Football: Cefn Druids spoil Christmas for Airbus

AIRBUS UK Broughton had the stuffing knocked out of them when lowly Cefn Druids ruined their festive celebrations with a late goal on Boxing Day.

But boss Craig Harrison is making no excuses as his players failed to perform against the second-bottom Druids, who picked up their first away point of the season at The Airfield.

“I was a little gutted. We just didn’t play very well but I think we did enough to win the game and whether you’re playing top of the league or bottom of the league, it’s always annoying when you concede a goal in the last few minutes.

“It’s points lost more than a point gained but, then again, you’ve got to win these games and we didn’t do it.”

“In the first half we did alright and if we’d have got another goal then it would have been over.”

After the pitch passed a morning inspection, the Wingmakers made a dream start against Druids when Marc Lloyd-Williams ended his barren run to net with a free header on seven minutes.

The hosts then had a number of chances to increase their advantage but, with half-time approaching, the play started to become disjointed and Airbus’ free-flowing football began to freeze up.

The second half didn’t see any improvement as a battling Druids fought their way back into the game, Tom Rowlands and Craig Whitfield failing to capitalise on Mark Allen’s slip-up that would have brought the Cefn Mawr men level.

Craig Harrison’s side then had a penalty appeal turned down when Carl Owen was pushed in the area, which riled the Airbus ranks, and chances continued to be spurned.

And Airbus were punished on 85 minutes when woeful defending from a corner allowed a grateful Gary Penlington to bundle the ball over on the goal line.

Airbus will be hoping to put things right on Friday (2.30pm) when they make the short return journey to Cefn Druids’ Plaskynaston Lane, before they face a tough double header against Rhyl and The New Saints.

Manager Harrison has been hit with a five-match touchline ban by the Welsh FA after being sent off during the Welsh Cup third-round defeat at Gap Connah’s Quay in late October.

The Gateshead-born boss received a two-match suspension for his alleged use of offensive or insulting language during the game, along with a £150 fine plus costs, and was also given an additional three-game ban for alleged improper conduct after the same game, with £200 costs.

The suspension starts of Monday, January 4.

The Wingmakers have made seven days’ notice of approach to secure the return of Tom Rowlands from Elements Cefn Druids.

The 24-year-old, who averaged a goal a game for West Cheshire League outfit Heswall FC before joining Connah’s Quay in January 2008, moved to Airbus last season and scored seven goals from 28 Welsh Premier appearances.