Boss poised for debut

Dec 5 2008 by Paul Wheelock, Chester Chronicle

AIRBUS UK Broughton will offer Huw Griffiths the first test of his managerial career tonight as Technogroup Welshpool welcome the Wingmakers to Maesydre (7.30pm).

The new Lilywhites boss is well known to local football fans having been appointed assistant boss to Simon Davies at Chester City in the summer.

But the 31-year-old was let go by the Blues less than a week into the season following an alleged half-time dressing-room bust-up with an unnamed City star during the Carling Cup defeat to Leeds United at the Deva Stadium.

Griffiths’ exile from the game ended this week, however, when he was officially confirmed as the successor to the sacked Tomi Morgan.

Griffiths, who has brought in ex-Chester and Wrexham midfielder Roger Preece from Connah’s Quay to assist him, watched Welshpool capitulate 7-1 at Rhyl on Saturday from the Belle Vue stands. But he will be in the dugout for tonight’s visit of Airbus, who drew 1-1 at home to managerless Port Talbot Town on Saturday.

The Wingmakers fell a goal behind and were thwarted on numerous occasions by Port Talbot’s Chester-born keeper Kristian Rogers. They looked to be heading for a third successive home defeat until super sub Tom Rowlands, eight minutes after boss Craig Harrison threw him on, fired them level.

That was the least the hosts deserved after bossing a contest played in thick fog on a bitterly cold afternoon in Broughton.

Danny Desormeaux went close to putting them in front early on before goalkeeper Rogers made the first in a series of top stops as he denied Ryan Edwards one-on-one.

The former Wrexham and Northwich Victoria number one then kept out Mark Cadwallader’s 20-yard free kick before saving from the same player, again from distance.

The Steelmen had been content to sit back and soak up the pressure so it came totally against the run of play when James Burgin hammered them into a 39th-minute lead.

The Wingmakers continued to dominate after the restart but they had to wait until 15 minutes from time to finally make the breakthrough from Rowlands’ close-range strike.

Home keeper Phil Palethorpe had been a virtual spectator, but he was alert enough to stop Matthew Rees from scoring what would have been an undeserved Port Talbot winner.