The words Port Talbot and clean sheet are more likely to come up in a game of scrabble than one of my articles at present, such is the spiralling form of the side.
As was the case against Rhyl on the weekend, Port Talbot shipped three goals in a 3-1 loss to Carmarthen that sees the club exit the cup at the quarter-final stage.
A cavalier offensive display from Carmarthen left Port Talbot clamouring in their own half for much of the first ten minutes and Conah McFenton had to collect an Old and Gold corner that dangerously fizzed towards his goal. Last ditch blocks and efforts that rippled the side netting left a feeling of when rather than if the home side would score.
Nevertheless, it was the blues that caused the first real menacing moment when Jonathan Hood picked up a delicately weighted pass and jinxed past the opposition’s attempts to halt him until he was eventually dispossessed at the final moment. Back came Carmarthen with McFenton making an instinctive reflex movement to stop an opener.
The home team did score when Sacha Walters slotted home after 23 minutes to cap off a dominant display by Carmarthen. New signing, James Loveridge, was starting to come into the game and play the kind of football that gets supporters purring with enthusiasm, when he soared down the touchline and delivered the cross for Hood, only to see the marksman mishit his effort.
One positive that did arrive for the Steelmen was Loveridge’s display and first goal for the club that came courtesy of a penalty awarded because of rough goalmouth treatment by the hosts. He stroked the ball past Iidzi to make it 1-1.
Unfortunately, it was Carmarthen that sealed their route to the next round with two late goals from Mark Jones and a Rhodri Morgan run that ended with a strike past Conah McFenton.
Hopefully Sunday afternoon’s league match against GAP Connah’s Quay will bring a much needed return to winning ways.