Vale of Glamorgan League Division One

Cadoxton Barry 2 - 3 Barry Athletic A

Des Evans..................Thomas, Avient

2 pens.........................Phillips

WITH Bryn-Y-Don known in advance to be unfit, CB switched this home game to the Buttrills Fields.

And whilst it back fired inasmuch as they ended up playing Barry Athletic's Premier Division Championship winning A team whose game had been called off, they will take succour in the fact that they pushed the Champions to the limits, seeing them under heavy pressure in desperately defending their slender, and ultimately winning lead for the final five minutes.

An early CB opportunity fell to Slack, but the 'keeper was well behind the shot. And shortly afterwards a Des Evans free kick curled only just over the A team's bar.

Whilst the game swung from end to end, it wasn't until the 14th minute that Athletic threatened seriously when excellent approach work down the left from former Cadoxton Barry player, Oaten, saw him fire just wide of Burboyne's right hand post. And Oaten was in the thick of things once more, beating off a couple of challenges to make space for Thomas to give Athletic the lead somewhat against the run of play.

With the lift that the goal gave them, suddenly it was the Champions who started to take control. And it certainly wasn't against the run of play that as they doubled their lead shortly after. A corner set up all sorts of confusion in the CB box before the ball came out for Avien to strike home with a fine shot through a crowded defence.

But CB had no intention of surrendering to their more illustrious opponents at this early stage as good work by Evo Evans earned them a corner which Des Evans viciously curled in to smite the near upright post.

And for a spell CB started to rain in a series of long range efforts without much accuracy. However, it was a hand ball in the box that gave CB the lifeline they needed to get back into the match, Des Evans stepping up to convert the penalty, driving high into the roof of the net.

Whilst CB were once again seeing the greater amount of possession, it was Athletic who were looking far more potent going forward as CB defenders were lucky to come unscathed from another shaky spell in which Athletic might have re-extended their lead on a number of occasions, a blast in from the right seeing Burboyne having to make a back bending tip over the angle of the bar and upright to keep the deficit to just the single goal at half time.

The second half opened with the initiative firmly back in the hands of the Premier Division Champions as a riposte following a CB foray forward saw excellent team passing offer Athletic an open goal which required a qualifier for miss-of-the-season to see the shot going high, wide and handsome.

Then an Athletic corner from the left set up a spell of pinball in the CB box before it was cleared to the other end where a one on one saw the 'keeper just beat CB to the ball. But Athletic continued to earn the greater share of the ball as more confusion in the CB box saw Burbouyne once more having to come to the rescue. But four consecutive corners eventually saw CB wilt for the third time as Phillips drove home around the 70 minute mark. But though the 3 - 1 lead looked to have made it safe for the Athletic, it eventually proved to be far from the case as that 3rd goal turned out to be the last we would see of them in terms of serious forward momentum.

So, in a game of bigger swings than the last general election, once more it was Cadoxton Barry asking the questions, while, for a long while, it was Athletic who answered with a really solid defensive display as the back four dug in to nullify CB's new found aggression.

But eventually something had to give as the pressure saw a defender forced into fouling in the box, allowing Des Evans a second opportunity to reduce the deficit from the spot. And this he did successfully for a second time, but, on this occasion, the 'keeper made a gallant attempt in getting a touch to the shot before it entered the net.

And so it was, that with Athletic now on the back foot, CB went all out for an equaliser, a Slack long rang dip making the excellent home 'keeper stretch to keep it out. But it was the continued and determined defending of the champions of the division above that clung on to preserve 3 points to pass on to their Division One B team friends.