Biggest win in five years for Barry Town - and a brace of hat-tricks too! (From Barry And District News)

Biggest win in five years for Barry Town - and a brace of hat-tricks too!

9:30am Thursday 20th September 2012 in Sport

Barry Town 7 GOYTRE UTD 2

THE Dragons recorded their biggest win for five years as they comprehensively beat former Welsh League Champions Goytre United.

Town also had two players score hat-tricks – the first time this has happened for over 15 years, since Chris Pike and Tony Bird achieved the feat in an 8-1 win over Aberystwyth Town.

The Dragons brought in Lee Baldock for the unavailable Damon Searle whilst Scott Jones, Atif Bashir and Josh Bell were out injured. Lewis Cosslett was on the bench.

Both teams started well. The first chance fell to the Dragons but Christian Doidge’s header from a free kick was well held by the keeper. Goytre were trying to hit the Dragons on the break and it nearly worked until Geraint Frowen made a timely interception.

Barry Town made a quick break themselves but TJ Nagi’s cross was too near the keeper and he scooped up the ball. The Dragons then gave away a free kick for a foul by Dan Clare but Goytre were unable to take advantage.

Nickie Jones won the ball in midfield and set Doidge free but his shot was comfortably saved by Mark Snell in the Goytre goal. Minutes later Snell was in action again when he cut out Michael Hartley’s cross.

After this period of pressure by the Dragons, Goytre started putting pressure on the defence but they stood firm and Goytre only managed one shot which was easy for Dan Bradley to save.

The first 20-odd minutes had seen plenty of football but no real chances until Doidge intercepted the ball in the Goytre half and played a ball behind the defence for Dale Howarth to run onto. Howarth drew the keeper and slotted home from 15 yards to give the Dragon a deserved lead in the 24th minute.

The Dragons were now on the up and battling for every ball as confidence surged through the team. Nagi won the ball in a tussle with a defender but he overhit his cross and Goytre were able to clear. Goytre were battling to get back into the game and had another chance but Bradley saved the header and then cut out a dangerous cross.

Bradley threw the ball wide left to Baldock whose ball down the line found Howarth. Howarth’s pinpoint cross found Doidge in the box and he acrobatically volleyed the ball past the keeper to score his first of the season and Town's second of the match. Goytre were immediately back on the attack but were caught offside.

The resulting kick found Nagi who beat a defender, drove into the box and rounded the keeper with a great dummy to slot into an empty net and give the Dragons a 3-0 lead. With 5 minutes left in the first half the game was all but over.

No further chances were created by either side in the remaining minutes, and Goytre manager Derek Brazil was keen to get the team into the changing rooms for what would likely be an interesting team talk.

The second half started with the Dragons kicking off but an error by Clare saw Goytre get their first chance of the half but the shot went wide.

The opening 10 minutes were scrappy, and Goytre eventually got back into it when some sloppy defending at a corner allowed the ball to be floated into the box. Goytre’s unmarked Stephen Hughes flicked a header over Bradley into the goal.

Manager Gavin Chesterfield was clear with the Barry players - this was not good enough, and they responded by going on the offensive, Howarth and Nagi creating chances but the Goytre keeper kept them at bay. With an hour gone Ryan Jenkins comes on for Howarth, to give more bite in midfield.

The Dragons should have increased their lead minutes later when Doidge won the ball back on the half way line and played a great through ball to Nagi who outran the defence, but he put his shot straight at the keeper. It did not take long though for the fourth goal to arrive when a corner from Hartley was met by Doidge, whose header flew into the top corner for 4-1.

As the Dragons went for the kill Nagi charged down a clearance but the ball was just too far in front of Doidge. Nagi was having a fantastic game and his link-up play with Doidge was causing all sorts of problems for the Goytre defence.

With 10 minutes left Doidge becomes provider again when his pass found Nagi who hammered the ball past a helpless Snell to give the Dragons a 5-1 lead.

With 10 minutes left Geraint Goodridge and Lewis Cosslett come on for James Saddler and Lee Baldock, Cosslett for his first run-out of the season after injury. Within minutes Goytre pulled another goal back when Bradley missed a cross and Craig Steins had an empty goal to head into.

The Dragons put this behind them and went on the attack, winning a corner. Another great cross by Hartley was met by Ryan Evans but his header clipped the bar and went over. Nagi won the ball back from the goal kick but his cross just eluded Doidge.

Evans then had another chance but a defender got in the way and the ball was cleared. The Dragons picked up the clearance and the ball was immediately played through to Doidge who made no mistake and fired home for his hat trick - his first for the club.

With seconds remaining Town were awarded a penalty when the assistant referee spotted some shirt pulling on Doidge. Nagi, who doesn’t do penalties, was persuaded by his teammates to take it – and he fired home with aplomb for his hat trick!

The RIM Motors/LDS Motor Factors away player of the match was Adam Carpenter; whilst Christian Doidge and TJ Nagi shared the home Player of the Match award.

Dragons: Dan Bradley; Geraint Frowen, Lee Baldock, Ryan Evans, Dan Clare (capt.), James Saddler, Nickie Jones, Dale Howarth, TJ Nagi, Christian Doidge, Michael Hartley. Subs. Ryan Jenkins (for Howarth), Geraint Goodridge (for Saddler), Lewis Cosslett (for Baldock), Paul Morgan, Brendan Cropley.

* On Saturday (September 22) the Dragons travel to table-toppers AFC Porth, the only unbeaten side in Division One.