Barry Sport

Barry Town pick up all three points

7:50am Thursday 11th March 2010

Barry Town 2 CARDIFF CORINTHIANS 0

WITH LAST week's excellent performance in mind, Manager Gavin Chesterfield welcomed near neighbours Cardiff Corries to Jenner Park for this important Welsh League First Division match last Saturday.

All were hoping for another show of the increased confidence and performance shown last week at Bridgend Town – but in the first half it was anything but.

It was the Corries that took the plaudits in this period, their shoot-on-sight and pressing of the ball policy clearly upsetting their more experienced opponents.

But for the crossbar and some excellent goalkeeping by Dan Bradley in the home goal, the visitors could easily have been 3 or 4 goals up by half time.

The Dragons created very little and were chasing the ball with little effect.

It must be admitted that it was much against the run of play when The Dragons took the lead right on the stroke of half time.

Recently returned Pakistan international Atif Bashir played the ball into the path of Rob Blatchford who passed the ball into the box for striker Jaymes Dixon, with his back to goal, to cleverly backheel it into the net past the visiting keeper.

The half time whistle went just as the Radyr-based outfit kicked off and they could rightly consider themselves unlucky to go in a goal down.

Gavin Chesterfield must have really strained his tonsils during the break as The Dragons started the second half with all guns blazing and took the game to their visitors with some aplomb, with the very experienced Damon Searle organising the defence and Kirk Huggins, Dan Clare and Atif Bashir once again outstanding. Michael Parkins, Sam Hartrey (playing against his former club), Nickie Jones and Rob Blatchford in midfield were finding the space denied to them in the first half and things began to fall into place for the team to play some eye-catching football.

With striker Sam Small now holding the line well, Barry Town gained more room in which to operate. They took full advantage of this freedom midway into the second half when Jaymes Dixon, who had looked lively throughout, popped up in the box and from close in hit a half volley into the net from a parried shot by the keeper.

Barry were now fully in control and it was all over for their plucky opponents who were by this time finding the big pitch somewhat tiring in having to chase the game.

With substitutions made by both teams the match came to its inevitable conclusion, with another win for The Dragons.

With runaway league leaders and pace setters Goytre next on the horizon on Wednesday, let’s hope this Jekyll and Hyde performance over the 90 minutes of this game is not repeated and the confident performance of last week's game, and the second half of this match, emulated.

Barry Town: Dan Bradley; Atif Bashir, Dan Clare, Damon Searle, Kirk Huggins; Rob Blatchford (sub Ian Jones), Michael Parkins (sub James Simpson), Sam Hartrey, Nickie Jones; Sam Small (sub Christian Mills), Jaymes Dixon. Subs not used – Lewis Cosslett, Lewis James.

FIXTURE

Barry Town are away to Caerleon on Saturday, March 13, kick-off 2.30pm.

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