By Michael Addison
Henry Wall’s equaliser four minutes before time earned Cardiff Met a 2-2 draw in a frantic finish to this contest at the Sport Park.
Goals from Jack Woodhams and Harri Jones put USW 2-1 up with minutes left, after Morgan Allot’s opener for the visitors in a second half that bore no comparison to the first.
But Wall’s late intervention ensured honours ended even.
On the half hour mark, a foul by Met’s Dezire Mambule’s led to a half-chance from the free-kick, with USW keeper James Dobson hesitating but no Met player pounced on the loose ball.
Before half-time, Mambule hit the post winning a corner with USW applying the pressure, with the ball being recycled back to Jack Woodhams whose cross was met by centre-back Henry Shephard but was unable to keep his header down, sailing above the head of Alex Croke and out for a goal kick.
The first half was a very tense affair with a lack of clear-cut chances to test either goalkeeper.
The beginning of the second period followed the same pattern with both sides – level on points in Western Tier B – finding it a struggle to create a breakthrough.
On the hour mark the visitors took the lead when a searching ball was met on the left by Allot who managed to find the bottom right corner with Dobson beaten at the far post.
Tackles flew in with both sides battling hard, and Allot nearly scored again but the post denied him a second.
But with 10 minutes to go USW attacked and Woodham’s equaliser following a Met defensive mix-up hauled the home side level with 10 minutes to go.
And USW put themselves on the brink of an improbable victory when an in-swinging corner from the right was met by the head of Harri Jones to put them 2-1 up.
But Met found an equaliser as USW were caught off guard when Wall’s looping ball sailed past Dobson who was left rooted to his line, with USW defenders expecting the referee’s whistle.
USW’s Cameron Smith’s outrageous attempt nearly gave USW their lead back but he was denied by the post to mark the end of a memorable encounter.