Portskewett & Sudbrook 3 Iscoed Tafarn 3

East Gwent League

Division 1

Portskewett & Sudbrook 3 Iscoed Tafarn 3

A SUPERB free kick by Rob Williams earned Tafarn a point at the weekend after they had earlier taken - and lost - the lead.

Trailing 3-2, Williams looped his kick over the Port & Sud wall before the ball eluded keeper Declan Hubbard’s desperate dive.

It was harsh treatment for the 17-year-old keeper who had little chance with the two earlier goals and had brought off a number of good saves throughout.

Played on the 3G pitch at Caldicot Leisure Centre on a bitterly cold and windswept day, the teams arrived to find they were without a qualified match official.

But Port & Sud’s player-manager Mike Panacci persuaded player Marc Barnett to take the whistle and the game began.

The first half hour was even with both teams creating chances but neither able to apply the final touch.

Lewis Brown produced the breakthrough firing his side ahead from 18 yards.

Until then, both defences had been well-marshalled with Iscoed skipper Jamie Green and Panacci quick to spot danger and snuff out threats.

Tafarn’s Josh Codd and Dave Rees provided most of the problems for the hosts while Jordan Poole and Josh Henney were equally as dangerous at the other end of the pitch.

Tafarn roared into a 2-1 lead soon after the break, Hubbard making a point-blank save from Rees but left helpless as the ball ricocheted off his legs straight to Williams who rifled it into the net.

Codd put his team ahead with a smart run and finish and the neutral might have thought Tafarn were likely to increase their advantage.

But two goals in five minutes saw Port & Sud level and take the lead for a second time thanks to breakaway goals from Josh Henney and Jordan Poole to set up a frantic last quarter as Tafarn piled on the pressure.

Then came Williams’ second goal with the free-kick that Panacci later described as “pure class” and although both teams worked hard for a clinching goal, their efforts were in vain.

Tafarn boss Ashley Edinborough didn’t mince his words.

“We were rubbish,” he said later, although not necessarily with those exact words.

“We wanted three points today and we should have got them, especially after going ahead.

“No disrespect to Port & Sud but I’m not happy, we lost the lead and we lost two points.”

Panacci, on the other hand, seemed happy with the point even though his men lost their early advantage.

“It was fairly even, end-to-end stuff and both teams had good moments,” he said.

“I thought we took our chances well with some clinical finishing.

“Our front two always looked dangerous and although we lost the lead for the second time, it was a very good point for us against a team like Tafarn.”