DINAS Powys FC faced Risca United with Dinas losing the match 3-1. The match ball for the game was sponsored by Vale Food Services.

The visitors proved too strong for the young Dinas side but they certainly made them work hard for the win with Dinas goalkeeper James Curtin having another superb game, saving a penalty for the second match running and making several top class saves to keep the score down.

The opening few minutes were pretty even with half chances for both sides, Nicky Bruce drove a free kick into the Risca box but the linesman's flag went up for offside.

At the other end Daniel Battle drove into the Dinas area and got a shot away which cleared the Dinas crossbar.

A mazy run by King Junior Mwedzo ended with a good cross to the far post for the home side but Sam Johnson miss-cued at the far post. Connor Caton then played a long ball through the channel to Dinas striker Nathan Donnelly but his first touch was too heavy and Risca ‘keeper Mark Mears came off his line fast to collect the ball.

The visitors began to put some pressure on winning a corner where Battle found Matthew Thomas who hit a powerful shot which was just wide. They then attacked down the left flank where a cross again found Battle and his shot was taken well by Curtin just under the crossbar.

Dinas were then awarded a free kick taken by Nicky Bruce which was half cleared to Ricky Newman but his shot was also off target.

The visitors got the opener on 17 minutes, a square ball from the left found Kyle Williams who lobbed it home just under the bar.

Dinas then played their way out of trouble in their own box with some neat inter-passing which ended with Bruce putting in a diagonal cross looking for Donnelly but it was just too high for him to control. Bruce then hit a long free kick to Ben Ah-Mun who drove into the Risca box but he was at an acute angle and his effort hit the side netting. From yet another Dinas free kick the visitors broke quickly with the pacey David Hurley and his shot was only inches wide of Curtin's right post.

Dinas then, should have done better, when a good attack found Newman 10 yards from goal but he got underneath the ball and it sailed over the bar. Donnelly then shrugged of several tackles to put a cross in to Johnson at the far post but he miss-hit it and the chance was gone. This was the last action of the first half which was fairly even.

The visitors were straight on the attack in the second period with Hurley volleying a cross from the right which Curtin saved but they were not to be denied and Williams added his second, latching onto a square pass from the left to steer it just inside the right hand post for 2-0 with only five minutes of the half gone. They piled on the pressure and got their third 10 minutes into the half, Thomas winning the ball easily and made room for the shot which beat Curtin.

Dinas began to weather the storm and got some good attacks of their own going without managing to test Mears. Full back Luke Swaffield got to the bye-line and put in a good cross to Ah-Mun who hit a looping shot just over the bar.

Dinas then rang the changes, Swaffield and Newman making way for Lewis Marsh and Charlie Baister with 25 minutes still to play.

Marsh was soon in the action driving to the goal-line to win a corner which Bruce took but Mears gathered the ball high in the air under pressure from the Dinas attack. Mwedzo was twisting and turning with the ball in his usual manner and he managed to thread a superb ball into Donnelly's path but again his first touch was too heavy and Mears gathered the ball before he could shoot.

Dinas were doing better at this stage and a cross from Ah-Mun was headed down on target by Donnelly but it didn't have enough power to trouble Mears.

At the other end Bruce was dispossessed by Battle but his shot skimmed the outside of the post. Play switched to the other end and good link up play between Johnson and Marsh found Mwedzo in space and he hit a fine shot which just clipped the top of the bar and went over. With 10 minutes remaining Dinas got a consolation goal when a diagonal ball from Johnson was driven home at the far post by Baister.

The visitors were then awarded a penalty for a trip in the box and up stepped Williams for his hat-trick but Curtin had other ideas and guessed the right way to push the ball out for a corner and in the final couple of minutes it was Curtin again saving from point plank range to keep the score-line respectable.

Dinas: 1 James Curtin, 2 Luke Swaffield, 3 Nicky Bruce, 4 James Bloxham (c), 5 Connor Caton, 6 Ben Ah-Mun, 7 Sam Johnson, 8 Keiron James, 9 Nathan Donnelly, 10 Ricky Newman, 11 King Junior Mwedzo, 12 James Alloway, 14 Jamie Bagnall, 15 Tim Glossop, 16 Lewis Marsh, 17 Charlie Baister (1).

Dinas complete their fixtures on Saturday, May 9 when Aberbargoed Buds are the visitors to the Murch, 2.30pm kick off.

Peter King