Cardiff Met 4 Adam Roscrow 26′ 74′ Wil Evans 40′ Callum Sainty 43′(og)
Barry Town United 1 Jonathan Hood 89′(pen)
The penultimate game of the JD Welsh Premier League season proved to be one of the most one-sided as Cardiff Met booked their place in next weekend’s season-ending Europa League Play-Off final with a ruthless display against Barry Town.
Cardiff Met were 90-minutes away from European football last season but fell at the last hurdle, losing last year’s final – but they will travel to Cefn Druids in confidence next week having made quite a statement.
The Students wrestled control of the game midway through the first-half and never looked back as they left Barry Town in their trail with their front-two of Jordan Lam and Adam Roscrow proving unstoppable as Cardiff Met adapted seamlessly to a change of formation that saw manager Christian Edwards opt for a back-three.
Roscrow found the net twice and set-up another as he demonstrated the level of performance that begs the question whether he can become the WPL’s next Football League export, should he be able maintain such form on a consistent basis.
The result brings Barry Town’s season to a grinding halt and whilst they will be frustrated with this missed opportunity, they will however be able to reflect on their first season back in the top-flight in a positive light, in the knowledge, that under Gavin Chesterfield, the club are very much heading in the right direction.
Barry’s own preparations for the game were no doubt disrupted when goalkeeper Mike Lewis was declared ineligible through an administrative issue and reliable midfielder Troy Greening pulled up in training midweek.
Barry Town are no one-player team but on this occasion, they were never able to lift themselves out of second gear.
Deputising youngster Joe Massaro remained largely untested in the Barry Town goal until midway through the first-half, when on 26-minutes, Roscrow made his mark on the game as he took the ball in his stride, picking up Evans’ deft flick forward, to carry the ball into the box and apply a firm finish firmly with the outside of his boot.
The goal served to galvanise Cardiff Met and as their dominance grew, Barry Town’s effectiveness and ability to find space diminished. It was only a matter of time until Cardiff Met added a second as Will Evans spun on his left-foot to unleash from 10-yards.
Three-minutes later a third Cardiff Met effectively sealed the tie with their third of the afternoon – albeit in cruel fashion. Elliot Evans’ in-swinging delivery on 43-minutes was hit with plenty of pace when it entered the box and the ball deceived everyone, including Barry Town’s Callum Sainty, when the ball glanced off his head and beyond Massaro into the Barry net.
On the evidence of the opening period, Barry Town would require a momentous up-turn to wrestle the game from Cardiff Met’s grasp and they almost had the perfect start to the second-half when the ball sprung lose to Kayne McLaggon but the Barry striker could only fire the ball straight at a grateful Will Fuller.
Adam Roscrow delivered another composed finish for Cardiff Met’s fourth on 74-minutes when a Barry Town conceded possession whilst building a rare attack. Roscrow, himself, broke up play and combined with Lam as the duo breezed through the Barry defence, before sending a cute finish over the advancing Massaro.
A late penalty denied Cardiff Met their first clean-sheet since January after Matt Swindlehurst handled Jonathan Hood’s cross. A confident thumping finish from Hood was as good as it got for Barry on a day when their offensive qualities never materialised.
Cardiff Met 1. Will Fuller, 28. Rhydian Morgan, 5. Emlyn Lewis, 16. Josh Barnett (8. Chris Baker 62′), 14. Joel Edwards, 10. Charlie Corsby, 7. Eliot Evans, 3. Kyle McCarthy (26. Matt Swindlehurst 46′), 9. Adam Roscrow (12. Dan Spencer 82′), 11. Jordan Lam, 18. Will Evans. Subs not used: 29. Harri Lloyd (gk), 23. Tim Parker
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Roscrow 60′
Barry Town United 12. Joe Massaro, 21. Macauley Southam-Hales, 3. Chris Hugh, 4. Luke Cooper, 5. Curtis Watkins, 6. James Saddler, 14. Callum Sainty (19. James Demetriou 78′), 10. Jordan Cotterill, 32. Jonathan Hood, 11. Drew Fahiya (20. Ryan Newman 59′), 7. Kayne McLaggon. Subs not used: 2. Paul Morgan, 15. Louis Gerrard, 26. Lewis Cosslett, 24. Michael George, 25. Joseph Baker
Red Cards: None
Yellow Cards: Fahiya 56′ Hood 86′ Cooper 90’+2
Attendance: 665 Referee: Dean John