Llandrindod Wells snatch a point from Valentine's derby date at Radnor Valley
Radnor Valley and Llandrindod Wells shared the spoils on Valentine's Day after their Ardal North East derby finished in a dramatic 3-3 draw thanks to a stoppage-time penalty, writes Stuart Townsend.
Llandrindod Wells made a strong start to the derby with Ruben Edwards seeing his fourth-minute shot parried by Goats custodian Adam Jones.
Tom Durant should have given the Spa Men the lead five minutes later, but was unable to convert an inviting cross from the right just a few feet in front of goal.
Jones was called into action again when he made a brave save to deny Sammy De Groot after a hanging cross was delivered into the Radnor Valley penalty area by Durant.
The hosts took their time to warm themselves to their derby date before visiting goalkeeper James Barker was required to make a brave save to keep out Lewis Morris when the Radnor captain broke into the penalty area.
Joey Price's 25-yard free-kick then deflected wide of the near post off the defensive wall, but it was Llandrindod Wells who broke the deadlock in the 24th minute.
Edwards ran on to a well-timed through-ball from Jack Evans before rounding the advancing Jones and tucking the ball into an unguarded net.
The Spa Men doubled their advantage within two minutes of the restart after breaking down the left flank and Stuart Williams' subsequent cross into the goalmouth was slotted home by Will Cleaton.
The hosts were back in the match when Joey Price halved the deficit after converting a 29th-minute penalty to provide some hope for the Goats before the interval.
Durant was denied by Jones from 25 yards prior to Joey Price's 25 yard free-kick being blocked by the Llandrindod Wells defensive wall.
The Spa Men had the last opportunity of the first-half, but Nyle Slade's 25-yard drive was comfortably saved by Jones.
Radnor Valley nearly equalised in the opening minute after the break, after Joey Price was picked out on the edge of the penalty area by a quickly-taken throw, but fired narrowly wide with his ensuing effort on goal.
The New Radnor club were back on level terms in the 54th minute when Price netted his second of the afternoon after being in the right place to convert Jack Clarke's pullback from the byline.
The visitors had a good opportunity to regain the lead four minutes later, but had nobody in the goalmouth to take advantage of De Groot's inviting low cross delivered from the right flank.
Clarke drove into the Llandrindod Wells penalty area in the 61st minute, but pulled his ensuing effort wide of the near post and Matt Croose's shot on the turn was comfortably saved by Barker.
The Goats went ahead for the first time after 66 minutes when Croose broke down the left and his cross into the penalty area was converted by Morris.
The Spa Men responded when Shaun Nicholls' header was saved following a deep free-kick played into the hosts' penalty area before substitute Kieran Twigg's strike on goal was blocked after being picked out by Price's cross from the left flank.
Price could have sealed victory for Radnor, but diverted the ball over the crossbar from close-range after a cross from the left was not cleared by the visitors.
Shaun Nicholls' header from an 86th-minute cross on the right flank was saved by Jones before the Spa defender had another header cleared off the line from a corner three minutes later.
Just when it appeared the Goats had done enough to claim all three points, Evans converted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage-time to earn the Spa Men a valuable point, moments after Morris had been shown a second yellow card by referee Aled Jones.
