CORNELLY CUT DOWN TO SIZE

CORNELLY   1    PONTYCLUN  4

Pontyclun travelled to Cornelly on a bright and breezy late winter’s afternoon for a South Wales Alliance League fixture.

Playing in their change strip of sky blue shirts and white shorts Pontyclun got proceedings underway and the first opportunity of the game fell to them in the 2nd minute. A long ball forward by Matthew Trigg found Jamie Williams unmarked 15 yards from goal but his low shot just went wide of the far post.

With Pontyclun dominating the early stages of the game it came as little surprise when they opened the scoring in the 5th minute. A deep corner from the right was met by Lewis Miller and his diagonal header back across the face of the goal was turned into the net from close range by Jamie Williams.

Ten minutes later Pontyclun came close to increasing their lead. A long ball forward by Oli James put Jamie Williams one-on-one with the Cornelly keeper however, the home custodian did well to palm the Pontyclun forward’s effort away to safety. The Cornelly goal continued to live a charmed life and in the 19th minute Pontyclun doubled their lead. Another long ball forward found Alex Smith and although his first touch wasn’t the greatest he succeeded in taking the ball around the Cornelly goalkeeper and despite the presence of two Cornelly defenders between him and the goal the Pontyclun forward comfortably fired the ball into the far corner of the net.

Two minutes later Pontyclun might have gone further ahead. An Oli James free-kick from the right into the Cornelly area was met by Matthew Trigg but his effort flew just over the bar. As the half ticked by Pontyclun were still well on top but despite numerous chances were unable to extend their lead.

The home team had to wait until the 39th minute for their first real effort of the match when a shot from the edge of the Pontyclun area flew well over the crossbar. Three minutes later Cornelly were handed a lifeline back into the game. A long ball into the Pontyclun area created indecision between Andrew Ringsell and Lewis Miller. With a Cornelly forward looking to capitalise on this Lewis Miller brought down the player and with Miller adjudged to have been the last man he was promptly shown the red card. However, the home team were unable to capitalise on the situation sending their spot kick wide of the post.

Although the home team came close to pulling a goal back right on the stoke of half-time when an unmarked Cornelly player flashed a header over from close range from a corner it was Pontyclun who went into the interval leading by two goals to nil.

Pontyclun began the second period strongly and both Alex Smith and Jamie Williams came close to extending Clun’s lead in the opening minutes. With Pontyclun continuing to dominate proceedings in the second half it came as something as a shock that they were unable to increase their lead especially when the home team were themselves reduced to ten men. Indeed they had to wait until the 84th minute to score their third goal when Jamie Williams was on hand to smash the ball into the far corner of the net between the post and the despairing dive of the home goalkeeper after Craig Darlington had played the ball into the Cornelly area.

Although the home team were now well beaten as the game entered the final minutes the action was far from over. In the 89th minute a good through ball by Oli James put Jamie Williams through one-on-one with the Cornelly goalkeeper. Although the pitch looked to have foiled the Pontyclun forward he recovered to round the home goalkeeper and fire the ball into the net for his hat-trick and Pontyclun’s fourth.

Almost straight from the kick-off though Cornelly succeeded in obtaining a consolation goal when Kieran Lawrence fouled a Cornelly player in the penalty area. This time the Cornelly player made no mistake from the spot, sending Pontyclun keeper Andrew Ringsell the wrong way, to make the final score Cornelly 1 Pontyclun 4.