Cardiff Met complete comeback to deny Newtown home spoils

The Robins dominated much of the encounter was played in beautiful spring sunshine as the home side bid to sign off their home programme on a high before next week's finale at Penybont.

Goalkeeper Alex Lang produced a string of fine saves to keep Newtown at bay during the first-half.

Mathew Jones' low 13th minute left wing cross found Louis Robles who steered the ball into Nick Rushton's path only for Lang to save well from 18 yards.

Newtown continued to stretch the visitors and five minutes later a glorious throughball from Henry Cowans released Robles who once again forced a superb save from Lang with Emlyn Lewis clearing his lines.

Action from Newtown's clash against Cardiff Met. Picture by Tom Houghton.

Aaron Williams tried his range from distance and left Lang rooted with his 20 yard effort narrowly going wide of the upright.

However Newtown's pressure yielded no rewards until the opening seconds of the second-half when Jones whipped a delightful left footed free-kick from the right hand edge of the area in off the woodwork.

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The goal sparked the Archers into life and with their first real attack of the game restored parity after 54 minutes.

Captain Lewis embarked on a buccaneering run from midfield and combined with Charlie Corsby to carve an opening for Sam Jones who gathered a loose ball on the edge of the area to drill past goalkeeper Dave Jones.

Newtown rallied with Zeli Ismail's introduction offering speed and creativity which yielded several openings with Nick Rushton and Aaron Williams forcing Lang into action.

Action from Newtown's clash against Cardiff Met. Picture by Tom Houghton.

However with nine minutes remaining disaster struck for the Robins with Matthew Chubb bursting forward to release Jones on the left with his low shot adjudged to have been illegally blocked by the hand of Jake Walker.

Elliot Evans despatched the resulting corner as the Archers completed their comeback.

Newtown could have snatched a late point when Ryan Sears seized upon a loose ball only to fire over the bar under pressure from Lang.

Newtown: D Jones, Sears, Rushton, Robles, Aris (Ismail 71), A Williams, Cowans, M Jones, C Williams, Hughes, Walker. Subs: Hyde, Mills-Evans, Sutton, Torry, Downs, Boakye.

Cardiff Met: Lang, Chubb, McCarthy, Lewis, Price, Evans, Baker, Corsby (Rees 71), Owen, Craven (A Jones 78) (Veale 89), S Jones. Subs: Kabongo, Davies, Roberts, Humphries.

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