Highadmit South Wales Alliance League division one

Treforest 4 - Cadoxton Barry 3 (Berry 2, Morgan)

CADOXTON Barry FC were without the key figures of Dawson and Jackhontaw whilst they welcomed back Rhodri Morgan following a long lay-off through injury.

But a slow start saw Cadoxton Barry go two goals down inside the first 15 minutes. The first of these saw a corner driven home by the unmarked Webb from just six yards out.

Gradually, however, Cadoxton Barry began to play themselves into the game as Donnelly looped a long ball forward only to see Morgan's header go just over the bar and Konten was getting ever closer from a series of free kicks that he took.

So it was a little disappointing when the hosts broke away down the left to double their lead with 13 minutes gone. With the charge earning a home corner, the ball looked to have found the net off Curran, though he was under heavy pressure from Webb.

But Cadoxton Barry continued their offensive and it paid off when a long ball saw the 'keeper coming forward in a failed attempt to gather as it arrived between the feet of Weekley and Morgan. Thus, with an open net ahead between them they managed to scuff the ball along the ground and into the net - Morgan looking to have taken the final touch.

Cadoxton Barry were now seeing slightly more of the ball than their hosts but lenient decision making saw that they gained no reward - a crunching red card tackle from behind by Treforest and two Cadoxton Barry penalty shouts going unpunished. But, undaunted, the visitors continued to plug away.

The scores should have been level after an accurate Curran ball forward set Weekly up in a one-on-one with the home 'keeper, only to see the shot fired directly into his path.

But Cadoxton Barry took their eye off the ball when a home attack down the left saw it arrive at the feet of Allen who finished with a well drilled rising shot from a wide angle.

So, trailing 3 - 1 at the break, Cadoxton Barry were going to have to find something special in the second half if they were going to get anything from this game.

Having had an excellent first half, Harris-Refell had taken a knock and was replaced by Berry for the second. And his first touch of the ball got Cadoxton Barry back within touching distance.

A seemingly easy clearance was comically miskicked by a defender allowing the alert Berry to steal the ball in the box to create a one-on-one with the 'keeper and, staying cool, with a little shimmy, he ensured that he won out to reduce the deficit to a single goal.

This seemed to give the visitors a lift as they firmly took control of proceedings to see themselves on level terms by the 16th minute, a corner from the left seeing Curran head on to set Berry up for his second with another confident finish from 10 yards out. Cadoxton Barry now looked the more likely winners as Morgan's silky skills set-up numerous half chances which a solid Treforest defence did well to resist.

But the turning point for Treforest came when, with 15 minutes remaining, Cadoxton Barry made two substitutions. And although the replacements appeared to play equally as well as those subbed-off, the balance of the Cadoxton Barry side seemed to go very slightly off kilter.

Treforest, who had struggled for the previous 15 minutes, started attacking more frequently and Cadoxton Barry repeated something they have done on a couple of occasions this season - namely lose a match in the dying minutes.

But it has to be said that it was a quality Treforest goal that won them the game as the forward shook off his marker to rise high above the Cadoxton Barry defence in heading home a dipping cross from the right.

A late Konten free kick had the power but not quite the right direction to level things up once more for Cadoxton Barry, but Treforest saw time out to the obvious relief and delight of the home supporters.

Next Saturday, January 14, Cadoxton Barry are at home when they entertain FC Cwmaman in a 2pm Bryn-Y-Don kick-off.