Friday’s game between Ammanford AFC and Cwmbran Celtic at the Recreation Ground was initially a slow burner - but it came to life in the second half as the visitors came through for a 3-2 away win.

Goals in each half from Liam Samuel and Euros Griffiths looked to have earned the home team a hard earned point at 2-2 with five minutes to go, only for Thomas Meechan to fire a late winner for the determined visitors.

It was often the back four of Ammanford against Cwmbran’s lone striker Lewis Iles, whilst Ammanford had Liam Samuel, Lee Trundle, Mathew Fisher and Brett Enoch probing for a breakthrough.

The hosts opened the scoring in the 14th minute when a slick passing movement played Liam Samuel into space ahead of his marker, and his angled shot beat advancing keeper Andrew Larcombe into the far corner of the net.

Ammanford held onto their one-goal advantage until the half-time interval, with home keeper Craig Morris making a point-blank save to deny the visiting side an equaliser.

The hosts, who were already without influential players Kai Whitmore and Tristan Jenkins, suffered an injury blow before the break as Mathew Fisher had to be replaced by Liam Williams.

Ammanford AFC v Cwmbran Celtic Picture: @hrmediaproductions

Ammanford AFC v Cwmbran Celtic Picture: @hrmediaproductions

Midfielder Leon Britton was also struggling with an injury, and he too was substituted by Ben Soal as the second half kicked-off.

Ammanford continued to press Cwmbran with the impressive Brett Enoch causing the visitors’ defence all sorts of problems with his pace and twists and turns.

It was a shock to the home supporters when Cwmbran broke away in the 57th minute and Tyler Broom equalised for the visitors.

Ammanford tried to respond to gain the lead but were rocked back in the 74th minute when Cwmbran’s Jordan Meaney scored to give the visitors the lead for the first time in the game.

However it took Ammanford just seven minutes to get themselves back in the game when Brett Enoch cut in from the edge of the Cwmbran penalty area and played the ball into the path of team mate Euros Griffiths who made no mistake with his finish to level the scores at 2-2.

Two minutes later it was Cwmbran’s turn to break through the Ammanford defensive lines and Thomas Meechan rounded off the move with a good finish to seal the win for the visitors.

With just a few minutes left in the game Ammanford could not find a way back and the game ended in a narrow defeat for the home side.

AMMANFORD 2

CWMBRAN CELTIC 3