Wessex United 1–2 Llandaff Athletic: a slow burn

Opinion

Llandaff Athletic have won the derby. It was a 2-1 victory on Sunday 9 August, a result that will be discussed in several South Wales pubs for some time. Wessex United played with a certain optimistic energy for twenty minutes, which is usually the signal that things are about to go wrong.

Wessex spent the afternoon chasing shadows and a ball that seemed to have a personal vendetta against their midfield. They managed a goal, which provided a brief, flickering hope that the afternoon might end in a respectable draw. It was a lovely finish, executed with a level of composure the rest of the team had allegedly forgotten existed.

Llandaff, however, possess a knack for scoring goals when it is most inconvenient for everyone else. They didn't dominate the match so much as they endured it, eventually finding the net twice. The winning goal arrived via a corner that was more of a suggestion than a cross, yet it somehow found a forehead. It is the kind of goal that makes a defender want to take up gardening.

The rivalry is not the most volatile in the league, but it is enough to ensure that Wessex supporters will spend the next few hours staring blankly at a wall. They play again tomorrow, where they will be expected to actually keep the ball for more than three seconds.

Llandaff will celebrate the bragging rights, though they did look like they were playing in heavy boots for large stretches. To be fair, that is the beauty of the derby: you don't need to be good, you just need to be slightly less shambolic than the people you hate. Typical really.