Two goals from Ammanford’s Lee Trundle turned this game on its head against determined opponents Caerau Ely.
Trundle’s first goal came in the 80th minute and his second goal coming deep into stoppage time. His brace secured Ammanford’s fourth consecutive win.
The first half hour of this game saw both sides having their attacking play thwarted by some good defensive play. Caerau Ely maybe rooted at the bottom of the league table at present but were proving to be a handful for the Ammanford back four.
Joshua Spencer of Caerau Ely was finding space down the left flank whilst at the other end Caerau Ely’s Joseph Shepard was battling hard to stop Ammanford’s Gavin Jones from breaking through.
However In the 34th minute a trip in the opposition penalty area on Ammanford’s Lee Trundle resulted in Referee Jordan Harman pointing to the penalty spot.
Up stepped Mathew Fisher who placed his spot kick to right hand side of the goal but Caerau Ely’s Goalkeeper Elliott Matthews made a good parried save, the ball rebounded back to Fisher who stooped low to head the ball back towards the unguarded left side of the goal but saw his effort drift wide of the post.
As the half came to an end, tempers began to flair up as Ammanford’s Andy Robinson and Caerau Ely’s Captain Lloyd Toghill clashed. Lloyd Toghill had been cautioned earlier for a foul on midfielder Andy Robinson.
The Second Half saw Caerau Ely take the game more to Ammanford and got their reward in the 50th minute when striker James Dixon rifled his shot into the back of the Ammanford net. 0-1.
The Away team could be forgiven for thinking that this was going to be the night that they turned their season around with an away win.
Three minutes later, the opponents aspirations were dealt a huge blow when their inspirational captain Lloyd Toghill was shown a second yellow card and subsequent red.
From this moment on it was all Ammanford as Caerau Ely’s ten men did their utmost to frustrate the home side and in fairness were holding up well. Caerau Ely’s Goalkeeper Elliott Matthews was having an eventful evening having saved an earlier penalty and frustrating the home support with some good saves , but taking his time over his placed goal kicks. It came to head when the referee brandished a yellow card to him for his delay.
With ten minutes left in the game plus stoppage time the home crowd, some 400 strong and with a full stand were on edge of their seats just waiting and willing for a breakthrough to happen.
It finally came when after a scramble in the Caerau Ely six yards area the ball bounced into the path of Lee Trundle who got his knee onto it and steered it into the net to level 1-1.
The home crowd breathed a sigh of relief and all focus now switched to see if they could push on for a winner.
Further chances came and went with Trundle striking the foot of the goal post and Gavin Jones at full stretch almost steering the ball in but wide of the mark.
With the game deep into stoppage time , it seemed that Caerau Ely had survived to earn a valuable point but as the saying goes “hold the back page”, it was Lee Trundle again, who was almost in an identical position within the opponents six yards area to his first strike who controlled the ball, looked up, as he contemplated and then coolly picked his spot to score the winning goal! 2-1.
Despair for the visitors as Trundle wheeled away in joyous celebration as did the whole Recreation Ground to celebrate a win! No time for a visitors comeback as the final whistle blew.
An evening of excellent football entertainment and a great advert for the JD Cymru South league.
Ammanford AFC now travel to Aberdare midweek to take on Pontypridd in their next JD Cymru South league game.
