Ammanford failed to recover from a disastrous opening twenty minutes as they lost 3-2 to county rivals Carmarthen Town in an enthralling contest.
After going three goals down in the opening twenty minutes, a pair of maiden goals for the club for Adam Morgan and Callum Jones either side of the interval brought Ammanford back into it.
But despite creating plenty of chances in a much improved second half showing, Wyn Thomas tasted defeat in his first game in charge since his appointment during the week.
Much like the home league fixture against the Old Gold last season, the hosts made a disastrous start and found themselves a goal down early on. Ex-Ammanford winger Gavin Jones was the quickest to react to a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area. After working himself into space, he slotted his effort home low into the bottom corner.
Tristan Jenkins nearly got his side back into the game moments later but he saw his effort palmed around the post by the experienced Lee Idzi.
Things got worse for Town five minutes later as the Old Gold doubled their lead. Noah Daley broke well down the left flank and after exchanging passes, found the bottom corner with his effort.
Josh Bull nearly made it 3-0 when a ricocheted ball fell into his path in the area however, the marksman who won the league with Briton Ferry last season could only drag his effort wide of the post.
That scoreline came to fruition just a couple of minutes later when some slack defending allowed Tobias Jones to cut inside and curl an effort into the back of the net.
New boss Thomas had to contend with the loss of talismanic winger Adam John to injury but his replacement made an instant impact with just his second touch. Adam Morgan notched his first in Ammanford colours with a neat finish inside the six yard area to offer a glimmer of hope.
The goal galvanised the home side and they went close with a trio of chances. Euros Griffiths’ volley went narrowly wide of the target, Jenkins’ superb curling freekick cannoned off the crossbar before Alex Arnold worked his way into the box well but could only curl wide as Town went in at the break trailing.
Spurred on by their performance in the closing moments of the opening period, Town did reduce the arrears to one just seconds after the restart. A well worked freekick allowed Jenkins to cross perfectly on to the head of Callum Jones who nodded home from close range.
Both teams traded chances with only excellent defending preventing further goals. Daley’s deflected effort shaved the post on its way out whilst for Ammanford, Alex Arnold saw a goalbound effort cleared for a corner before Lewis Reed was prevented his 3rd goal of the campaign twice by last ditch defending.
Ammanford were pressing for an equaliser, spending large swathes of the stanza in the opposition half and came within a whisker when Jenkins’ curling effort went narrowly wide of the post.
Carmarthen were a threat on the break and the returning Mason Jones-Thomas saw two opportunities blocked. The first by a great cover challenge from Callum Jones and the second by a simple stop by Luke Martin.
Idzi was called into action with an excellent diving stop just before six minutes of stoppage time were signalled by the referee and deep into that time, somehow, Ammanford failed to complete an incredible turn around.
A mad scramble in the box saw the ball cannon off the crossbar and clear to safety as the Old Gold took the bragging rights in the battle of Carmarthenshire.
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Methodd Rhydaman ddod yn ôl ar ôl ugain munud ofnadwy wrth i Gaerfyrddin ennill brwydr Sir Gâr ar y Maes Hamdden.
Er i Callum Jones ac Adam Morgan sgorio eu goliau cyntaf yn lliwiau Rhydaman, roedd y dasg o ddod yn ôl i’r gêm ar ôl ildio tair gôl gynnar yn ormod i’r tîm cartref wrth i hyfforddwr newydd Wyn Thomas golli yn ei gêm gyntaf ers cymryd drosodd gan Gruff Harrison yn ystod yr wythnos.
Fel yn y gêm rhwng y ddau glwb o Sir Gâr y llynedd, dechreuodd y tîm cartref yn ofnadwy ac roeddent ar ei hôl hi ar ôl pedair munud. Ymatebodd cyn-chwaraewr Rhydaman, Gavin Jones, yn gyntaf i ail bêl ac, wedi hynny, rhwydodd yn dda i gornel isaf y rhwyd.
Daeth Rhydaman bron yn gyfartal munudau wedyn ond arbedodd Lee Idzi yn wych o ergyd Tristan Jenkins.
Sgorodd yr Hen Aur eu ail dim ond pum munud wedyn. Rhedodd Noah Daley i’r cwrt ac orffenodd yn daclus i gornel isaf y rhwyd.
Ac aeth pethau o ddrwg i waeth llai na deg munud wedyn. Torrodd Tobias Jones yn dda ar ochr y cwrt a chroesodd y bêl i gornel isaf y rhwyd i rhoi mantes cryf i’r tim oddi cartref.
Roedd rhaid i’r hyfforddwr newydd ddelio gyda cholli Adam John ond, er iddo golli ei asgellwr pwysig, sgorodd ei eilydd gyda dim ond ei ail gyffyrddiad. Ar ôl chwarae da gan Jenkins lawr yr asgell chwith, gorffennodd cyn-ymosodwr Prifysgol Abertawe Morgan yn dda yn y cwrt chwech i roi bach o obaith i’r du a gwynion.
Ysbrydolodd y gôl y tîm cartref ac aethant yn agos gyda thair cyfle cyn yr egwyl. Aeth foli Euros Griffiths modfedd heibio’r postyn, tarodd Jenkins y trawst gyda chic rhydd bendigedig cyn i Alex Arnold weithio ei hun i’r cwrt ond croesi’r bêl heibio’r postyn.
Ar ôl diweddglo cryf i’r hanner cyntaf, dechreuodd yr ail hanner yn well i Rhydaman wrth iddynt dorri’r mantais i un gôl. Gweithiodd Rhydaman gic rhydd dda ac fe groesodd Jenkins y bêl yn berffaith i Callum Jones ac fe beniodd yr amddiffynnwr canol i gefn y rhwyd.
Creodd y ddau dîm gyfleoedd ar ôl y gôl ac roedd amddiffyn da yn cadw’r sgôr yr un fath. Gwelodd Daley ei ymdrech yn mynd heibio’r postyn ac fe stopiodd Nich Arnold groesiad peryglus i’r cwrt.
Ar ochr arall y cae, creodd Rhydaman dair cyfle. Gwelodd Alex Arnold ei ymdrech yn cael ei gicio dros y bar cyn i Lewis Reed weld dau gyfle ei stopio gan amddiffyn olaf arbennig.
Aeth Tristan Jenkins yn agos wrth iddo neidio ar gamgymeriad yn yr amddiffyn ond methodd ei ymdrech ddod hyd at chwaraewr mewn du a gwyn.
Roedd Caerfyrddin yn beryglus ar y torriad a chreodd eu heilydd Mason Jones-Thomas ddau gyfle da ond cafodd ei ergydion eu stopio’n dda. Yn gyntaf gan Callum Jones ac yna gan Luke Martin, a arbedodd yn gyfforddus.
Arbedodd Lee Idzi yn wych o ymgais cyn i’r chwe munud o amser ychwanegol ddechrau ac yn y munudau hynny, aeth Rhydaman yn agos iawn i unioni’r sgôr.
Roedd scrambl yn y cwrt chwech a rhywsut, fe darodd y bêl y trawst a glanio’n ddiogel wrth i’r Hen Aur sicrhau’r tri phwynt yn ngêm dderbi gyntaf y tymor.
