South Wales Alliance League Division One

Cadoxton Barry FC 3 - Ton and Gelli 0

Scorers: Oaten, Dawson and Harris-Raffell

AT THE South Wales Senior League Division Two Championship Trophy presentation at the end of the 2014/15 season, secretary, Will Davies warned of just how tough it was likely to be in the middle division of the new South Wales Alliance.

Thus the mission for CB for 2015/16 was not to lose their new status at the first attempt. However, no one was fully aware of just how tough things were really going to be.

After a promising start during which CB made a bid for the top spot things fell away as they entered a barren spell which left them battling relegation with the winter deluge seeing game after game being postponed.

The bright side of the otherwise gloomy period was the run in the League Cup which saw powerful sides such as Cornelly United and Penrhiwceiber Cons dispatched before losing to Penydarren by the narrowest of margins in the quarter-final.

When CB eventually emerged the other side of the rains there was a lot of work to be done in order to avoid the drop. Indeed wins over the likes of Fochriw and Bargoed, saw CB in a false mid-table position having played a number of games more than the sides around them.

A couple of unexpected defeats against sides of equal or lesser ability coupled with the fixture catch up that was going on all around them saw them having to win this final match of the season to be sure of staying up irrespective of what the other two sides in the struggle did.

What a tough ask it was going to be - against a side already guaranteed third spot and a promotion to the Premier Division.

An early move of multiple passes involving Jackhontaw, Oaten and Harris looked promising for CB, but the Ton ‘'keeper quickly closed it down as it entered the danger zone. The game was only eight minutes old when a long ball down the right from Harris to Weekley and then on to Oaten saw the last named finding the net from level with the 18 yard line to give early hope.

But Ton came back to pressurise CB for lengthy spells - a situation which wasn't helped by the fact that Walsh was on and off the pitch several times with a nose bleed. However, as half-time approached CB began to see a little more of the ball, Harris latching on to a clearance to launch a run down the left during which he fended off three challenges before sending in a cross which saw Jackhontaw looking favourite to score at the far post.

However, a slip as the ball arrived meant that it was not to be.

It took just 10 seconds of the second half for CB to double their lead as Jackhontaw sent a long ball over to the right to find Morgan leaving all chasers in his wake before sending over the perfect cross for Dawson to finish with some aplomb.

But, as in the first half, the conceding of a goal was a signal for the visitors to turn up the heat for a while, a run down the right seeing the cross being headed against the CB bar. For a spell the CB defence seemed to lack a bit of urgency, a defender's slip seeing Ton in a one-on-one situation with the forward clear favourite to score. Hence the sighs of relief that were visible on supporters' faces as the player fired not far short of the corner flag.

Adams joined the fray in place of Walsh, but still the pressure was on CB as corner after corner came in, the last in the series resulting in Ton hitting a CB post before the pressure was eventually relieved.

But as the finishing post came into view CB rallied one more, a quality run and cross from Morgan finding Thompson in a good position which was ruled to be an offside position. Then Morgan received the ball from Adams to go on another of his speciality runs down the flank, this time to cross towards the far post where substitute Harris-Raffell was on hand to pressure the ball over the line and secure CB division one football for a further season.

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