JD Cymru South : Barry Town close league campaign with win

TEN man Barry managed to save their 27 game unbeaten streak coming from one nil down to beat Cwmbran Celtic 2-1, with a late brace by Kayne McLaggon.

Report by Ian Johnson

Barry Town United brought down the curtain on their successful JD Cymru South season with a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Cwmbran Celtic. 

The win means that Barry have gone a remarkable 27 games unbeaten in the league this season, after losing two of their opening three matches last Summer. 

Against Cwmbran, Josh Graham went close in the opening minutes as Barry dominated the opening half-hour, but without finding the net. 

The game changed on the half hour when a long punt forward from the Cwmbran defence saw a tussle between Barry’s Luke Sylvester and Cwmbran forward Tom Meecham. 

Officials decided that Sylvester had fouled the attacker and, as the last defender, he was sent off, leaving Barry to play the final hour with ten men. 

Worse was to come as Meecham’s free-kick took a wicked deflection off the wall to end up in the opposite corner of the goal to where he had aimed, giving Cwmbran the lead. 

It was a game of few clear-cut chances and it took Barry until the 75th minute to get back into the game. 

An Aiden Lewis free kick was headed down by Luke Cooper and Kayne McLaggon was fouled in the penalty area. 

Stepping up for the penalty, McLaggon rolled the ball into the bottom right corner, sending ‘keeper Josh Winstone the wrong way. 

The Barry winner came after 83 minutes. On the right, Troy Greening’s cross took a deflection, teeing up a powerful volley from Aiden Lewis at the edge of the box. 

Winstone dived full length to his right to save, but McLaggon was first to the ball, netting the rebound, and once again scoring Barry’s matchwinner. 

On Saturday, Barry face JD Cymru North champions, Colwyn Bay, in the national Welsh Blood Service Cup final at Newtown, kick off at 5:30pm, the final game of a successful 2022-23 season.