Dinas wake up in second half (From Penarth Times)

Dinas wake up in second half

Dinas Powys FC U14s 6 - St Athan 1

THE mystery continues as to how the boys can produce such huge variations in performance within the same game, let alone from one game to the next.

Yet that was the story again as Dinas produced one of their worst 35 minutes of the season, and were fortunate to reach half time at 1-1.

The equaliser was an opportunist strike from Owain Poole, his 12th of the season. after the St Athan keeper dropped a high ball under pressure.

The fact that Dinas were still in the game at that stage was due entirely to a string of missed chances by St Athan.

Last season's keeper Anuerin (Nye) Norman must have wondered what he'd let himself in for, having agreed to deputise for the unwell Jacob Stone, although things improved after half time.

With Dinas down to the bare 11 players due to holidays, illness, injury and non-appearance, it actually helped when the pace of the game slowed in the sunshine, and they clicked into gear at last, starting to pass and move, making the ball do some of the work.

They got their noses in front when Dan Jose broke down the left and under pressure from a covering defender drew the keeper to slot the ball home with his right foot.

The breathing space they wanted came soon after, when the same player burst through and again calmly slotted past the advancing keeper.

The towering Chris Hignett was now in command at the back, as well as making time to distribute some quality balls forward, ably supported by Sam Gardiner, Jake Stone, and Luke Oeppen who were now well in control as a unit.

And Nye in the Dinas goal had a much calmer second half, but was quickly out of his goal to deal with any sign of danger.

The midfield of Poole, Warren Mason, Tom John, and Alex Grigoriou worked tirelessly to maintain the momentum in the absence of any'fresh legs' on the subs bench, but it was up front where the difference told, where Rob Jeffery showed his quality on and off the ball with two clinical finishes taking his season's tally to 15, and putting the game out of reach.

Not for the first time this season though, the final word went to Jose who rounded the keeper before slotting home with his left for his eighth hat trick in 13 games, and a final score of 6-1.

With two eagerly awaited games left against the league's top two clubs, Sully and Llantwit, the boys know they will need more of the second half performance and less of the first half, to take the points they need to improve on last year's league record.