Carmarthen Town made the long journey to Wrexham last Saturday and the players must have been very cheered by the level of support that accompanied their team. With the players’ coach full of supporters and others travelling by car the journey was made very worthwhile as Town produced a very competitive performance with a fine victory - their sixth League win in succession.

Manager Tomi Morgan said after the game : ‘This was a very polished performance by the side. A number of fancied teams have come unstuck up here in North Wales this season and no doubt the home team must have fancied their chances again today. Full marks to the boys who kept everything in tight control throughout the game.’

Indeed, the narrow scoreline certainly did not reflect Town’s superiority in this match, especially in the first half, when they could have gained a very substantial lead. As it was the teams turned around at half time scoreless, due mainly to a catalogue of bad luck where sharp chances just failed to find the target and the Druids’ keeper, Leigh Edwards, pulled off a string of fine saves.

Carmarthen’s bad luck was compounded as half time approached when two goals were disallowed by marginal refereeing decisions. Firstly, Dean Rossiter found the net, to be adjudged off side. Then Wyn Thomas’ header seemingly crossed the line but the assistant referee decided otherwise and waved play on. Cefn Druids’ only attack of note came when Rene Bruce-Pinard struck the crossbar with a superb shot from 30 yards with keeper Robert Fitzgerald well beaten.

The visitors continued to apply the pressure in the second half and were rewarded in the 69th minute when Nigel Nicholas made ground down the left wing and his final ball resulted in Richard Parker forcing the ball past Edwards. The home side came into the game at last but Fitzgerald commanded his area well to nullify any danger and substitute Gethin Jones’ 80th minute headed goal put the issue beyond doubt to ensure RSU Windows Sponsored Carmarthen’s retention of the third spot in the LoW table.

If Town are able to gain four points from their remaining two games - at Aberystwyth (Monday) and against Newtown next Saturday - it will guarantee a third place spot and qualification for the Intertoto Cup.

Carmarthen Town gained a comfortable victory against a Conwy side who after struggling in recent months were further depleted on Saturday when a number of their younger players were unavailable due to a representative match involving the North Wales Coast Youth Team and a Scottish Junior League Team.

This victory puts Town in third place in the League and if this remains the position after the last three remaining games qualification for next season’s Intertoto Cup will have been achieved but, unfortunately, an unkindly draw has pitted the Welsh representatives against the qualifiers of the Republic of Moldova.

Town were never at full stretch on Saturday against a plucky side whose mid-field trio of Lee Dixon, Kevin Thelwell and Alan Peaese gave a very committed performance but the visitors can indeed be grateful to keeper Alex Hill for some outstanding saves to keep the scoreline within reasonable proportions.

After Port Talbot referee Phil Southall had disallowed Dean Rossiter’s goal in a marginal decision as early as the first minute the writing already appeared to be on the wall for Town’s beleaguered visitors and Rossiter was again in the thick of action when his shot was brilliantly turned around the post by Hill. The visitors, however, shocked the Richmond Park crowd in the seventh minute and may have warned Town against any complacency when they took the lead. Chris Adamson’s goal-bound shot bounced awkwardly for Robert Fitzgerald and as the ball rebounded from his chest striker Michael Lennon gleefully accepted the rebound to drive the ball home.

The home side had to wait until the 20th minute for the equaliser when Richard Parker found Paul Walker in space in the penalty area who took advantage of the opportunity by driving past Hill. Following continuous pressure in which the Conwy goalkeeper was in constant action it was no surprise that the home side took the lead in the 43rd minute when Rossiter released the on-rushing Wyn Thomas to drive home from ten yards. Within two minutes the visitors found themselves further behind when Siôn Meredith’s goal bound shot was parried by Hill but the onrushing Parker was at hand to drive the ball home.

The second half continued in similar vein with Town hardly troubled but a determined side who never lowered their heads refused to throw in the towel although Parker’s 70th minute individualistic goal sealed matters to leave the North Wales side facing now the very realistic probability of relegation from the League of Wales.

Town’s form in recent weeks has indeed been a revelation, with outstanding wins in the last month against Bangor, Barry, Llanelli and Cwmbran and with Tomi Morgan anxious to strengthen his squad for next season with just one or two players, being very contented with the squad he now has, the future of Richmond Park looks very bright at present.

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Carmarthen Town moved into third place in the LoW Table following a stirring display against high-riding Cwmbran who were ahead of Town in the table before this match and who have also reached the semi-final stages of the Welsh Cup. Town therefore completed a memorable week which had also included a dramatic victory over Llanelli by 2-1 on Tuesday evening, with Ryan Nicholls scoring the winning goal in the second minute of injury time, and Town’s Treasurer must have been pleased with the final attendance of nearly 1500 people having watched these games.

Town now find themselves very much in contention for a European place, albeit the Intertoto Cup which is reserved for the third team in the LoW, and this competition, often derided in previous years, has now attracted the support of the major footballing countries with not least of all seven clubs in the English Premiership expressing their wish to the Football Association to enter the competition.

The expectant crowd at Richmond Park last Friday evening for the Cwmbran match were not to be disappointed as both keepers were constantly in action with home keeper Robert Fitzgerald particularly busy in the early stages to deny the Crows’ very energetic strikers Jamie Hughes and Chris Summers but it was Town who took the lead in the 12th minute. A free kick into the Cwmbran penalty area was only half cleared and midfield player Dean Rossiter powered a tremendous volley beyond the diving keeper Gary Wager to find the top corner of the net.

The 1-0 scoreline remained at half time and the visitors started the second half as they had done the first with some determined play, without troubling the Carmarthen defence, however, and in the 59th minute Town increased their lead. The hard-working Siôn Meredith who seemed to cover every blade of grass on the pitch from beginning to end won a good ball on the half way line and his through ball beat the defence for Rossiter to nip in and strike the ball past the onrushing Wager.

The Cwmbran defence were obviously missing the steadying influence of ex Welsh International Mark Aizelwood at the heart of the defence but the introduction of substitute Matt Davies, playing his first game after several months of injury, injected some urgency in Cwmbran’s forward ranks and Town’s defenders were at last looking vulnerable.

The nerves of the large crowd were stretched to the limits when Hughes forced the ball into the six yard box and Davies struck the ball wide of Fitzgerald to put the Crows back right into the game.

Fitzgerald, however, was in fine form and made some good saves from Hughes and Davies before substitute Wayne Jones, running wide on to a pass from Meredith, made inroads into the Cwmbran penalty area and his well-placed cross was turned into the net by Richard Parker for a fine goal to put the issue beyond doubt just before the end.

Town now have four games remaining - two at home and two away - and a coveted second or third place may only be achieved with a 100 % success record from these games.

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