When a team is struggling at the bottom of the table, it is easier to lose a game than to win it, not by design, but perhaps more by resignation. It is almost as if everyone is waiting for the first goal to go in, to note the sag in the body and then start the fight back. Kilgetty are getting to the stage when they expect to go a goal behind and are resigned to losing. This should not have been the case on Saturday when they faced a young and lively team in Herbrandston. As the meagre number of faithful spectators hunched themselves into their coats and braced themselves against the biting north-easterly wind, their team failed to capitalise on the advantage that the wind afforded as they attacked the goal at the village end. Both teams were looking for the direct through ball between defenders and, in the first half, neither was able to use it to full effect. All too often Kilgetty were caught offside and promising moves were squandered. In similar vein, most of the corners awarded were also wasted as they curled behind the line on the wind or fell safely into the 'keeper's hands. Had such opportunities been fully exploited, Kilgetty could well have been a couple of goals up by the hal- time interval. The enforced changes to the team, yet again, did not hamper the effort made and the chances almost created. With Andrew Sims and Grant James unavailable, Bobby Bevan, despite last week's injury, added the steel alongside Michael Scale, Anthony Bevan and Geoff Marsh, while the return of Russell Evans gave a solid base and experience to the defence. Early on in the half, Kilgetty's midfield threaded a ball through to find Nicky Cope in space on the right. His cross was landing just behind Mikey Beynon, who had to turn and hit it. Unfortunately, he was off balance and the ball was off target, so the chance lost. He obviously did not hear the call from Russell who was in a better position behind him and close enough to hit the target. Had that opportunity been converted, then the team may have consolidated with more goals and... who knows? A move on the right flank involved Bobby and Geoff Marsh and resulted in a corner. A quick tap to Nicky Cope resulted in another chance in the box which Mikey could not convert as it was fumbled by Martin Logan, the Herbrandston 'keeper, before being cleared. A further effort by Mikey should have given Kilgetty the lead. He was through on the right and expertly curled his shot around the advancing 'keeper, only to see it rebound off the right upright. For Herbrandston, Clive Marshall, Lee Galdo and Stevie Batt caused Kilgetty a number of problems as they probed to find space behind a solid back line. Alex Galdo fired a shot on target which was diverted behind for a corner and it was only a solid header off the line by Bobby Bevan that saved a goal. Christian Phillips had to leave the field of play, due to a recurring injury, and was replaced by Shaun Jenkins. He was quickly into the action as he dived to parry a shot from the right and at the close of the half raced out to the edge of his box to clear a contested ball with his body. In the second half, Herbrandston played the conditions more effectively than Kilgetty had in the first, although the first half-chance fell to the home team. Mikey Beynon's cross fell to Nicky Cope, who volleyed it on target, but into safe hands. Martin Logan released the ball early, putting Kilgetty on the defensive and forcing a corner. The corner kick was effectively driven to the outer edge of the six-yard area where it was headed goalward. Shaun parried it away, but it ended up on the edge of the box at the feet of Matthew Price, who fired it into the top right corner for the first goal. Herbrandston continued to utilise the pace of their forwards as they probed the space behind the Kilgetty back line. Lee Galdo was through, past Russell, and fired his shot wide, while Clive Marshall brought out a good save from Shaun with his low drive from the left. It was Clive Marshall who scored the second goal when he fired a long raking shot from distance, over Shaun's outstretched hands, into the top right corner. They may have been down, but they were not outplayed and contested well in midfield. The cause of Kilgetty's downfall in this game was their inability to exploit the advantage of the wind in the first half. Both teams played with a similar approach, but it was Herbrandston that made greater use of the advantage the wind gave them. With the two-goal advantage ,Adam Galdo saw his free-kick headed wide, Matthew Price put a hopeful shot over the crossbar and Alex Galdo stole a ball off Darren Taylor, only to see his shot drift wide. At the other end, Nicky tamely toe-poked his effort towards goal and a Lee Watts run down the wing and cross was snuffed out by the defence. Kilgetty team: C. Phillips (S. Jenkins), J. Bessant, R. Evans, D. Taylor, W. Scourfield, B. Bevan (L. Watts), M. Scale, A. Bevan, G. Marsh, M. Beynon, N. Cope. Subs. - S Jenkins, L Watts, B. Hughes.
