BARMOUTH & DYFFRYN UNITED           2         LLANRUG UNITED                    1

The Magpies virtually guaranteed their League safety for another season with their sixth win in as many outings against a tough Llanrug side at the Wern Mynach this afternoon.

  BARMOUTH MADE IT SIX LEAGUE WINS ON THE TROT, COMING FROM BEHIND AND GOING DOWN TO TEN MEN WHEN GARY HUGHES WAS HARSHLY SENT OFF FOR AN OFFENCE, THE CLUB CLAIMS HE DID NOT COMMIT.  THIS WAS A WELL-DESERVED VICTORY OVER AN IN FORM LLANRUG UNITED SIDE WHO WERE INDEBTED TO GOALKEEPER DAVE BALL FOR KEEPING THE SCORE LINE DOWN.

  BARMOUTH ATTACKED DIRECTLY FROM THE KICK OFF AND FORCED TWO EARLY CORNERS. FROM THE SECOND CORNER BY PAUL LEWIS, CARL RYAN SAW HIS HEADER BRILLIANTLY SAVED BY BALL. THE HOME SIDE KEPT UP THE PRESSURE AND CARL RYAN SET UP PAUL LEWIS WHO HEADED INCHES WIDE OF BALL'S RIGHT HAND POST. THEN, BOTH DANIEL GWYNNE AND IWAN LEWIS HAD GOAL BOUND SHOTS BLOCKED BY THE OVERWORKED LLANRUG DEFENCE. THE PRESSURE CONTINUED AND STRIKER PAUL LEWIS THEN BROKE CLEAR OF THE VISITORS BACK FOUR ONLY TO BE BROUGHT DOWN FROM BEHIND BY CEIRION WILLIAMS. REFEREE JONES AWARDED A FREE KICK BUT TOOK NO ACTION AGAINST WILLIAMS. FROM THE RESULTING KICK IWAN LEWIS STRUCK HIS SHOT JUST WIDE OF THE MARK. FROM ANOTHER PAUL LEWIS CORNER, CARL RYAN AGAIN SAW HIS HEADER SUPERBLY SAVED BY BALL.

 IN THE 26th MINUTE LLANRUG TOOK THE LEAD TOTALLY AGAINST THE RUN OF PLAY WHEN MATHEW PHILLIPS SENT A LONG THROUGH BALL TOWARDS THE HOME DEFENCE. INDECISION BY THE BARMOUTH KEEPER DARREN ANDREWS ALLOWED KEVIN LLOYD TO SCORE FROM 18 YARDS.

 UNDETERED BY THIS REVERSE BARMOUTH REPLIED INSIDE FIVE MINUTES WHEN CARL RYAN PLAYED A DELIGHTFUL PASS INTO THE PATH OF PAUL LEWIS WHO LEFT TWO DEFENDERS IN HIS WAKE, ROUNDED KEEPER BALL AND SLOTTED HOME INTO THE EMPTY NET. WITH HALF TIME APPROACHING BARMOUTH KEPT ON THE ATTACK AND ANDY PAPIRNYK CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IWAN LEWIS WHO WAS JUST OFF TARGET WITH A TWENTY YARD DRIVE, WITH BALL WELL BEATEN. IN THE LAST ATTACK OF THE OPENING HALF CARL RYAN AGAIN SET UP PAUL LEWIS WHO HIT HIS RASPING DRIVE JUST OVER THE BAR.

   AT THE START OF THE SECOND HALF BARMOUTH RESUMED THEIR STRIDE AND A FLOWING MOVE INVOLVING IWAN LEWIS, DANIEL GWYNNE, CARL RYAN AND PAUL LEWIS CREATED A CHANCE FOR ANDY PAPIRNYK WHO SAW HIS SHOT TIPPED OVER FOR A CORNER BY BALL. THE VISITING KEEPER AGAIN CAME TO THE RESCUE WHEN HE PALMED AWAY LEWIS'S CORNER FROM UNDER THE CROSS BAR. BARMOUTH'S NEXT CHANCE CAME IMMEDIATELY AND AFTER PLAYING A SHORT CORNER, IWAN LEWIS AGAIN SAW HIS EFFORT JUST WIDE OF THE MARK.

  IN THE 66th MINUTE CAME THE CONTROVERSIAL MOMENT OF THE MATCH. WHEN PLAY WAS GOING ON LINESMAN DEAN MORRIS FLAGGED TO GAIN THE REFEREE'S ATTTENTION AND SAID THAT HE THOUGHT GARY HUGHES HAD HEAD BUTTED LLANRUG'S ANDY GARLICK. DESPITE PLEAS BY THE LLANRUG AND BARMOUTH PLAYERS THAT NOTHING HAD HAPPENED, REFEREE JONES HAD NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO SEND HUGHES FROM THE FIELD OF PLAY.

 WITH A MAN DOWN, BARMOUTH CONTINUED TO PLAY ALL THE FOOTBALL AND PAUL LEWIS HAD HIS SHOT TIPPED OVER BY THE EXCELLENT BALL. THE KEEPER AGAIN SAVED WELL FROM IWAN LEWIS AND DANIEL GWYNNE WHO BOTH SHOT JUST WIDE. BARMOUTH FINALLY TOOK THEIR DESERVED LEAD ON 75 MINUTES WHEN IWAN LEWIS WAS BROUGHT DOWN 35 YARDS OUT. THE SAME PLAYER THEN SENT A MARVELLOUS FREE KICK INTO THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER GIVING BALL NO CHANCE.

 WITH THE GAME GOING INTO THE FINAL TEN MINUTES LLANRUG FINALLY STARTED TO SHOW SIGNS IN ATTACK BUT DARREN ANDREWS DEALT COMFORTABLY WITH A COUPLE OF LONG RANGE EFFORTS. WHEN BARMOUTH RETURNED TO THE ATTACK, BALL AGAIN DENIED CARL RYAN WHEN HE PUSHED AWAY THE BARMOUTH MIDFIELDERS HEADER AND BALL MADE ANOTHER FINE SAVE IN THE FINAL MINUTE TIPPING OVER PAUL LEWIS'S SHOT.

The Club has been saddened this week to learn of the death of Mrs Carol Ryan after a short illness at the age of 58. Mrs Ryan was a strong and avid Barmouth supporter over many years and was so proud to see her son Carl play and captain the Senior side for the last decade and more and also her grandson Lennie who is doing so well currently at Shrewsbury. Our deepest condolences are extended to her husband Paul, daughter Krystina who is very much part of the Committee at Barmouth and of course Carl and all her immediate family and friends. As a mark of respect a minute silence will be observed before this afternoon's Welsh Alliance League home match versus Llanrug United.