Barmouth 2-1 Bishops Castle
Bishops Castle left Barmouth wondering what might have been after a dramatic afternoon that somehow contained quality football, endless long balls, and one moment of defending that Mark Griffiths will probably want erased from club history.
The first half offered very little in the way of actual football. Chances were rare, quality was questionable, and most of the entertainment came from winger Toby Mills when he decided to set the tempo but attempting murder on the poor young, Barmouth player.. He said he got the ball but maybe his fringe got in his eyes because from the sidelines, it looked frightening.
Castle started the second half superbly and took the lead in unforgettable fashion. Kieran Mulloch , who ran the midfield all afternoon like a man possessed, spotted a run forward and played an excellent through ball into space. Unfortunately for Castle, veteran striker Zico appeared to be running while towing a fully loaded caravan behind him and had absolutely no chance of getting there first.
Sensing little danger, the Barmouth keeper casually came out to collect the ball, only to somehow gift possession straight to Tom Edwards from miles off his line. Edwards looked up once and unleashed a superb finish from around 40 yards, sending the ball sailing into the net and Bishops Castle into dreamland.
Mulloch continued to dominate the midfield battle, snapping into tackles, driving forward and generally doing the work of about three players at once. If Castle had managed to get something from the game, his performance would have been the headline story. If only the manager had the option to bring on his midfield partner Flynn Morris onto the pitch to help him out, it turns out that Flynn missed the game but was sure to meet up with the lads in Llanfair after the game to get the low down of the result.
One of those was returning defender Mark Griffiths, back in the side and immediately returning to his trademark strategy of sending the ball into orbit at every available opportunity. Controlled pass? Not interested. Keeping possession? Absolutely not. If the ball landed somewhere within the same postcode, it was considered a success.
But Griffiths’ big moment came when Barmouth were pushing for an equaliser. In a moment of clumsy chaos inside the box, he brought down the attacker and handed the hosts a penalty. Barmouth converted from the spot to make it 1-1 and swing momentum firmly in their favour
With the game suddenly alive, Barmouth grabbed a second later in the match to complete the turnaround, leaving Castle frustrated after such a promising start.
In perhaps the biggest surprise of the afternoon, Ben Millington somehow walked away with Man of the Match after spending most of the game heading people, kicking people, and generally treating the occasion like a 1970s cup final. Quite how he received the award remains under investigation.
Goals
Tom Edwards sponsored by Pontesbury Tractors Ltd
Man of the Match
Ben Millington
Castle are away to Dyffryn Banw on Tuesday 6.45pm Ko
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