Barry Town beat AFC Porth to go top of the table! (From Barry And District News)

Barry Town beat AFC Porth to go top of the table!

8:50am Thursday 27th September 2012 in Sport

AFC PORTH 0 BARRY TOWN 2

BARRY Town arrived at Porth for this top-of-the-table clash with last year's heavy defeat on their minds. This time however, they had players available in all positions, something that due to a catalogue of injuries was not the position last season.

Michael Hartley picked up an injury midweek so Lewis Cosslett came in for his first start of the season with Lee Baldock moving into Hartley’s position.

The Dragons were still expecting a hard game against the only team in Division One who were unbeaten. As expected, the opening 10 minutes or so were cagey as both teams tested each other out.

The first chance fell to the Dragons when a long kick out from Dan Bradley found Christian Doidge but his shot was well over the bar. The Dragons picked up the goal kick and a ball down the right found TJ Nagi but his cross was cleared by the Porth keeper.

The Dragons were starting to boss the game and the next chance fell to Dale Howarth but the keeper saved well. TJ Nagi was creating chaos down the right wing but his crosses were not taken advantage of.

The Porth defence were kept busy as Nagi, Doidge, Howarth and Baldock were continually attacking through the middle and down both flanks but the elusive goal just would not come. It took half an hour before Porth created a chance but the shot went wide.

Nagi then created another chance for Barry but his goalbound shot was deflected for a corner. Meanwhile Dan Clare and Ryan Evans were dealing with anything that Porth could throw at them as they dominated the ineffective Porth forwards. When they did manage to get the ball into the box, Bradley was on hand to clear any danger.

The Dragons kept forcing the Porth defenders backwards and a succession of corners ensued but nothing came of them. The Dragons went in at half time wondering how they were not leading. No doubt Manager, Gavin Chesterfield, would have said 'more of the same and the goals will come'.

And within a minute of the restart Barry were leading. Nickie Jones passed to Doidge on the edge of the box, and he turned and shot into the bottom left corner to give Town a well deserved lead.

The goal seemed to wake up Porth and they dominated the game for the next 10 minutes without really creating a chance. They were trying long balls into the box but could not get past Clare or Evans.

Chances then came for Doidge and Jones but the Porth keeper saved both shots. At 1-0 Porth were always in the game and Bradley had to be alert to a shot from a Porth forward.

With 65 minutes gone the Dragons won a throw in on the right flank. Geraint Frowen threw the ball to Nagi who turned a defender and surged into the box unchallenged. He drew the Porth keeper and easily scored to give Town a two goal cushion.

Jones thought he had scored a third when the ball broke free but he was ruled offside. Chances then fell to Howarth and Doidge but they were unable to beat the keeper, and the game ended 2-0.

This was a comprehensive victory which took the Dragons to the top of the table for the first time in five years.

After two successive defeats at Haverfordwest and Caerleon, the Dragons have now won three on the bounce, playing some scintillating football.

The LDS Motor Factors/RIM Motors Man of the Match went to Ryan Evans.

Dragons: Dan Bradley; Geraint Frowen, Lewis Cosslett, Ryan Evans, Dan Clare, James Saddler, Nickie Jones, Dale Howarth, TJ Nagi, Christian Doidge, Lee Baldock. Substitutes: Ryan Jenkins, Paul Morgan, Nathan Williams, Damon Searle, Brendan Cropley.

* On Saturday (September 29) the Dragons host newly promoted Tata Steel who are currently bottom of the Division.