29.11.05 FAW Premier Cup Bangor City 1 Carmarthen Town 2

Town's long mid week trip to Bangor on Tuesday night was rewarded with a well deserved 2-1 win to book a lucrative home quarter final placing against the competition's seeded opposition.
Gary Lloyd put the visitors ahead with a ninth minute spot kick after Nathan Cotteral had been brought down in the box by Martin Beattie. Town continued to have the better of the first half chances with Cotterall in the thick of the action and could quite easily have extended the lead as Sasha Walters came close on a couple of occasions.

Following the break Danny Thomas rattled the Bangor cross bar following Luke Hardy's floated cross. Then with Town still dominating substitute Mattie Davies made the game safe, with literally his first touch of the ball, after Lloyd's rasping 20 yarder had been spilled by keeper Andy Price with fifteen minutes remaining .
Bangor's Mike Burke netted in stoppage time but despite the late consolation for the hosts Town were excellent value for their 2-1 win.

Town : Delve, Hardy, Lloyd, Giles, Aherne-Evans, Jones (Smothers 48'), Walters (Hughes 85'), Kennedy, Dodds(Davies 70'), Thomas, Cotterall.

19.11.05 Airbus UK 1 Carmarthen Town 3

Having been under the cosh for most of the opening quarter Carmarthen Town re-adjusted to counter Airbus UK’s considerable threat and produced, in the words of manager Mark Jones, a real hard working team performance.

“Airbus is a hard place to come to as they haven’t lost many at home. It was a good win and an excellent team performance.

“I thought our front two were lively and won their battles. The wingers worked their socks off and were involved in almost everything and our centre back pairing was strong. But today we really played together as a team.

Having been exposed early on through Gareth Owen’s considerable influence in midfield and Craig Jones’ weaving runs on the right Town’s Sasha Walters broke down the right, against the run of play, to get in behind the home defence and square the ball for Nathan Cotterall to side foot home and give Town an unexpected opener on 16 minutes.

The early exchanges had seen Owen strike the upright with a well placed free kick from the edge of the box and with the experienced midfielder orchestrating the Airbus attack it took some committed defending by Town to block James McIntosh twice in succession as the hosts applied the early pressure.

But the goal gave the visitors momentum they needed and two minutes later EMC Services sponsored Carmarthen Town extended the lead. Danny Thomas, who was lively throughout, picked up on Rhodri Jones’ through ball and having turned and evaded his marker in the box slotted home to make it two for Town with eighteen minutes gone.

Jones and Richard Kennedy policed the Airbus midfield threat and with Walters working hard to counter the danger on the flank Town began to made their presence felt on the game.

But with 25 minutes gone the Wingmakers pulled one back. Having broken from defence, and with Luke Hardy slipping on the difficult surface, Dave Hughes rounded Town’s backline to square the ball for Jones to reduce the deficit for the hosts.

Town were clearly in determined and resilient mood and quickly restored the difference within three minutes. Thomas broke through to the bye-line and pulled his cross back for the on rushing Mark Dodds to re-establish the two goal cushion.

Dodds became influential and caused problems not only with his strong running but also with some deft footwork. And despite the close, physical marking his presence in Town’s starting line-up was considerable as the visitors finished the half strongly.

Following the break Airbus gradually began to build the pressure on the visiting defence in an effort to reduce the arrears. Andrew Delve produced an excellent two handed save to deny Hughes at the expense of a corner. But with Town losing their shape a little and Airbus enjoyed their best period just before the hour.

Town quickly re-established themselves, and the Richmond Park outfit had a couple of excellent chances to seal the game. Cotterall put a quality ball into the box, having made an excellent run down the left, but with Dodds at full stretch the ball went just wide of the target.

Then, minutes later, with Thomas once again having broken the defensive cover the energetic striker lost out in a one on one with Adam McGhee the home custodian.

With the game simmering and at time threatening to boil over personal battles continued but as players tired Town made full use of their substitutes with young Steffan Hughes making his debut in Town colours in what was an excellent Carmarthen Town win.

Town: Delve, Hardy, Lloyd, Giles, Aherne-Evans, Jones, Walters, Kennedy (Smothers 70'), Dodds (Dodds 72'), Thomas, Cotterall (Hughes 76').

Airbus : McGhee, Davis, Hopkins, Futcher, Connolly, Sudlow (Hussainee 83'), Jones, Owen, McIntosh(Leech 71'), Williams, Hughes.

12.11.05 Carmarthen Town 1 Cwmbran Town 1

Having scored in the first minute visitors Cwmbran saw their slim advantage cancelled on the stroke of half time by Kevin Aherne-Evan’s header and, having withstood a withering second half onslaught, will be pleased to have claimed a valuable point at Richmond Park this afternoon.
With Town camped in the visitors half for most of the second period a combination of desperate defending (Simon Heal cleared his own lines on three occasions), wayward finishing and the woodwork (Evans denied three times) saw Town unable to press home their considerable advantage to convert possession into goals.

An unmarked Christian Hanbury gave the Crows a dream start when he swept in Jamie Edwards cross after a minute and with Kaid Mohamed and Edwards taunting Town with their incisive running it took a little time for hosts to gain the upper hand.
With Danny Thomas and Sasha Walters having come close to the breakthrough on several occasions Town finally equalised on the stroke of half time. Richard Carter’s neat ball into the box found Evans who headed down from six yards out to make it 1-1 at the break.

If the first half had been an evenly contested affair the second half was all Town. Gary Lloyd’s floating cross was flicked against the inside of the upright by Evans and with Evans turning provider for Cotterall’s low header it was Heal who cleared off his own line to deny Town the advantage.

Cotterall became the instigator of much that Town threw at Cwmbran. But as the Crows looked to defend wave after wave of Town pressure over elaboration in front of goal was also costing Town dearly as the forward line favoured taking one touch too many rather than strike at the target.

Mark Dodds’ goal bound shot ricocheted off Evans to safety and with Cotterall’s shot was tipped wide by Wesson and Evans seeing two further efforts denied by the woodwork Town's search for a winner was being frustrated at every turn. But with Town fully committed to attack Cwmbran remained dangerous and threatening on the break and with Mohamed running strongly at Town’s thin line of defence he could well have proved the host's ’s downfall.

But in the end, with Evans electing to head down rather than at goal and Heal once again clearing off his own line from Mattie Davies, the Crows hung on for a share of the spoils with Town fans bewildered as to how a full quota of points had slipped from their grasp.

Carmarthen Town: Delve, Hardy, Lloyd, Giles, Carter (Summers 67'), Jones, Walters (Dodds 58'), Kennedy, Aherne-Evans, Thomas (Davies 70'), Cotterrall.

Cwmbran Town: Wesson, Green, Binning, Ward, Carpenter, Hanbury (Clarke 81'), Heal, Dimond, Fernquest (Misbah 46'), Mohamed,Edwards (Rogers 89'). Sub not used: Carlos.
Attendance 313. Referee Steve Cavanagh

05.11.05 Carmarthen 4 Briton Ferry 0 (Welsh Cup round 3)

A brace of goals for Danny Thomas plus one each from Sasha Walters and Mark Dodds put Town through to the next round of the Welsh Cup at a saturated Richmond Park today.
Despite the atrocious weather the game was played at pace. But with Town hesitant to shoot at goal and Gary Lloyd inexplicably putting over a spot kick on the half hour, after Thomas had been brought down in the box, Town only had the one strike to show for their considerable first half possession at the break.

Thomas had put Town ahead on 24 minutes when Luke Hardy exploited space down the right and drilled in a low cross for the striker to find the corner of the net and give Town a deserved lead.
Kevin Evans and Walters both came close to extending Town's lead but with Leigh Morgan at the centre of the visiting defence in commanding form and Sam Brown looking dangerous on the break Town failed to capitalise on their first half endeavour.

Following the break Town continued to create. Walters and Nathan Cotteral made ground down the flanks and with Cotteral and Lloyd working a short corner well Walters glanced the ball home at the near post, just before the hour, to make it two for the hosts.
Town now camped in the opposing half and Cottrell’s incisive running posed problems for the visitors. Then Thomas bagged his second with a neat trap and turn after Kevin Evans’ effort had been blocked by the Ferry defence.

The visitors continued to battle with Keith Phillips getting above the Town defence from a corner and Brown’s stinging shot well saved by Town keeper Andrew Delve.

But with eight minutes remaining Mark Dodds put an end to the visitors resistance when he dispossessed keeper Lee Williams outside the box and made it four to the hosts. With over elaboration in front of goal costing Town any addition to the tally it was a comfortable win that sees Town draw Prestatyn Town away in the fourth round of the competition on February 4th. 2006.