WITH just three minutes to go before the interval, Cwmbran Town were handed the chance to take a 2-1 lead through a penalty awarded after striker Martyn Houston was upended, writes Terry Daley.

Up stepped Houston's co-marksman, Sam Small, who recently successfully converted a couple of spot kicks.

However, when home goalkeeper Duncan Roberts dived to his right to push away Small's 12-yard effort, somehow you knew Cwmbran's goose was cooked.

Needing a win to have any chance of staving off relegation, Small had levelled matters when he took advantage of hesitancy by Roberts to opposite number Gareth Wesson's long drop kick down the middle.

OK, so the Reds should have been three or four goals to the good by the time Small placed the ball on the spot.

But they weren't, and a goal then may have taken the wind out of Europe-seeking Llanelli's sails, may have planted the seeds of doubt in their minds, may have acted as a catalyst for more Cwmbran goals - we'll never know.

But don't think Small's miss contributed the most to this defeat which sends the Crows down and out of the WPL.

The usual defensive lapses saw to that and the reality is the Reds should have won by a greater margin, and it didn't help Cwmbran's cause that they were unable to name any substitutes.

Inevitably on a day when shirt-sleeve order came to Stebonheath Park, that had a crucial bearing as several of Cwmbran's line-up began to visually wilt after the break.

Not one of these players should be criticised - even had they conceded 20 goals because they weren't getting paid to take on a full professional outfit appearing at full strength - and with five substitutes as back-up.

The Crows have not won a game since the 2-0 home win over Aberystwyth Town on December 1.

"If you haven't won a game for the length of time that we haven't won, then you deserve to get relegated and people say league tables don't lie," said Cwmbran manager Sean Wharton.

The fall and fall of Cwmbran Town has not happened overnight. It's been spread over a number of years and it has been painful to watch - a drip-drip-drip torturous experience.

The Crows once played against the world-famous Glasgow Celtic in front of more than 49,000 fans.

It could soon be Cwmbran Celtic in front of a lot, lot, lot, fewer.

Llanelli: D Roberts, L Phillips (c) (N Thomas 78), G Lloyd, A Corbisiero, A Mumford, W Thomas, W Jones, C Belle (M Thompson 68), R Griffiths, J Mingorance (D Griffiths 78), E Fernandez. Subs not used: N Sinfield, G Williams. Booked: Jones (43). Goals: Mumford (2 and 53), Corbisiero (52), R Griffiths (65), N Thomas (88).

Cwmbran Town: G Wesson, B Evans, G Wysome, D Clare, J Collins (c), S Dawe, S Prangley, G Goodridge, S Small, M Houston, K Hanbury. No subs named.

Referee: S Hames (Aberdare).