Match Report | Barry Town 3 – 2 Penybont
Author: Archie Tooth
Supersub Kayne McLaggon fired Barry through to the final four of the Nathaniel MG Cup with a 3-2 victory over Pen y Bont.
A brace from the inform Ollie Hulbert and an 80th minute winner from Kayne McLaggon earned Barry a hard-fought win to propel them into the semifinals for the first time in four years.
Five changes were made to Steve Jenkins’ side, Hulbert returned after being fully rested against Caerau Ely on Saturday. Luc Rees started in goal for the Town as Robbie Willmott, Elliot Richards and Ieuan Owen also came into the starting eleven.
Pen y Bont started brightly, in the fifth minute an Eduardo Bregua cross found defender Gabriel Kircough, who’s cushioned header looped over Luc Rees into the goal. Kircough came close to a second in the 27th minute when his header struck the crossbar.
Harrison Bright found space down the left wing for Barry throughout the first half but was unable to find a man free in yellow to threaten the visitors.
Pen y Bont keeper Michael Lewis was kept busy during the opening 45, denying Bright’s goal-bound strike in the 37th minute and claiming multiple of the Town’s crosses.
In the 34th minute Town’s star boy Hulbert scored the leveller, a Bright throw-in from distance caused chaos in the visitor box, unable to clear the ball, it found Hulbert who shifted it onto his favoured right foot and smashed the ball into the roof of the net.
His second of the evening came ten minutes later, Bright provided a whipped cross for the Town’s no.22 to direct into the bottom left corner, making his tally for the season 11 in all competitions.
Late on in the first Ioan Philips failed to capitalize on an opportunity to tie the match for the visitors, his close-range effort was sent wide of the post to his disbelief.
Barry came close to extending their lead in the dying moments of the half but instinctive blocking from Pen y Bont defenders meant the score was 2-1 at halftime.
Tempers flared between players when Pen y Bont’s James Crole committed a rash off the ball challenge on Ben Margetson, to the anger of Barry only a yellow card was issued.
Keenan Patten saw his header go just wide of the goal to make it 3-1 in the 52nd minute. Bright key in the build-up played through Elliot Richards, on the run his lofted cut-back found the unmarked Patten who directed his header inches off target.
Barry keeper Luc Rees was put under unnecessary pressure when Josh Yorwerth played an unwelcomed back pass, the visitors no.14 forced Rees to scramble the ball out for a corner kick.
Following a fast break Crole found space in the box to pull the trigger, but Callum Sainty recovered excellently to deny their no.10 from levelling the tie. Crole did equalise eventually, in the 78th minute his right footed strike curled into the bottom right corner to make it 2-2.
It took only two minutes for the Barry to retake the lead. A stunning diagonal pass from Willmott found Hulbert on the left wing who chopped inside and found the unmarked McLaggon at the back post, his volley was struck low and hard into the bottom right corner.
Barry fought hard for the remaining minutes of the match; conservative ball retention gave the Town the rest bite they needed to see out the match and secure their place in the semifinals with the draw set for 8pm on the 28th October.
A trip to North Wales for Jenkins’ men next as they face newly promoted Flint Town at 2:30pm on Saturday 26th October.
Full Time: Barry Town 3 – 2 Pen y Bont
Barry Town: Armstrong, Sainty, Margetson, Yorwerth, Richards, Patten (Kavanagh 74’), Willmott, Owen (McLaggon 74’), Hulbert (Snaith 89’), Press, Bright Subs: Masrani, McLaggon(Owen 74’), Snaith (Hulbert 89’), Perrett, Lewis, Kavanagh (Patten 74’)
Pen y Bont: Lewis, Ludvigsen, Kircough, Harling, Crole, Ware (Coe 87’), Philips (Borge 87’), Woodiwiss, Jones (Wood 69’), Pritchard, Bregua (Owen 69’) Subs: Przybek, Owen (Bregua 69’), Borge (Philips 87’), Wood (Jones 69’), Twine, Coe, Florance
