DINAS Powys face Croesyceiliog winning 2 – 1 with the match ball being kindly donated by Dinas Vets.

This was an entertaining hard fought game which either side could have won but Dinas showed their determination to come back from conceding a penalty to bag two well-taken goals to take the points.

Dinas were able to field a stronger team than in previous games, including new signing Atif Bashir the experienced Pakistan International who was very influential in the midfield.

The home side started brightly with Luke Swaffield and Ryan Garland linking up well down the right flank but Croesy soon got into their stride and looked dangerous at times forcing a free kick from 25 yards which was blocked and finally went out for a goal kick and when Keiron James lost possession just outside the Dinas box Ryan Hayward fired in a shot which was just wide.

Dinas began to press the visitors back and from a free kick after James was fouled, Garland and Swaffield again made progress down the right, Garland put in a good cross to Nicky Bruce, who put in a looping header on target which Lee Waddon gathered just under his cross bar.

The play was very even, flowing from end to end but the Dinas rearguard were well organised with skipper James Bloxham and James Marr winning all the high balls pumped into their area.

Bruce found Ben Ah-Mun with an excellent pass, he in turn played it out wide to James but his cross was too near Waddon who grabbed the ball with the Dinas front men bearing down on him. Another chance came Dinas' way when a Bruce free kick hit a defender and went out for an unproductive corner and just when it looked as though the pressure would tell; Croesy broke out, played a ball into the Dinas box which hit a defender's hand, the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Zac Osborne hit it hard and low and although Jack Perks guessed the right way the pace of the shot beat him to give Croesy the lead on 33 minutes.

Dinas upped the work rate to try and get on terms striker Ah-Mun pressed hard forcing a corner, taken by Bruce which was headed up in the air by a defender and Waddon raced off his line to thwart the danger and gather the ball.

However, just a minute from the interval Dinas levelled, a long free kick from Bruce found Ryan Garland, he chested in down and jinked past a defender to drive the ball past Waddon for a fine goal.

In the dying seconds of the half with Bashir's composure on the ball making a difference, setting up defender Bloxham for a powerful shot from an acute angle forcing a good save from Waddon.

The second half continued in similar fashion, both sides having half chances early on and when Bashir was adjudged to have fouled on the edge of the Dinas penalty area, Ben Evans hit a shot on target but Bruce belted it away. Croesy were beginning to get on top for a while with Dinas struggling to clear their lines forcing another corner which reached central defender Jack Wellington but his header was well over the bar.

Bashir battled hard to win the ball in midfield and swept the ball out to Swaffield who was having a superb game, overlapping time and again down the right and putting in some excellent crosses, he put another one in but the Croesy defence cleared the danger.

The visitors did get the ball in the net twice within a couple of minutes but the referee's whistle had already gone for off-side on both occasions.

Dinas were flagging a bit so managers Lee Saunders and Richie Garland rang the changes, Khalid Inyang and Garland being replaced by Jack Cole and King Junior Mwedzo with 20 minutes still to play.

Both sides had chances, probably the best for Croesy came from Osborne, latching onto a cross from the right he spun and shot but his effort sailed over the cross-bar and at the other end Ah-Mun put in a good cross from the left which reached Swaffield but he hit his left foot shot straight at the keeper.

Dinas made their final substitution with 10 minutes remaining, Zach Cleary replacing Ah-Mun.

They finally got the winner with 3 minutes remaining, a raking free kick from Bruce reached Swaffield at the far post, he put in a hard low ball across the six-yard box which reached Bloxham who volleyed it home for another well worked goal.

Croesy made two late substitutions, Dan Clouth and Kevin Payne replacing Aaron Harris and Wellington and with the referee playing around 4 minutes added on time, Dinas managed to survive a late corner scare to earn three hard-fought for points.

Dinas squad: 1 Jack Perks, 2 Luke Swaffield, 3 Nicky Bruce, 4 Mike Lazarou, 5 James Marr, 6 James Bloxham (c) (1), 7 Ryan Garland (1), 8 Keiron James, 9 Khalid Inyang, 10 Ben Ah-Mun, 11 Atif Bashir, 12 Zach Cleary, 14 Jack Cole, 15 King Junior Mwedzo, 16 James Curtin.

On Saturday, September 13 Dinas travel to Caerleon for the Second Qualifying Round of the Welsh Cup, kick off 2pm.

Peter King