This was a Christmas cracker of a game, but the joke was on Aberystwyth as they out-played Barry in the first half but still trooped off after the first 45 minutes trailing 2-1; then conceded a furher three goals in the second half.
The first 45 minutes was one of the best seen at Jenner Park for a long time as a rampant Aberystwyth poured forward, with Glyndwr Hughes and Andy Evans aggressive, sharp and committed, giving the Barry defence a torrid time, while Jonathan Williams was at the heart of everything.
Barry were hanging on as Aber rendered the Barry midfield of Barnett, Mitchell and Jones anonymous for long periods.
It was end to end stuff. Barry tried to assert some authority on the game which Aber not only did well to resist, but took the game to Barry with sweeping counter-attacks. Following a Mark Dempsey shot which skidded past Martin Jones's post, Aber launched a swift counter break through Jon Williams, who spread the ball out to his brother Steve wide on the left. He hoofed a long, arcing cross which looked to be going out for a goal kick as it passed over the outstretched arms of Barry goalkeeper, David Wells, but the never-say-die attitude of Glyndwr Hughes turned a lost cause into a spectacular goal as he rose at the far post to head into the opposite top corner from the narrowest of angles.
Hughes was again in the thick of the action a few minutes later, setting up Jon Williams, but a combination of David Wells, and an unlucky bounce prevented Barry from falling further behind. It was a miss which Aberystwyth would come to rue.
On 19 minutes, Hayden Fleming no doubt missing last season's gripping encounter with Gary Lloyd, out injured, brought down his replacement Darren Davies just outside the area, wide on the left. As the free kick sailed over, Glyndwr Hughes rose to clear but the ball reached Gary Barnett on the edge of the 'D' and he hit a wicked volley over the keeper's head and into the roof of the net for a tremendous equaliser.
With the Barry midfield providing little cover for the defenders, Lee Barrow was floored in a strong shoulder-to-shoulder challenge with the robust and ubiquitous Glyndwr Hughes.
Just before half-time and against the run of play, Barry took the lead. Dempsey crossed from the left and Terry Evans did well to get in front of opposite number, Leigh Vick, to lay back a neat header to the feet of Justin Perry who lashed the ball into the net.
This was the best first half performance of any team at Jenner Park in a number of seasons, yet Aber left the field trailing 2-1.
The second half belonged to Barry from the moment of the restart. No doubt shaken by Aber's tremendous first half, the Dragons were not about to allow the Seasiders any opportunity to get back into the game.
Whether it was a case of Barry redoubling their efforts, or that Aber had shot their bolt with their first half endeavours, the visitors never came anywhere close to scaling the heights of the first 45 minutes and slowly, but surely, Barry started to turn the screw.
The decisive blow came on 79 minutes and was delivered by Richard Jones. Despite the close attention of Steve Williams, Jones managed to turn and fire the ball into the top corner, leaving his namesake in the Aberystwyth goal floundering at fresh air. As in last year's corresponding fixture, the third goal was a pin to Aber's inflated confidence.
Dempsey sent a blistering shot against the post, collected the rebound and floated in a cross for Justin Perry, having possibly his best half since signing for the Town, who out-jumped Martin Crompton to head home. In the final minute, Richard Jones rifled home from the edge of the area to put the seal on tan unlikely rout.
Aber will take heart from their performance in the first 45 minutes, but even then, they created very few chances and Meirion Appleton, the Aberystwyth manager, must be concerned at the way his players ran out of steam in the second half. With Cwmbran consolidating their position in second place with a 4-0 in over Holywell and strengthening their squad with the recent signing of Paul Giles, Ray John and Ben Graham from Merthyr, the batlle for Aberystwyth will now have to be to hang onto third place. Cwmbran visit Jenner Park on January 2.
As for Barry, like true champions, they rose to the occasion and scored five magnificent goals; the irony being that the best chance of the game fell to Eifion Williams, and he missed from all of eight yards.
A bumper crowd is expected at Jenner Park on Boxing Day when the Dragons entertain Inter Cabletel (kick-off, 11:30am)
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Barry Town v Aberystwyth Town - Wales on Sunday report
Barry Town v Aberystwyth Town - Barry & District News report
This page edited by the Yellow Dragon, 1998.
This report written by Stephen Johnson and first published in the Barry Gem, 24.12.1998.
Report of League of Wales match, Barry Town v Aberystwyth Town, 19.12.1998
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