Penrhiwceiber Rangers 3 V Dinas Powys 1

THIS was a lack-lustre performance by Dinas on Saturday, October 25, whose concentration seemed poor and never really looked like winning the game. In their defence they were without influential Pakistan International Atif Bashir who was unavailable and goalkeeper James Curtin was rooted to his goal-line for the entire second half after a heavy collision with an opponent in the second minute of the second half where he sustained a leg injury.

Ceiber tried a shot straight from the kick off which Curtin gathered and Dinas had a brief good spell of possession without creating anything. Ceiber were then awarded a free kick from 25 yards which the Dinas defence dealt with and the first real chance came when the hosts' Warren Jones got his head to a cross from the right but his effort was just wide. However, in the tenth minute it was Jones again, reacting quickly to a cross from the left for a simple tap-in for 1-0.

A minute later Dinas had a half chance Keiron James setting Ryan Garland up but his shot was off target.

Penrhiwceiber looked dangerous going forward and some neat inter-play between Leigh Smith, Decland Hansonspur and Alex Jones forced a corner which came to nothing.

At the other end a through ball reached Ben Ah-Mun, he was forced out wide on the left but got a shot away which keeper Kit Sawyer could only parry and Jon Dakin following inside footed the ball home for the equaliser with 20 minutes gone.

After a couple of free kicks for both sides which came to nothing a good through ball from Dakin played Ah-Mun in one on one with the keeper but he was adjudged marginally offside.

Ceiber's centre-half Ross Leeke was winning most of the high balls into their area and it was he who played a ball straight through the middle to striker Ryan Buchman who tried to lob Curtin but his shot was just over the bar. Buchman was booked soon after this for a foul on James Marr and then appeared to substitute himself, Nathan King taking his place.

A good run by Luke Swaffield produced a corner for Dinas which was unproductive and it was Penrhiwceiber always looking the more dangerous and came very close to taking the lead again when Smith lobbed Curtin the ball hitting the cross-bar and Curtin dropping on it with the Ceiber forwards closing in. They kept up the pressure for the last five minutes of the half, Smith getting another shot away from an acute angle which hit the side netting but Dinas hung on to keep the score level at the break.

Curtin needed extensive treatment at the start of the second half after the collision but he soldiered on hobbling around unable to take goal kicks or goal clearances, having to throw the ball out to his full-backs. Ceiber sensed it was their chance to press the game and they forced an early corner, dealt with by the Dinas defence and at the other end Dinas had a half chance when Nicky Bruce found Ah-Mun with a good ball, he in turn managed to get a corner from his persistence, Bruce took the corner and James Marr headed goalward but his effort was over the bar.

Dinas then rang the changes, bringing on their young striker King Junior Mwedzo in place of Ryan Garland with just 12 minutes of the half gone. Despite Mwedzo chasing everything, it was still the home side doing most of the pressing with Smith finding King with a cross, he shot wide but they did get the ball in the net when a free kick was fired deep into the box, Smith bundling it home but the linesman's flag went up for offside.

Dinas then made their second substitution, Swaffield making way for Jasper Morgan with 20 minutes remaining. Dinas managed to rally for a while, Bruce forcing two consecutive corners and from the second one Mike Lazarou got a header in but it was over the bar. Dinas defence started pushing up catching Ceiber offside on numerous occasions but eventually they took the lead, Dean Brown lobbing the injured Curtin for 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining.

Dinas tried to get back in the game, James feeding Mwedzo who was adjudged offside and James then put in a storming run down the left but was eventually crowded out and with five minutes remaining Penrhiwceiber made the game safe when a free kick by Warren Jones was fired home by Buchman from eight yards with Curtin unable to get across his box to attempt a save. At the end of the day the hosts deserved the win.

Dinas: 1 James Curtin, 2 Luke Swaffield, 3 Nicky Bruce, 4 James Bloxham (c), 5 James Marr, 6 Mike Lazarou, 7 Ryan Garland, 8 Steve Provis, 9 Ben Ah-Mun, 10 Jon Dakin (1), 11 Keiron James, 12 Jasper Morgan, 14 King Junior Mwedzo.

Cwmbran Celtic are the visitors to the Murch on Saturday, November 1 when kick off times revert to 2pm.

Peter King