Newtown draw caps best Airbus season ever
- Details
- Published: Saturday, 26 April 2014 20:14
THE Wingmakers ended their most successful Welsh Premier campaign ever with a 1-1 draw away at Newtown's Latham Park, to top last season's points tally by five.
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It was a creditable outcome for management duo Andy Preece and Andy Morrison, who were again without several key squad members due to injuries and suspensions and handed a second start to youngsters Zy Edwards and Aaron Hassall.
Matthew Heasey was first to test the Airbus defence with a teasing cross, while skipper Ian Kearney went close with a free-kick just over the Robins' crossbar.
A Craig Williams set-piece caused some confusion for the Wingmakers but former Newtown man Andy Jones cleared Shane Sutton's goal-bound effort off the line.
Kieran Mills-Evans headed the rebound off the bar but the ball was cleared to safety before a sweeping home move ended with Luke Boundford flashing a shot just wide.
The visitors were struggling to make an impact and Steve Jones sent a tame effort wide, but they did create an opening on the break only for Andy Jones to fail to seriously test keeper Chris Mullock with a header.
Kearney almost handed Newtown a breakthrough when his back pass to James Coates was intercepted by Boundford, but the cover got back just in time.
But the Robins did take the lead on 40 minutes when Kearney pushed Mills-Evans to the floor at a set piece and Zac Evans converted the resulting penalty.
However, the lead was short-lived before Mike Pearson volleyed home smartly from a left-wing cross.
Hearsey fired narrowly over the target and Neil Mitchell put the ball wide in the closing moments of the first stanza, but Airbus came out fired-up for the second half.
Mullock saved a flick-on following a long throw and, from the resulting corner, the ball found the net only for the effort to be chalked-off for a foul.
Airbus should have taken the lead when Steve Jones countered down the right and his cross fell to Hassall who fired wide.
Steve Jones saw his teasing shot spilled by Mullock but Evans was on hand to clear and Newtown almost hit back on the counter when Coates spilled a Mitchell shot but there was no one on hand to profit from the error.
Zy Edwards carved open the home rearguard but Glenn Rule's strike from a narrow angle was saved by Mullock before former Wingmaker Matty Cook tested Coates with a long range effort.
Hassall lashed wide from a flick-on by substitute Chris Budrys before Williams fired over the Airbus bar with the last kick of the game.
Photos (top) Steve Jones in a tussle with Newtown's Craig Williams and (below) Airbus celebrate another European tour [Kevin Hughes].
