Category Archives: Match Report

MATCH REPORT: TOWN DOMINATE PONTY

Barry 2-0 Pontypridd

Jenner Park, Barry / JD Cymru Premier / Tuesday 17 October 2023

Attendance: 371

A dominant Barry performance saw them take revenge over the club of former boss, Lee Kendall.

The home side were in charge of the game from the start, with hometown boy, captain Kayne McLaggon, making his 200th appearance in a Barry shirt since signing in 2017.

McLaggon almost opened the scoring in the sixth minute, his blistering effort from the edge of the box being pushed onto the bar by Ponty ‘keeper, George Ratcliffe.

It was a busy night for Ratcliffe, probably the best ‘keeper in the Cymru Premier, who played on loan at Barry in 2019.

Barry opened the scoring in the 13th minute. McLaggon and Hulbert created space on the left for a low cross. Keenan Patten dummied the shot and then Harrison Bright steamed in at the far post to shoot low past Ratcliffe.

Harrison Bright celebrates after scoring his debut goal

The second goal came on the half-hour. A corner from the Barry left was inexplicably handled by Jarrad Wright and immediately given as a penalty.

McLaggon’s penalty was saved by Ratcliffe as he dived to his left, but he could only parry, leaving Kayne to put the ball into an open net.

At the start of the second half, a low cross from Rhys Davies was almost met by Jamie Veale, but he couldn’t direct the shot towards goal, while Ratcliffe pulled off two saves from both Patten and
McLaggon.

It could have been 3-0 in the 81st minute, with Mike George and Hulbert setting up McLaggon, but his final touch took the ball wide.

With eight minutes of second half injury time played, Barry boss Steve Jenkins was pleased when his side not just won the match, but kept a clean sheet with it.

Although out of the Cymru Premier relegation zone, Barry’s bounceback faces a tough challenge in leader leaders The New Saints on Saturday (2:30pm kick off). The clubs drew 2-2 at Oswestry earlier in the season.

MATCH REPORT: TOWN CRUISE PAST PORTHCAWL

Barry 6-0 Porthcawl

Jenner Park, Barry / JD Welsh Cup / Saturday 14 October 2023

Attendance: 306

Barry cruised to a place in Round Three of the JD Welsh Cup with a flurry of second half goals, sealing a 6-0 win over Porthcawl Town Athletic at Jenner Park.

After the expected domination in the opening half, Michael George’s 26^th minute opener was long overdue but Town continued to be mostly frustrated by a resolute defence by the Seasiders.

An overlapping run combined with a pinpoint Ollie Hulbert pass allowed for the Town wing-back to fire his effort into the upright of the netting at Andrew Fisher’s near post.

Jordan Cotterill doubled the Town lead on 58 minutes when a silky through ball from substitute Troy Greening allowed Cotterill his first goal of the season with a composed one-on-one finish.

In similar fashion to Cotterill, Hulbert got in on the action when he penetrated a gaping hole in the backline, slotting past Fisher just past the hour mark.

It didn’t take long for Callum Huggins to leave his mark on the second half. A Harrison Bright cross from the left hand side was nodded in from close range by the 18-year-old for his second goal from the bench in as many matches.

Kayne McLaggon made it 5-0 in quick succession, with the captain following similar suite to earlier goals, Cotterill feeding a through ball for the captain to become the fifth name on the scoresheet.

McLaggon secured a brace late on with Cotterill recording a hat-trick of assists, squaring a simple ball to the Barry striker to rub further salt into the Porthcawl wound.

With a league fixture against Pontypridd United just three days after the Welsh Cup Second Round, the Town opted to force a guaranteed place in Round Three of the draw with an imbalance of quality against a midtable, fourth tier Porthcawl Town side.

An array of chances came for the hosts in the first half, Rhys Davies set the intentions within the first minute when he found his way into the Porthcawl box before firing over.

A rare chance came for the visitors after 42 minutes with Evan Press disputing a foul, Jonah Lewis and Jordan Marks were able to link up on the edge of the Barry box before the latter failed to trouble Luc Rees with the effort.

The Town were prolific in the second half with substitutes impressing and total professionalism of a Cymru Premier outfit being shown when everything they touched turned to gold for a five-goal second half.

Barry Town United: Rees, Press, Sainty (Bright 51’), Blythe, George, Davies (Huggins 67’), Patten, Tomlinson (Greening 57’), Cotterill, McLaggon (c), Hulbert (Sylvester 67’).

Subs not used: Tucker.

Porthcawl Town Athletic: Fisher, Greenwood, Best, Budd (Jones 70’), Emery (c), McCarthy, Rayner, Hoven (Joyce 45’), Lewis, Marks, Edwards (Thomas 45’).

Subs not used: Amos, Adams.

Goals: George 26’, Cotterill 58’, Hulbert 65’, Huggins 69’, McLaggon 73’, 87′.

MATCH REPORT: INJURY-HIT TOWN LOSE IN CYNCOED

Cardiff Metropolitan University 2-1 Barry Town

Cyncoed Campus, Cardiff / JD Cymru Premier / Friday 6 October 2023

Attendance: 402

A first ever senior Barry Town goal for Callum Higgins gave fans hope for a late comeback, but Barry were beaten 2-1 by Cardiff Met at Cyncoed last Friday night.

Barry now face three home games in a week as they look to improve their season – at home to Porthcawl Town in the Welsh Cup, then Pontypridd on Tuesday 17th (7:45pm) and champions, TNS on Saturday, 21st (2:30pm).

Steve Jenkins’s injury list increased with midfielder Jamie Veale ruled out of last Friday’s game, one of six players missing from the starting line-up.

Barry keeper Luc Rees did well to turn Elliott Evans’s free-kick onto the post early in the game. There were chances at both ends after 15 minutes. Aiden Lewis’s low shot from the edge of the box forced a save from Met keeper Alex Lang, but Met broke quickly, and Rees was quick off his line to stop Tom Vincent from shooting.

Barry’s best chance of the first half came after 33 minutes, when Harrison Bright’s ball down the right saw Ollie Hulbert outpace his marker, but his shot went into the side netting.

Met took the lead at the start of the second half. Vincent headed down for Elliott Evans to ghost between two Barry defenders and his left footed shot from the edge of the box gave Rees no chance.

The hosts made it 2-0 after 55 minutes. Met’s Lewis Rees managed to slide his pass behind the Barry defence and a first time effort from Harry Owen hit the back of the net.

Barry pressed at the other end, with chances falling to Jordan Cotterrill and Keenan Patten.

They eventually made a breakthrough in injury time when Ben Blythe’s cross from the left was netted by substitute Huggins from close range, but it was too late to change the outcome.

MATCH REPORT: bruised and disappointed. Town lose to Caernarfon

Barry 0-3 Caernarfon

Jenner Park, Barry / JD Cymru Premier / Saturday 30 September 2023

Attendance: 471

Barry will feel a little bruised and disappointed with themselves as a clinical Caernarfon Town brushed them aside at Jenner Park.

Playing their third tough Cymru Premier game in a week, Steve Jenkins had to shuffle his side again due to injury, with Luc Rees making a competitive debut replacing Mike Lewis in goal, and three first choice defenders missing.

Barry’s best chance of the match came after 20 minutes when the visitors struggled with clearing a corner and Harrison Bright’s cross across the face of goal was almost poked home by Kayne McLaggon.

The Caernarfon opener came out of the blue after 27 minutes. A long ball into the box wasn’t cleared and Zack Clarke teed himself up at the edge of the penalty area before lashing past Rees in the Barry goal.

Barry could have equalised when Caernarfon’s defenders misjudged their own free-kick, but despite the presence of McLaggon, Ollie Hulbert and Keenan Patten, they couldn’t punish the mistake.

Caernarfon doubled their lead just before half-time. Again the ball into the box should have been cleared but a slip by Mike George was costly, allowing Marc Williams time to advance and shoot past Rees.

The visitors nearly scored a third early in the second half, but Luc Rees made an excellent double save from Adam Davies, who won the header from a corner, and was again first to the ball when Rees parried it away.

Sadly the third goal came from a Barry mistake. With Barry taking a quick free-kick, it was Caernarfon’s Marc Williams who reacted first and headed towards goal, allowing him to square the ball for Davies to finish from close range and make it 3-0.

Barry travel to face Cardiff Met on Friday night (7:45pm kick off) and then host Porthcawl Town at Jenner Park in the Welsh Cup on Saturday, 14 October (2pm kick off).

MATCH REPORT: Town edged out at Penybont

Penybont 1-0 Barry

SDM Glass Stadium, Bryntirion / JD Cymru Premier / Tuesday 26 September 2023

Attendance: 863

Barry fell to a 1-0 defeat to Penybont at SDM Glass Stadium following their opening win in the JD Cymru Premier on Saturday.

Despite a resilient effort from the Town, it was Chris Venables’ 20th minute acrobatic effort that separated the two sides in his Cymru Premier record 537th appearance.

After defeating Bala Town convincingly on Saturday, Curtis MacDonald and Evan Press were both absent from the squad against Penybont, requiring reinforcements at the back, including a first start for Ben Blythe.

Harrison Bright and Mike George both showed positive intent inside 10 minutes with efforts from range failing to challenge the keeper.

Penybont caught Mike Lewis on the edge of his box attempting to clear a long ball with a foul on Keyon Reffell, although the hosts couldn’t make the free-kick count.

Ollie Hulbert continued his arial threat with a header from a Davies corner, cleared off the line in the second half.

Harrison Bright and Kayne McLaggon shortly followed Hulbert’s chance, linking up down the right-hand side, the captain’s dangerous, low cross finding no one across the six-yard area.

Hulbert beat the offside trap looking for an equaliser, when he was eventually held up, he beat two defenders in the process of getting his shot underway, only for McLaggon to get in the way of his effort.

Rhys Davies also went close late on, with a floated in cross finding his feet before firing over.

MATCH REPORT: Town earn first win of the season. Bala defeated at Jenner Park.

Barry 3-1 Bala Town

Jenner Park, Barry / JD Cymru Premier / Saturday 23 September 2023

Attendance: 374

The Town’s summer signing Ollie Hulbert pulled the strings with a first half brace before a superbly dominant defensive performance in the second period, which included captain Kayne McLaggon assuring the result with 15 minutes to play.

Bala had chance of a fightback when substitute Josh Ukek sent an off-balanced effort off the underside of the ‘bar and in on 72 minutes, but the outcome was ultimately decided as 3-1 thanks to the hosts’ early dominance.

After a bright start, a mix-up at the back led to a two-on-two with McLaggon slipping through Hulbert to put the Town one-up with ease inside 12 minutes.

The 21-year-old added to his earlier tally on the stroke of half-time with a scrambled clearance falling to Hulbert to fire home his fifth of the season from close range.

McLaggon put the Bala hopes to sleep after the visitors pulled one back, beating the offside trap to calmly put a one-on-one effort past Kelland Absalom.

A dangerous free-kick from the visitors in the ninth minute tested Mike Lewis early, preventing an effort from sailing into top corner.

Barry weren’t shy with getting numbers into the box directly after, Hulbert once again with a chance before the recycled attack had a spectacular McLaggon overhead effort saved.

Kayne McLaggon overhead kick. Copyright Perry Dobson

McLaggon missed a chance to double the lead later on in the half when Harrison Bright went on a run down the right-hand side, squaring a low cross to the Town captain who sent his effort over the crossbar.

Within three minutes of the second half starting, Barry were dangerous with two attacks from long throw-ins. First, McLaggon heading off the crossbar from Davies’ throw, before Keenan Patten blazed over at the back post on the second effort.

Bala fought back into the game while the Town looked to shut up shop defending their two-goal lead but ultimately a solid performance from the Barry backline, including a couple of brilliant last ditch saves from Mike Lewis kept the visitors out to produce the first three points of the season.

MATCH REPORT: TOWN DEFEATED AT HOME

Barry Town 1-4 Connah’s Quay

Jenner Park / JD Cymru Premier / Saturday 9 September 2023

Attendance: 478

Barry were denied their first win in the JD Cymru Premier as Connah’s Quay Nomads came from behind to pick up all three points at Jenner Park.

The Town fell to a 4-1 defeat despite taking the lead through Ollie Hulbert, after a Jordan Davies brace and goals from Jack Kenny and John Disney flipped the result on its head.

After withstanding pressure from The Nomads for the opening stages, Ollie Hulbert headed home from a third corner in quick succession for Barry. Whipped in by Jamie Veale, the 21-year-old Hulbert secured his third goal in six games for his new club.

Minutes after, Davies had an equaliser disallowed for the Nomads, but he found the net late in the first half with a header from close range to level the game.

Kenny took just three minutes after the equaliser to put the Nomads ahead, tapping home a low cross from close range just before half-time.

The Town looked to counter throughout with Kayne McLaggon going close, notably forcing a smart save whilst the score goalless early in the first half.

Davies made up for an earlier chance to kill off the game in the second half with a 65^th minute strike from the edge of the area to double his tally.

With Connah’s Quay coasting around the pitch, a quick move around the penalty area gave the captain, Disney a goal with a ball squared across the six-yard box for a simple tap in. The game was brought to a close but not before a Chris Hugh free kick forced an outstanding save from Rushton in the Nomads goal.

The Town travel on Saturday 16th September to Newtown in search of their first win despite positive displays by Steve Jenkins’ men.

Image courtesy of Perry Dobbins Photography

MATCH REPORT: PONTYPRIDD AWAY

Pontypridd United 1-0 Barry Town

USW Sports Park / JD Cymru Premier / Saturday 2 September 2023

Attendance: 479

Steve Jenkins and Damien Flynn at Pontypridd United. Image by Perry Dobbins Photography

A controversial first-half penalty was the only difference between the two sides at the USW Sports Ground in Treforest last Saturday.

Barry manager Steve Jenkins had a busy few days in the transfer window last week, bringing in loan signings Harrison Bright from Newport County and Ben Blythe from Swansea City, both defenders.

The Pontypridd line-up featured no fewer than four former Barry Town players, as well as former Barry manager, Lee Kendall, on the sidelines.

The game’s key moment took place in the 18th minute when Barry defender Callum Sainty shrugged off the challenge of Curtis Jemmett-Hutson in the box and was shocked to see the assistant referee flagging for a foul.

Pontypridd’s Ben Ahmun scored the resulting penalty, sending his shot low to the left of Barry ‘keeper Mike Lewis.

Barry’s best opportunity of the first half came when Jamie Veale’s free-kick forced Ponty’s George Ratcliffe to dive full length to his right.

At the other end, Ahmun hit the post, having cut inside his marker.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Ponty went down to ten men when Ethan Vaughan saw his second yellow card of the match.

Barry pushed up to try and force an equaliser. From a corner, Sam Snaith saw his downward header cleared off the line.

Minutes later, fellow substitute Lucas Tomlinson took the ball past Ratcliffe, but his shot was again stopped on the line by the outstretched leg of Ben Margetson.

Defender Ben Blythe, on his debut, also forced Ratcliffe into action, his far post header being saved.

However, Barry’s search of an equaliser left them vulnerable to Ponty’s counter-attack.

On one occasion, Corey Sheppard outpaced the defence but fired wide, while late in the game, Mike Lewis pulled off excellent one-on-one saves, firstly from Clayton Green and then from Curtis Rees.

Barry welcome Connah’s Quay Nomads to Jenner Park on Saturday, kick-off at 2:30pm.

Image courtesy of Perry Dobbins Photography

Llantwit Major 0-1 Barry Town United | JD Cymru South | Match Report

A 9th minute goal from Barry Man of the Match, Luke Cooper, was just enough to earn Barry three points in the return festive fixture at Windmill Lane.

Travelling support made up a large amount of the 550 fans at the game, as Barry went four points clear at the top of JD Cymru South.

The early goal came from a corner on the Barry left with Cooper outjumping his marker to head home.

It was a tight match, though, and Barry had to defend doggedly in the second half, especially after the sending off of Chris Hugh for a second yellow card in the 58th minute left Town down to ten men with more than half an hour to play.

Llantwit’s numerical advantage was clear and in the final minutes, Mike Lewis’s goal led a charmed life, with one effort coming back off the inside of the post, and a number of scrambled clearances inside the box, but Barry held on.

Barry Town United 2-1 Llantwit Major | JD Cymru South | Match Report

Barry Town stretched their winning run to 12 league matches as they beat Llantwit Major 2-1 at Jenner Park to keep hold of top spot in the Cymru South.

Josh Graham’s second-half strike settled the game after Nathan Evans had cancelled out Liam Warman’s opener. Barry had been under pressure before Graham’s goal and endured a tough time until they went in front for a second time.

With their victory, Lee Kendall’s men remain a point above second-placed Briton Ferry Llansawel, who comfortably saw off ten-man Goytre United. Kendall’s only blemish since succeeding Gavin Chesterfield was a Welsh Cup defeat to Gresford Athletic.

The visitors almost opened the scoring in the first attack of the game but failed to take their opportunity. Matt Kimmins dribbled into the box but Rob Jones could not scruff his shot at goal having fallen to the floor.

Barry had seen their fair share of possession in the opening stages but it was a set piece that almost saw them take the lead. Chris Hugh’s corner-kick was floated in and Luke Cooper with a free header cleared it over the bar. Liam Warman and Jordan Cotterill then had half-opportunities from uncleared corner kicks, but could only blaze their shots from outside the box over the goal.

Barry changed their game up from crosses to playing on the deck and almost scored from it. Graham tackled and from the centre, Sainty played a pass out to Warman, before receiving the ball back in the box and scooping his wide.

The deadlock was broken in fortuitous fashion with Llantwit’s hard work undone by the slippery surface. Warman received the ball from Press and drilled a low shot underneath Jack Lansdowne, who fumbled his effort, with the ball going underneath him.

Barry’s lead would be short-lived however and it could be Mike Lewis that would be looking to the heavens after relentless rain. Nathan Evans let fly from 25 yards out and it slipped out of the Barry keeper’s hands into the net.

Llantwit finished the first half strongly with Kimmins twisting and turning but his teammates’ route was blocked for a clear run at goal. Rob Jones fizzed a low attempt just past the post. A similar opportunity fell in stoppage time with Kimmins again showing neat footwork and setting up Jones, but the shot would take a deflection as it agonisingly missed the target.

The second half started with a half-opportunity for Michael George, who enjoyed his partnership with Warman in front of him. George was influential down the right side and found Sam Johnson with a delightful ball, but he was blocked numerous times by Lansdown as he tried to touch a shot home.

Llantwit carved several opportunities with Lewis almost gifting substitute Ryan Harris a gift with a low cross nearly trickling underneath him. The tricky Kimmins then had two chances to score, with one saved and another going wide.

The tenacious Graham scored his fourth goal of the season to put Barry in front. He drilled a low shot past a sea of bodies that obstructed Lansdown’s view to restore the hosts’ advantage.

Barry’s second goal gave them fresh confidence to add a third and Johnson – who endured a difficult day in front of goal – could not get a first-time shot from George’s cross.

A raft of substitutions came as the game entered the last 15 minutes and that took the sting out of the game. Llantwit did have a few half opportunities to score with Joel Woodington flashing twice two shots, but ultimately they fell to defeat.

By Jordan Jones of Y Clwb Pêl-droed