RHYL 1 WELSHPOOL TOWN 2WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE CUP GROUP 5 SHOWING five changes from the team which thrashed Llanelli 5-1 three days earlier, the Lilywhites were brought down to earth with a bang in last Tuesday’s League Cup tie at Belle Vue. The Lilies were making errors from the start. In the seventh minute an awful misjudgement from Paul O’Neill let in Steve Rogers. As Rogers switched feet it looked like O’Neill might have been guilty of handball, but the striker got his shot in and Paul Pritchard was able to save. The warning signs were there and on 15 minutes a terrible clearance from Pritchard fell to Rogers who simply stroked the ball into an empty net. Rhyl thought they had equalised when Jamie Reed rose with keeper Andy Mulliner to meet a Craig Jones cross and the ball ended up in the net. It appeared the goal had been given, even though it seemed Mulliner had been barged off the ball, but referee Huw Jones changed his mind on the guidance of an assistant. Welshpool should have gone 2-0 up when Craig Wilkinson’s cross from the right picked out Rogers totally unmarked but he headed over. On 42 minutes Rhyl were level when Reed’s strike was blocked but Jones was following up to drive home powerfully from 15 yards. Just before the break Pool’s Rogers was stretchered off with what looked like a serious leg injury, but it later turned out to be nothing worse than bad bruising. The hosts began the second half on fire and it appeared they were going to take the visitors apart. Josh Johnson’s brilliant pass found Reed whose chip was off target. Reed, who had a disappointing night, then miscued from close range. A nasty shock was around the corner for the Lilies as on 48 minutes Andy Davies’ neat pass found Roberts in far too much space and Pritchard did a poor job of narrowing the angle, allowing the ex-Bangor, Porthmadog and Rhyl striker to make it 2-1. After that it was mainly all Rhyl possession, but Welshpool did a good job closing them down, restricting them to very few clear chances. Mulliner made a good stop from a deflected Greg Strong shot and also held a late Johnson effort, while Roberts went very close to a third at the other end. RHYL: Pritchard, Stones, C Roberts (Connolly 76), O’Neil, Horan (Strong 49), Williams (Kelly 68), Wilson, Johnson, Reed, C Owen, Jones. Att: 296. | 
