Two late goals, including an injury-time winner, secured the bragging rights for Ammanford in the first Carmarthenshire Derby of the season against Llanelli Town on Boxing Day at Steboneath Park.
Having been behind for the vast majority of the match following Joe Hopkins’ header, Mark Jones and Lewis Reed’s late efforts ensured Ammanford made the short journey home with all three points.
The Reds have been strong starters all season having not conceded a goal in the opening quarter of an hour of a game all term. They demonstrated just how good they were after the referee’s first whistle by opening the scoring during their first attack of the game after just six minutes.
A long throw into the box wasn’t dealt with by the Ammanford defence leaving home skipper Hopkins the simple task of prodding the ball home with his head from close range.
Llanelli, who started the day in second, were dominating the ball with the visitors having to battle for scraps although when Ammanford could get Tristan Jenkins on the ball, he was having some success down the left flank, getting to the byline but neither of his cutbacks could find men in Black and White.
The third quarter of the match was a drab affair with neither side being able to break the other down. In fact, it took until nearly the 70th minute for a real chance of note and what a chance it was for the visitors.
Morgan Clarke broke through the defence and charged into the box. His effort beat Scott Coughlin in the home goal but not the far post as it rolled millimetres wide of the target.
With a quarter of an hour to go, the complexion of the game changed dramatically with the dismissal of talismanic defender Sean Cronin for the Reds.
As Reed was teeing up an effort on the edge of the area, the experienced centre-half attempted to prevent the chance. However, in the eyes of referee Daniel Richardson, he had fouled the striker playing against his old club and was given his marching orders. Reed curled a freekick inches wide of the target from the subsequent freekick with the keeper stranded.
The visitors made their numerical advantage pay with four left to play. An Ellis Williams corner from the right-hand side was floated into the box onto the head of Jones who nodded the ball home against his former charges to equalise the score.
Callum Thomas went close from range before the winger did brilliantly to set up Ammanford’s winner deep into stoppage time. The winger danced past the Reds’ defence down the left before playing the ball across the six-yard area into the path of top scorer Reed who smashed the ball into the back of the net, sparking jubilation on the touchline and in the stands.
There was still time for late drama as Lee John’s men came within a whisker of a dramatic leveller. With seconds to go, the home side sent everyone forward for a corner and they got the first contact from the set piece. However, the goal-bound effort was cleared off the line and to safety.
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Wnaeth gôl hwyr sicrhau buddugoliaeth i Rhydaman yn y gêm derbi gyntaf yn erbyn Llanelli a Barc Steboneath ar wyl San Steffan.
Ar ôl mynd ar ei ol hi yn gynnar o beniad Joe Hopkins, wnaeth goliau hwyr Mark Jones a Lewis Reed sicrhau buddugoliaeth bwysig i’r dynion du a’r gwyn.
Drwy gydol y tymor, mae Llanelli wedi dechrau gemau’n dda, ac wnaethon nhw gadw hwn i fyny wrth iddyn nhw fynd ar y blaen ar ôl chwech munud.
Taflodd y Cochion y bêl i’r cwrt ac methodd Rhydaman delio â’r perygl. Roedd gan gapten Llanelli, Hopkins, y dasg hawdd o bennu’r bêl i gefn y rhwyd o dair llath.
Roedd Llanelli yn mwynhau’r bêl, ac roedd rhaid i dîm Gruff Harrison frwydro am bopeth. Er hynny, pan roedd y bêl yn mynd i’r asgell chwith, roedd Tristan Jenkins yn traferthi amddifyn tîm cartref. Carlamodd yr asgellwr i’r cwrt ddwywaith, ond methodd e ddarganfod chwaraewr mewn lliwiau Rhydaman.
Ar ôl yr egwyl, wnaeth y gêm ddod yn fler, ac roedd y ddau dîm yn cael trafferth i greu cyfleoedd. Cymerodd tan y 70 munud am y siawns nesaf.
Torodd Morgan Clarke drwy amddifyn Llanelli a saethodd e heibio i’r gôlgeidwad, ond yn anffodus, aeth yr ymdrech mynd heibio’r postyn.
Gyda chwarter awr i fynd, newidiodd y gêm yn gyfan gwbl wrth i Lanelli fynd i lawr i ddeg dyn. Wrth i Reed saethu at y gôl, ymdrechodd Sean Cronin i stopio’r siawns. Ond yn anffodus, meddylodd dyfarnwr Daniel Richardson fod yr amddifynwr profiadol wedi llorio’r cyn ymysodwr Llanelli a dangosodd e garden goch. O’r cic rhydd, aeth Reed yn agos, ond heibio i’r post.
Gyda phedair munud i fynd, wnaeth Rhydaman unioni’r sgor. O gornel Ellis Williams, cododd Jones uwch na phawb a bennodd y bêl i gefn y rhwyd.
Aeth Callum Thomas yn agos o bellter cyn iddo wneud yn wych i setio lan enillydd Rhydaman. Wnaeth yr asgellwr rhedeg i lawr yr ochr chwith cyn croesi’r bêl ar draws y cwrt i lwybr Reed i ddarganfod y gefn y rhwyd.
Roedd dal amser am ddrama hwyr. Gyda chic olaf y gêm, wnaeth chic gornel ddarganfod pen coch, ond er y cysylltiad, cafodd y bêl ei glirio oddi’r llinell i ennill y gêm i’r ymwelwyr.
