Ammanford fell to an opening day defeat at the hands of newly promoted Newport City with a 3-1 defeat at Newport Stadium.
Lewis Reed had given Town the initiative on the half hour mark from the spot before Luke Cooper levelled for hosts before half time.
But midway through the second half, the experienced Nat Jarvis netted a brace in three minutes from a combined total of six yards to turn the contest around and earn all three points for his current charges.
In a match which saw Ammanford debut their new Rebel-Lion sponsored home kit, a slow start saw both teams trade half chances apiece but neither side could trouble the opposition net.
The game exploded to life midway through the first half in one frantic minute. The league newcomers spurned a glorious opportunity to take the lead. A great cross from the left wing was headed brilliantly by Calum Bateman but the ex-Llanelli man saw his former teammate, Luke Martin, produce a stunning stop down low and keep hold of the ball.
Ammanford’s stopper immediately sent a long ball up the field and after a clumsy challenge on Adam John inside the penalty area, the assistant referee flagged for a spot kick. Reed opened his account for the 24/25 season with a powerful effort to the keeper’s left to give the visitors the lead.
The homeside rallied well from going a goal down and carved out a superb chance moments later. A freekick from the edge of the box was whipped into the box but Josh Graham couldn’t direct his effort on target.
There was little let up for Gruff Harrison’s men and Newport City were on level terms five minutes before the break. A long throw from the right was flicked on at the edge of the six yard box by the experienced Luke Cooper to earn City their first goal in Tier Two since their return.
The second half started with the home team enjoying the majority of the ball and they came close to taking the lead from a header. However, agonisingly for the Reds, they saw the effort cannon off the bar.
This scare woke Ammanford and they carved out two clear chances of their own, both of which fell to Tristan Jenkins. First, his freekick whistled past the post before he forced home keeper Cohen Riella into a fine stop with his feet.
Just as the Black and Whites thought they’d mustered momentum back in their favour, disaster struck as Jarvis struck a three minute brace. The former Cardiff City youngster struck twice from close range to set the hosts of their way to victory.
The pair of goals broke Ammanford’s hearts who despite plenty of endeavour, were troubling to break down a well marshalled and organised defence.
After an effort from distance from John which went over the bar, Gruff Harrison brought on two of his new attacking recruits in the form of Adam Morgan and Callum Shirt, and it was the former who had Town’s best chance to get back into the game deep into stoppage time.
Some neat interplay on the edge of the area between the former Swansea University man and Callum Thomas teed him up but he could only curl his effort narrowly over the bar.
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Collodd Rhydaman ei gêm agoriadol yn nhymor 24/25 JD Cymru De wrth iddyn nhw orffen ar yr ochr anghywir gêm 3-1 yn erbyn Dinas Casnewydd ar Nos Wener.
Ar ôl i Lewis Reed roi’r Du a Gwynion ar y blaen ar ôl hanner awr, sicrhaodd y tîm cartref fuddugoliaeth enwog trwy par o goliau gan yr ymosodwr profiadol Nat Jarvis a pheniad gan Luke Cooper.
Mewn gêm a welodd Rhydaman yn gwisgo crys adref Rebellion am y tro cyntaf, dechreuodd y gêm yn araf. Creodd y ddau dîm hanner cyfleon ond dim byd i drafferthu’r golgeidwaid.
Deffrodd y gêm yn sydyn ychydig cyn yr hanner awr. Daeth croesiad peryglus i mewn i’r cwrt cosbi ond er i Calum Bateman gwrdd â’r bêl yn wych gyda’i ben, gwelodd ei ymdrech ei harbed yn fendigedig gan Luke Martin.
O’r ail ddechrau, ciciodd Martin y bêl yn hir i’r cwrt cosbi ac ar ôl tacl esgeulus gan yr amddiffynnwr ar Adam John, pwyntiodd y dyfarnwr i’r smotyn. Bwriodd Lewis Reed y bêl i’r chwith i roi’r fantais i’r Du a Gwynion.
I glod y tîm cartref, ymatebodd nhw’n dda i fynd gol ar ei ôl hi ac fe wnaethon nhw bron unioni’r sgôr munudau wedyn. Daeth cic rydd beryglus cael ei chwarae i mewn i’r cwrt i ben Josh Graham ond methodd y chwaraewr canol cae wiro’r bêl i’r targed.
Ond ychydig munudau cyn yr egwyl, sgorodd Dinas Casnewydd y gôl roedd ei haeddu. Peniodd yr amddiffynnwr profiadol Cooper y bêl o dafluad hir i anfon y ddau dîm i’r ystafelloedd newid yn gyfartal.
Dechreuodd y tîm cartref yr ail hanner yn well ac aethon nhw’n agos iawn i fynd ar y blaen ar ôl awr o’r gêm. Bwrodd peniad pwerus y trawst ac glaniodd yn ddiogel o dafluad hir arall.
Ar ôl y drychineb yna, deffrodd Rhydaman ac aeth Tristan Jenkins yn agos gyda phar o gyfleon. Yn gyntaf, aeth ei gic rydd modfeddi heibio’r postyn cyn i’w ymdrech o ongl dyn cael ei harbed yn wych gan y golgeidwad.
Newidiodd y gêm mewn tair munud ofnadwy i dîm Gruff Harrison. Sgorodd yr ymosodwr profiadol Jarvis ddwy gôl mewn tair munud yn y cwrt chwech i sicrhau buddugoliaeth enwog i’r tîm cartref.
Er i John ac eilydd Adam Morgan fynd yn agos yn hwyr i’r tîm oddi cartref, methodd Rhydaman ddod yn ôl i’r gêm ac fe syrthion nhw i’w colled gyntaf y tymor.
