O65/o70s lose out younger England squad!

The Wales Veterans' Football Association welcomed an England o60s B squad to Cardiff, for this mixed age international match...and in tough, blustery conditions the younger visitors edged it in the last 10 minutes..writes a pitch-side reporter..

With a number of key players missing, several new faces and a half a dozen over 70s in the line-up, this was always going to be a tough task against younger opposition, but apart from a disorganised first 10 minutes and a calamitous series of events that led to England scoring, Wales were more than a match for their youthful opponents.

The goal seemed to galvanise the hosts, and debutant and man-of-the-match Ian ‘Nobby’ Edwards and midfielder, Jason Morgan in particular, forced the opponents to a rear-guard action with their tenacity and energy. Strikers Chris Grey and Peter Morgan were creating real problems for the English back-line and Wales should have, at least, got on terms, Seago and Bowker hitting the crossbar and both Morgan’s forcing decent saves from the keeper. Morgan (Peter) was then scythed down in the penalty area and Seago converted the resultant penalty to make it 1-1 going into the interval.

After the break, the Dragons pressed forward for the winner, but with a gale-force breeze in their faces, the special shot needed to beat the England glove-man was not forthcoming... particularly when they lost talismanic striker, Morgan to injury. In the last quarter England started to gain momentum, cleverly using the now, gale-force wind, to compel keeper, Phil Williams’ into two, finger-tip saves, but the pressure was now mounting...... and unfortunately an avoidable free-kick was not held by Williams and the centre forward gleefully headed home. In the last minute a keystone cops mix-up in the defence allowed the England striker to, fortuitously, strike home off the upright and England claimed victory...possibly a hollow one...but well done to everyone involved.