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Trethomas Bluebirds have extended their lead at the top of the Ardal South East with a 4-2 win over title-chasing Caldicot Town.

The Bluebirds were looking for a response against Caldicot when the pair met on Saturday November 18, after losing 7-0 in the Welsh Cup to Cymru Premier champions, The New Saints (TNS), the weekend previous.

It turned out to be a scrappy game, with strong wind and rain making it tough for both sides. Trethomas got their noses in front thanks to Levi Rees, before Gareth Tedstone doubled the Bluebirds’ lead just before the hour mark.

Richard Sharratt responded for the visitors, before Rees’ brace should have sealed the game for the hosts. Caldicot striker Laurent Ngunjoh made it a nervy last quarter with his goal, before Andrew Evans finally secured the three points for the Bluebirds.

Kick-off

Slow, would probably be the best way to describe the opening moments at the Centre for Sporting Excellence. With the wind swirling and rain spitting, getting the ball down and playing should have been the order of the day.

However, for the first ten minutes, the ball was rarely on the deck for more than a few passes. Both sides opting to take advantage of the wind, hoping a ball might catch the defence out.

The first effort of the game fell to Bluebird’s striker Gareth Tedstone. He won the ball high up the pitch, cut inside and forced a save out of Matthew Sandiford. Comfortable enough for the keeper though.

Going the other way, Jackson Dean was the clear threat for Caldicot. The left winger is the team’s top scorer with six in the Ardal South East this season.

After 20 minutes, there were visible signs of frustration from the Trethomas players and coaches.

In possession, the Trethomas backline were slow to recycle the ball from side to side. This allowed the visitors to shuffle along the width of the pitch easily enough, making progressive passes into midfield few and far between.

Instead, balls chipped in behind was still the plan. After a few offsides, the Bluebirds’ tactic finally paid off.

Just shy of the 30 minute mark, the hosts won a free-kick down the left that was taken quickly and fed down the left to Tedstone.

Tedstone, who has eight league goals this season, turned provider this time, crossing to the chest of Levi Rees just inside the the box.

Rees had a lot to do however, but took the ball down expertly, before using the body of the defender in front of him to bend a left footed effort into the bottom corner, leaving the keeper unsighted. Great goal.

It should have been two a few moments later. Luke Gullick made his first league start for the Bluebirds, and had a chance in front of goal but was let down by his touch.

The goal didn’t do much to settle the hosts, who continued to have most of the ball without offering too much going forward.

Before the half was up, the ball was in the back of the net for Trethomas, but it didn’t count.

Some brilliant footwork from defender Andrew Evans allowed the 24-year-old to get a shot off which was parried as far as Tedstone. The striker finished well, but had his celebrations cut short by the linesman’s flag.

Half-time and work to do for the Bluebirds. Although Caldicot hadn’t done much going forward, a goal would have certainly changed the dynamics.

Second-half

The game continued on in the same vein, scrappy from both. In a match of few chances so far, the next goal would be huge.

Fortunately for the hosts, that goal came for them.

Tom Gameson began the move, picking-up the ball down the left, heading away from goal, his backheel pass to the overlapping Alfie Jones opened the space up.

Jones, who until now had been starved of the ball in the final third, finally had the chance to whip one of his trademark crosses in.

Sure enough, Tedstone read it perfectly, darting in at the near post, using the weight of the cross to glance a right footed shot past the keeper.

It would have been easy for the visitors to roll over after that one. They hadn’t looked like scoring with an hour played.

However, some poor defending from the Bluebirds gave Caldicot an all-important lifeline.

A corner from the right found the head of Laurent Ngunjoh – by far the largest player on the pitch – who headed down and created a scramble in the box.

The hosts failed to clear the danger, and Richard Sharratt punished with a goal from close range. 2-1 and game on.

That goal seemed to give the visitors new purpose. There was a spell after where Trethomas were penned in, as Caldicot identified crosses might have been where they’d find their edge.

A combination of poor defending and brilliance from Gareth Tedstone up the other end however, appeared to put the game out of reach for the visitors once again.

Two Caldicot defenders went up for a header, neither putting a name on it, which meant they collided and the ball fell to Tedstone – still some 30 yards out.

The striker muscled off a few, and drove into the box before firing a cross in to Rees, who once again capitalised on Tedstone’s hard work. 3-1.

Still celebrating that goal perhaps, it was only a minute before Bluebirds keeper Harry Irving was picking the ball out of his net again.

Another cross, this time headed goal bound by Dean, was saved by Irving, but followed-up well by Ngunjoh, who got the goal this time. 3-2 and this one now felt like it could go either way with 15 minutes to play.

Trethomas were desperately trying to take the sting out of the game, passing it around the back and hoofing long whenever in doubt.

After a period of killing time in the opponents corner, the hosts eventually won one which would lead to the decisive fourth.

Nothing short of a calamity from the keeper, he stepped-up to claim what should have been a simple cross, but dropped it to the feet of Evans, who gladly shot into an empty net to extend the Bluebirds’ undefeated league run to ten.

Far from a vintage performance, Mark Dunford and his coaching staff will be pleased that their players got the job done after a tough game away to TNS last week.

That win extends the Bluebirds’ lead at the top to five points, with three games in hand over second place Caldicot.