The Bluebirds were badly disappointed when they conceded an equalizer in the 89th minute, after a game in which they felt they should really have come away with all three points.

On an afternoon on which all other Welsh League games in the area were called off with waterlogged pitches, the ominous sight of the Aberaman surface cutting up badly during the warm-up prefigured what was to follow. Certainly it was not an afternoon for traditional Bluebirds passing football, but Mike Ellis and Wayne Jones had no excuses on that score, feeling that a momentary loss of concentration right at the end had cost the side two points.

The opening exchanges saw two goals which might have been helped on by the greasy surface. After just 30 seconds an Aberaman defender missed a cross into the box and Darren Griffiths was on hand to slot in. Then, ten minutes later, Phil Cattlin mis-hit a clearance and sent the ball past Craig Morris from six yards out.

The best goal of the game came with a Gary Taylor special in the 24th minute. Richard Lewis played a good ball in from the left and Taylor’s drive from outside the area whistled low into the corner.

The Bluebirds failed to keep up the impetus in the second half and, with conditions deteriorating, Aberaman got more and more into the game. But the visiting defence was able to hold firm until the very last minute when Aber winger Richard Evans became another ex-Bluebird to come back to plague them, when he drove a strong header into the corner of the net.

County: Craig Morris, Phil Cattlin, Dale Griffiths, Gareth Elliott, Owain Thomas, Alex Squires, Ricky Watts, Gary Taylor, Darren Griffiths (Jay Brockway, 80), Jamie Evans (Jonathan Kift, 70), Richard Lewis.