatening to do so well in, and with hope of promotion seemingly gone.

An already generally inexperienced squad had to contend with the added problem of cup-tied players, and so The Dragons were always going to be up against it.

Still, in one instance, the cup-tied rule worked in our favour, as Barry fans greeted Simon Heal back into the fold once more.

Currently at Cwmbran Town, Heal played the first several months for Barry this season and was an extremely popular player, and obviously very talented.

Heal had scored in the two previous rounds of the Welsh Cup for Barry - would he do it again in this fourth round match?

Rather ironically, perhaps, Cwmbran Town were knocked out of the cup by Carmarthen Town the same day Heal played for Barry - the single goal coming from another ex-Barry Town player, Nicky Burke!

For the first 25 minutes of Saturday's match, the two clubs looked to be fairly even in all areas, but you always got the impression that Lido were simply finding their feet on the heavy Treforest surface, and so it proved.

Once Liam McCreesh scored for Lido on the 27th minute from outside the penalty box, the Welsh Premier side visibly relaxed and started passing the ball about much more confidently.

A few minutes before half-time, a whipped-in cross from the right found the foot of James Taylor who had momentarily slipped the clutches of Ashley Griffiths and it was 2-0.

The game as a genuine contest was over within four minutes of the re-start as a free-kick from inside Lido's own half fell at the feet of Phil Holmes while the Barry defence slept, and it was 3-0 and game over.

Within two minutes it was 4-0, as Sasha Walters scored with a terrific left-foot drive from outside the box, leaving the Barry keeper sprawling in the mud.

However, in the 55th minute Barry were awarded a penalty for a hand-ball in a rare attack up the other end, and who else but Simon Heal was going to take the kick?

The penalty was duly slotted in, and there was no way Barry Town were going to simply lie down and take a stuffing from Afan Lido.

Unfortunately, a rather tired tackle from Gavin Price on James Taylor resulted in a 79th minute penalty and the Town were now looking down the barrel of a 5-1 scoreline - the club's heaviest defeat for some time.

Some great individual play by Simon Heal reduced the deficit to 5-2 shortly before full-time.

On his one-off return to the Club, Simon Heal had scored a further two Welsh Cup goals.

The trauma of losing a successful manager and team still rankles with many, but that's in the past now, and Barry Town simply must look forward to a future that sees the club return to its home town as soon as is possible.

A return to Welsh Premier League status is not as vital, but it's certainly in the mind of manager Gavin Price: 'There was a great crowd spirit today, and we're desperate to get back up there.'

As far as the rent row goes, everyone is waiting eagerly for positive news to give the club a much-needed boost before the end of the season.

* Barry Town have a free Saturday this weekend, but the lads return to action in an away match against AFC Llwydcoed on February 19.