This was a rather disappointing affair which ended with both sides feeling that they ought to have won it.

Barry will feel aggrieved that their finishing was so poor and that they didn’t turn a considerable territorial advantage into more goals - but then finishing is all part of football. The Bluebirds will regret the fact that on the day they were never able to get their passing game going well for more than brief periods.

The game was played in quite poor conditions, in a strong wind and on a surface greasy after rain, so that it was credit to both sides that neither ever resorted to kick-and-rush but that both aimed at passing football throughout. Since this was never in any sense a dirty game it was all the more disappointing that referee Mullock should have awarded such a spate of free kicks and, since a large majority of them were conceded by the Blues, it’s easy to see why many of their supporters felt that it had a disruptive effect on the team’s rhythm.

The Bluebirds took the lead in the 9th minute and, as with both goals in the game against Cardiff Corries a week earlier, it was the combination of Jonathan Kift and Nicky Woodrow which did the trick. Woodrow won back a difficult ball against two defenders, wide on the right, and squared into the box where Kift drove in low from 12 yards.

Kift had the ball in the net again in the 24th minute after receiving a deep cross from Gary Taylor, playing extremely well in his new right-wing position, but the goal was disallowed for pushing in the box. When Barry eventually equalized in the 26th minute it was a reward for a spell of pressure but the goal itself will have disappointed Leighton James and his management team, as a corner bounced loose and was allowed to reach striker Anthony Nagi for him to drive in.

As the half proceeded, one fine Barry move ended when Craig Morris blocked superbly from Christian Dodge.

The Bluebirds might have felt quite relieved to be level at 1-1 at the interval but they then went a step further after a shrewd substitution. Anton Owens came on to replace Jay Brockway, allowing Kift to move up front. Within ten minutes Owens had produced a brilliant piece of improvisation to nod the ball past a defender, make his way clear and cross into the box. Woodrow was blocked from shooting but was able to slip a ball back to Gary Taylor for him to drive in one of his specials.

Barry’s second equalizer was another fine effort by the lively Nagi, who seized on a ball which the Bluebirds gave away on the halfway line and set off on a 40-yard run which saw him shoot confidently past the helpless Morris.

The final exchanges continued to show rather more attacks for the visitors but the Blues could have won the game when Woodrow shot against the post.

Given that the Blues finished off their fewer chances rather better, they deserved the point and will now see what they can make of a second game with Barry when the sides meet again next Saturday, again on the Meadow, in the Welsh Cup.

County: Craig Morris; Phil Cattlin, Dale Griffiths, Alex Squires, Gareth Elliott (Bevan Humphreys, 72), Andrew Mumford (Ricky Watts, 78), Gary Taylor, Jonathan Kift, Jay Brockway (Anton Owens, 48), Nicky Woodrow, Richard Lewis.