A superb Sion Bradley free kick sealed a 1-0 victory for Cymru C over England C at Stebonheath Park in Llanelli.
Both sides made a rip-roaring start to the game, with plenty of chances for the deadlock to be broken. From a Cymru perspective, Ryan Sears and Emlyn Lewis fired headers on goal, but Elliot Justham was alert enough to make two smart saves.
At the other end, both centre halves for Cymru made superb blocks. Firstly, Emlyn Lewis put his body on the line to deny Callum Maycock before Lee Jenkins managed to clear Paul McCallum’s header off the line.
The dangerman throughout the half, however, was Sion Bradley. The Cofis star made blistering runs down the wing and tested the England defence on more than one occasion. His fierce shot looked destined for the far corner, but Justham managed to punch the ball clear.
For large phases, the half was tight and cagey, but that all changed in the final minute of stoppage time, as Cymru broke the deadlock, and in fine fashion too. Bradley lined up a free kick on the edge of the box, and he saw the ball fly into the net. Justham was a spectator in the England goal, and Cymru ahead at the half.
For all the excitement the first half brought, the second half was quiet for large periods. England did try to push forward and create chances, but the Welsh defence stood firm.
At the other end, Bradley was still being a thorn in the side of the English defence. With a defender on his back, the goal scorer powered through into the box, but Justham parried the ball behind.
As the game raced into its final furlongs, Paul Fairclough’s side searched for an equaliser, but when they went through, they were met by Kelland Absalom.
The Bala keeper was in fine form. He firstly produced a spellbinding fingertip save to deny Ollie Pearce, and then was alert again to stop Reece Smith.
But his best stop came in the 94th minute, when he leapt to his far post to tip Pearce’s scissor kick around the post.
Shortly after Absalom’s heroics, the game was over, and Cymru picked up their first win since their famous victory in Caernarfon two years ago.
