ON Saturday, October 18 Dinas Powys played against Tata Steel in the Nathaniel Car Sales League Cup – Round One. Tata Steel were the winners win a 2-0 result. The match ball was kindly sponsored by Masons Moving Group.

This game was always going to be difficult for Dinas with no less than seven players who would normally be in the squad, unavailable for various reasons.

The visitors started in determined mood forcing an early corner, this produced another corner which was floated to the far post, the ball headed back into the six yard box where Lee Machlachlan got in a firm header to beat Dinas keeper Jack Perks with just eight minutes gone.

Tata then had a free kick awarded on the edge of the Dinas box, Andrew Pearson screwing his effort well wide. Dinas, with several youngsters in the side, were struggling to compete with a strong physical Tata outfit but they gradually got themselves into the game with determined play by Ben Ah-Mun forcing a corner taken by Jasper Morgan but the defence cleared the danger.

Tata were then awarded another free kick on 22 yards, this time Pearson got his effort on target but Perks took it comfortably.

Dinas thought they had equalised when a through ball reached young striker Luke Swain who, with two defenders and the goalkeeper tackling him, somehow toe-poked the ball past them all and towards the open goal but a defender just managed to hook it off the line and the chance was gone.

This gave the home side encouragement and Ah-Mun forced another corner, Morgan found Ah-Mun who got a shot on target but it deflected off a defender for another corner which was unproductive.

The game got a bit heated and after a Tata cross was punched clear by Perks to Rhodri Foote he was scythed down and unfortunately retaliated to find himself red carded and Dinas knew it was really going to be a hard task to get back into the game.

The referee was beginning to lose control of the game and neither management teams were pleased with some of his decisions. Jasper Morgan was then chopped down with Connor Harris receiving a yellow card for Tata.

Things settled down again and with Atif Bashir and Keiron James battling away in midfield Dinas began to get more possession, their persistence earning them a free kick just outside the box, Joe Briscombe took the kick but hit the wall and eventually a goal kick was the decision.

Morgan was still feeling the effects of the foul on him and had to leave the field on 38 minutes, Mike Lazarou his replacement.

Things went from bad to worse for Dinas when Swain pulled up with a hamstring injury just a minute before half-time, Jack Cole taking his place.

Dinas started the second half brightly and as Ah-Mun drove into the box he was fouled, the referee pointing to the spot. He brushed himself down and took the kick himself but Gareth Grantlebury guessed the right way and made the save.

The home side kept up the pressure, Luke Garland crossing to Ah-Mun who fired in a looping shot but Grantlebury was equal to it. Keiron James then put in a determined run down the right flank, he squared the ball but it was just too near Grantlebury who gathered it with the Dinas forwards closing in.

At the other end after Perks sliced a clearance into the path of Mathew Horman, he ran past the Dinas keeper and with defender James Bloxham scrambling to get on the goal-line only to see Horman put his effort over the bar with 15 minutes of the half gone.

However, just three minutes later a half cleared ball again fell to Horman and this time he made no mistake, lobbing Perks from 15 yards to make it 2-0 to the visitors.

Tata then made their substitutions, David Brennan and Chris Parfitt replacing Pearson and Gavin Williams. The visitors then forced a couple of corners but James Bloxham and James Marr were their usual dependable selves heading clear time and time again.

James was tireless in the Dinas midfield, driving into the box time and time again but it wasn't to be Dinas' day. A deep cross from Lazarou reached Ah-Mun who controlled it superbly to get a left foot shot in across the keeper but it was just the wrong side of the upright.

Dinas made their final substitution with 15 minutes remaining, Marc Bloxham replacing young Luke Garland.

A deflection played the ball into the path of Tata's Ross Davies who hit his effort on target but Perks made a good save at full stretch.

Dinas rallied for the last 10 minutes despite being a man down and they had their opponents camped in their own half for some time, forcing three corners on the trot but they could not get the breakthrough and play switched to the other end for the final couple of minutes, a cross reaching Brennan who put a firm header goalward but Perks plucked it out of the air and another attack from the visitors ended when Lee Lewis brought a fine save from Perks to keep the scoreline respectable.

Dinas :1 Jack Perks, 2 Jasper Morgan, 3 Luke Garland, 4 James Marr, 5 James Bloxham (c), 6 Joe Briscombe, 7 Rhodri Foote, 8 Atif Bashir, 9 Luke Swain, 10 Ben Ah-Mun, 11 Keiron James, 12 James Curtin, 14 Mike Lazarou, 15 Marc Bloxham, 16 King Junior Mwedzo, 17 Jack Cole.

On Saturday, October 25 Dinas travel to play Penrhiwceiber Rangers when the management team hope to have a full squad to select from, kick off 2.30pm.

Peter King