The 1st Team’s hotly anticipated rematch against AFC Machen saw both teams locked in a stalemate this past Saturday, with the visitors denying the lads a precious 3 points.

The opening minutes of the match at the Woodland, a rearranged fixture from last September (which was abandoned in the latter stages following a multi-man scuffle), saw the Excelsiors start with promise and make several runs into Machen’s half.

An early attempt from Dafydd Phillips looked set to rattle the defence of the visiting team but their goalkeeper was on point for a majority of the match, rarely missing a beat and making some great saves from solid attempts.

The goalless deadlock ended with Jamie Laurent driving a goal over the line thanks to a penalty, following Machen bringing down a Tiger deep in the box, bringing the scoreline to 1-0. Not to be outdone, celebrations were short-lived as Machen mounted a counter attack that resulted in a free kick. Despite the initial effort being deflected, it would shortly find the feet of an opposition player, who managed to slot the ball past ‘keeper Dan Parsons and gain an equaliser of 1-1 going into halftime.

The second half saw Machen come out of the blocks with some gusto, attempting to push up the pitch whenever possible and throwing in some sharp tackles that drew the ire of the crowd in attendance.

The 1-1 scoreline hung ominously over the game for much of the remainder of the game, with the feeling that the levee could break at any time and result in an upset for the opposing side. One such highlight came from a slick corner in by Jamie Laurent, who commanded the attack from deep in midfield, but although his shot was on target, the follow-up header found its way into the hands of the man in the sticks.

Some personnel changes in the dying embers of the game sought to revitalise the attack, with Luke Lewis and Matthew Thomas taking to the pitch to relieve their tiring teammates. As the clock wound down, dependable defender Tyla Preece and powerhouse Rhys Whiteman both played their part at keeping the wolves from the door, with clearances that avoided a late Machen win. As the whistle blew, a tough slog for both teams who laid it all on the line signalled a single point to be had for both teams.

The 1sts now return to action tomorrow in a huge encounter against league leaders Ynysddu Welfare at Pontllanfraith 3G, with an 8pm kickoff pencilled in.