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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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