Radyr Rangers FC 4-3 CSKA Sophia Gardens

A difficult start to the 2021/22 Cardiff Combination League season continued for CSKA Sophia Gardens as they suffered a gut-wrenching 4-3 defeat away to Radyr Rangers FC on a sunny Saturday afternoon 2pm BST kick-off at Moundfield in Morganstown.

CSKA came into the game off the back of two defeats in their opening two Stage One Group B matches. A number of key players were still missing for CSKA due to a combination of injuries, covid isolation, and the frustrating ongoing registration issues. This was still a strong CSKA side and the optimism of getting a result was rife within the team before kick-off.

That optimism was proven worthwhile when Chris Lusted opened the scoring within the opening 10 minutes to give CSKA a 1-0 lead. It was a goal that had been coming after the Red Wall started quickly out of the traps. Lusted was set up by a through ball by left sided midfielder Arron Ackerman.

The pressure continued from CSKA as it looked like they might give Radyr Rangers a very torrid afternoon. Several missed opportunities ensured that the score wasn't made worse for the hosts and as the game wore on their players soon settled.

It was against the run of play that Radyr Rangers grabbed the equaliser. A ball over the top of the CSKA defence found striker Corey Stephens who finished ruthlessly from the left side of the area past a helpless Paul Jarvis in the CSKA goal.

There was suddenly nervousness running through the CSKA team as the goal gave Radyr Rangers confidence. Some questionable defending from CSKA and relentless pressing from Radyr almost saw the home team take a lead but CSKA managed to ride the pressure for the remainder of the first half. CSKA suffered a blow with right back Dan Owen being forced off through a calf injury and with no natural defenders on the bench a re-jig was required across the CSKA line with James Joyce coming on out wide and Ackerman moving to right back.

Ironically, it was then CSKA who re-took the lead against the run of play. Right winger Cory Mackay's frantic pressure on the Radyr back-line paid off by forcing the defence into making an error that saw striker Cai Mckenzie nip the ball away from the Radyr keeper before finishing well from out wide to make it 2-1 to the away team.

At half-time, the focus was on how much of a generally positive first half it had been for CSKA and that it was very much a game that was there to be won. Unfortunately, just as with the opening game loss to Cardiff Central, CSKA were caught napping early in the second half. A Radyr long ball was poorly dealt with by the CSKA defence as Stephens took advantage of a misjudged clearance by the CSKA defence to sneak in and grab his second of the game to level the game at 2-2.

Dan Clayton was brought on for CSKA to try to deal with the Radyr physical threat. Ackerman was the man replaced as Ceri Jones dropped in to fill in at full back. It seemed that CSKA had ridden the obstacles thrown at them with Joyce taking the ball from Mckenzie out on the left before curling in a lovely effort into the top right corner of the net to give CSKA a 3-2 lead with 20 minutes remaining.

The goal seemed to once again spark Radyr Rangers into a more fervent approach. It was only moments later that Radyr scored from a set piece once again as a goal mouth scramble from a corner saw the ball bundled into the CSKA net by captain Tom Welch to level the scores at 3-3.

Despite CSKA having taken the lead three times it would be Radyr who would have the final say. Just 10 minutes remained on the clock when a lapse of communication in the CSKA final third saw Stephens pounce on a throw-in and finish clinically with a header past Jarvis to make it 4-3.

CSKA had a chance in the dying embers of the game to level when Tom Frowen peeled away from his marker to find himself free with a one-on-one in the area but the Radyr keeper saved well to keep his team in the lead and eventually see them secure the win in what had been a pulsating encounter.

CSKA Sophia Gardens Manager Steve Day said "That was a hard one to take. I felt the opening 20 minutes was some of the best football we've played but, once again, we let individual errors creep into our game and undo the hard work we'd put in earlier in the game. The injury to Dan was a huge blow and the lads did well to adjust to having to shift things around.

"Today showed how we're missing that physicality and height in our team at the moment. Radyr were far more dominant in the physical battle and as much as we tried to keep the ball on the deck we just couldn't deal with the aerial threat and balls over the top. All four goals came from either a long ball over our defensive line or a set piece. Those types are goals are being conceded a lot this season and we need to start learning to deal with those threats otherwise we'll keep playing well but losing. We have two group games left and we have a few players who have finally had their registrations through but we're still without Tom Lewis and Aiden Martin which is frustrating.

Day added "The proof is there that we are moving in the right direction though. Our periods of dominant play are increasing and the lads are becoming more familiar with each other. We have two big games against Cathays United and Avenue Hotspur Reserves left to go so we'll see if we can keep on learning and improving. I thought overall we played quite well and it was an enjoyable game for the neutral. We were just the cause of our own undoing again."

CSKA Starting Line-Up

GK: Paul Jarvis

DR: Dan Owen

DL: Huw Williams

DC: Owen Lewis

DC: Ed Lewis (c)

MR: Cory Mackay

ML: Arron Ackerman

MC: Tom Frowen

MC: Chris Lusted

FC: Ceri Jones

FC: Cai Mckenzie

Goals: Chris Lusted, Cai Mckenzie, and James Joyce

Assists: Arron Ackerman, Cory Mackay, and Cai Mckenzie

Three Stars: Chris Lusted, Huw Williams, and Paul Jarvis