Ten man Ammanford were made to pay for a poor first half outing as Llantwit Major left Carmarthenshire with their first win of the season.
A pair of goals from Josh Morgan and Matthew Kimmins proved too much of a task to recover from for a spirited Ammanford who had seen Chris Bell dismissed half way through the opening period. Lewis Reed’s late goal proved to be a consolation in a hugely improved second half showing.
Ammanford made a positive start but it was the Windmillers who struck first with the first meaningful chance of the game for either side after a quarter of an hour. A corner kick wasn’t dealt with by the home defence which gave Morgan the simple job of poking home from close range.
Town suffered a further blow when they were reduced to ten men just minutes later. Referee Christopher Ball adjudged his namesake Bell’s challenge against his former charges inside the Llantwit half to be worthy of dismissal.
To their credit, Ammanford reacted well to their numerical disadvantage but only had Morgan Clarke’s effort from the edge of the box which was comfortably stopped to show for their efforts.
Things got worse for the Black and White’s moments before the interval. A cross field pass found striker Kimmins inside the Town half. The striker opened his account for the season with an excellent curling effort past Josh Hutchings to give the visitors a commanding lead going into the break.
After strong appeals from the Llantwit players and management were ignored by the officials early in the second stanza, Ammanford settled well and began to control proceedings and create clear chances of their own.
Euros Griffiths went close with a header at the far post before Lewis Reed had a pair of chances with his head, one of which found the back of the net but was disallowed by the referee’s whistle for a foul in the build up.
Gruff Harrison’s side halved the arrears with a quarter of an hour to go. Ellis Williams was released down the left wing by a superb pass from midfield, The full back played a delicious cross into the box into the path of Reed who smashed the ball home to set up a tense finale.
The hosts sensed a famous comeback was on the cards but found former keeper Jack Lansdown a source of frustration between the sticks as he produced strong stops from efforts from Reed and a pair of chances from Clarke, the last of which hit the post on its way out.
With only three minutes of stoppage time to play, the Windmillers held on and earned their first victory of the campaign, leaving Ammanford frustrated that their second half efforts would go unrewarded.
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Cafodd y deg dyn o Rhydaman noson rwystredig wrth iddynt golli 1-2 ar ôl hanner cyntaf siomedig.
Sgoriodd Josh Morgan a Matthew Kimmins yn y 45 munud agoriadol a welodd Chris Bell yn cael ei anfon o’r maes. Sgoriodd Lewis Reed gôl hwyr ond nid oedd yn ddigon i achub pwynt mewn perfformiad llawer gwell yn yr ail hanner.
Dechreuodd Rhydaman y gêm yn positif ond y gwrthwynebwyr a agorodd y sgorio gyda’r cyfle cyntaf y gêm. Wnaeth amddiffyn llac roi cyfle syml i Morgan i droi’r bêl adref o agos.
Ac aeth pethau o ddrwg i waeth ar ôl ugain munud wrth i Chris Bell gael ei anfon o’r cae ar ôl tacl cryf yn hanner y gwrthwynebwyr.
Setlodd Rhydaman yn dda ar ôl colli chwaraewr ond dim ond ergyd Morgan Clarke o bellter aeth i drafferth Lansdown yng ngôl Llanilltud.
Munudau cyn yr hanner, dyblodd Llanilltud ei mantais gydag ymdrech wych gan Kimmins. O ochr y cwrt, crimanodd yr ymosodwr o Wlad Belg ei gyntaf am y tymor heibio Josh Hutchings i roi mantais cryf i’r Melinwyr Gwynt.
Ar ôl sgrech bwerus gan y tîm oddi cartref yn y munudau agoriadol yr ail hanner, dechreuodd Rhydaman chwarae’n llawer gwell a chreuwyd ganddynt lawer o gyfleoedd.
Peniodd Euros Griffiths heibio’r postyn a sgoriodd Lewis Reed o gic gornel ond dywedodd y dyfarnwr fod trosedd yn y cwrt.
Gyda phymtheg munud i fynd, sgoriodd Rhydaman i setio diweddglo cyffrous i fynnu. Croesodd Ellis Williams y bêl yn wych i mewn i’r cwrt bach a saethodd Reed ei ail am y tymor i gefn y rhwyd.
Roedd gobaith i dîm Gruff Harrison ddod yn ôl i achub pwynt enwog ond roedd cyn-golgeidwad Rhydaman Jack Lansdown â syniadau eraill wrth iddo arbed pâr o gyfleoedd Clarke a pheniad arall gan Reed.
Gyda dim ond tair munud wedi’u hychwanegu, daliodd Llanilltud yn gryf wrth iddynt sicrhau eu buddugoliaeth gyntaf y tymor.
