WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!
PONTYCLUN 4 BETTWS 0
Lowly Bettws were the visitors to a glorious Ivor Park on Saturday for a South Wales Alliance League Premier Division fixture.
Pontyclun got proceedings underway kicking towards the Cowbridge End of the ground and wasted no time in taking the lead. In the opening seconds, with Pontyclun on the attack, the ball was played up to Oli James. The stand-in centre-forward then embarked on a mazy run evading the challenge of several Bettws players before being unceremoniously hacked down in the area and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Shaun Moss stepped up to take the kick and despite the visiting keeper diving the right way he had no chance of stopping the firmly driven effort.
With the home team being given such an early boost it was widely expected that the Clun would take advantage of improving their goal difference. However, this proved not to be the case. Indeed despite having a virtual monopoly of the possession Pontyclun were unable to work the opposition goalkeeper for much of the half.
It was not until the stroke of half-time that the home team were finally able to double their advantage. After a scramble in the Bettws area the ball eventually came to Jamie Williams 10 yards from goal and the Pontyclun forward made no mistake smashing the ball into the roof of the net. This proved to be the last significant action of the half and the interval arrived with Pontyclun leading by 2 goals to nil.
Bettws got proceedings underway in the second period and play followed much the same pattern as that of the first with Pontyclun dominating possession but being unable to convert this into goal scoring opportunities. Indeed Clun had to wait until the 55th minute for their first opportunity of the half. Chris Darlington advanced down the left before squaring the ball back to Shaun Moss whose firm shot from the edge of the area went just over the bar.
Two minutes later Pontyclun spurned another golden opportunity to extend their lead. The ball broke to Jamie Williams 10 yards from goal. The Pontyclun forward drew the goalkeeper but, unfortunately, could only send his shot into the side netting from 8 yards.
As the minutes ticked by Pontyclun continued to rack up the pressure but their concerted efforts failed to find the net. Their next good opportunity came in the 78th minute. Substitute Tom Haley picked up the ball 20 yards inside the Bettws half and went on a run which saw him evade the challenge of several Bettws players before getting in a shot from just inside the Bettws area which was deflected behind for an ultimately fruitless corner.
With Pontyclun continuing to do everything but score it was only a matter of time before the visitors had their first real opportunity of the game. This arrived in the 79th minute when a ball played into the Pontyclun area from the left found an unmarked Bettws player on the edge of the 6 yard area. However, fortunately for Pontyclun, the player could only shoot straight at James Billington in the Pontyclun goal.
The visitors were made to rue this missed opportunity as after all their concerted pressure during the game Pontyclun finally made it 3-0 in the 87th minute. A run by Chris Darlington down the left wing resulted in him squaring the ball back across the six yard area where substitute Chris Bullock was on hand to deftly head the ball into the net.
With the visitors now totally demoralised Pontyclun made it 4-0 on the stroke of full-time. Jamie Williams broke down the right before sending in a low cross which was turned into the net from close range by substitute Tom Haley.
This proved to be the final action of the half and the referee’s whistle sounded with Pontyclun victors by 4 goals to nil, a result which sent them to the top of the table for the first time this season.