SATURDAY 11TH AUGUST

WOODINGTON’S PERFECT TREBLE GETS CLUN OFF TO A WINNING START

PANTEG    3     PONTYCLUN     5

Pontyclun travelled to Griffithstown on Saturday to open their Welsh League campaign against Panteg.

The home team got proceedings underway in very unseasonable wet conditions and the first action was not long in coming when Pontyclun opened the scoring in the third minute. Aled Davies fed Joel Woodington with his back to goal on the edge of the Panteg area. The Clun centre forward quickly brought the ball under control before swivelling and sending an unstoppable shot into the Panteg net.

Four minutes later the home goal had a miraculous escape. After the home custodian had dropped the ball in his six yard area the ball pinged around the Panteg box. Several Pontyclun players missed the opportunity to steer the ball into the net and the ball was eventually scrambled away by a grateful Panteg defence.

With Pontyclun totally dominating the opening stages it came as little surprise when they doubled their lead in the 14th minute. The ball was played into the Panteg area by Tom Holder from the left towards Joel Woodington. The Pontyclun centre forward cleverly back-headed the ball towards Tom Tweedy and the Pontyclun forward headed the goal over the advancing Panteg keeper into the net.

Ten minutes later the home goal had another two charmed escapes as Pontyclun went all out for the decisive third goal. Indeed so on top were Pontyclun at this stage that Panteg had to wait until the half hour mark for their first real opportunity of the match when a long range speculative effort was easily dealt with by the debutant Dean Coles in the Pontyclun goal.

Shortly afterwards only the woodwork denied Pontyclun a third goal. Panteg could only partially clear a Pontyclun corner and the ball rebounded out to Tom Holder on the edge of the area. However, his lob hit the bar before going behind for a goal kick.

After Tom Tweedy had gone close with a couple of opportunities towards the end of the half right on the stroke of half-time Pontyclun finally made it 3-0. A free kick was played long by Tom Holder into the Panteg area towards Joel Woodington who powered a firm header into the net giving the opposition keeper no chance to save. This proved to be the last significant action of the half and the interval arrived with Pontyclun leading by 3 goals to nil.

After having so little of the play in the opening 45 minutes Panteg wasted no time at all at the start of the second period in getting themselves right back into the game. In the opening minute the Pontyclun defence failed to clear a Panteg corner and a home player was on hand to turn the ball into the net.

Four minutes later Panteg took full advantage of some very lax Pontyclun defending as several players failed to clear the ball and the home team gratefully took the opportunity to put the ball into the net for their second goal of the game.

With the rain now lashing down in torrents and the home team revitalised it was now very much a case of ‘game on’. Despite having been very much second best in the opening third of this half Pontyclun managed to secure a fourth goal on the hour mark when centre back Chris Bell popped up to head a cross into the net. Three minutes later Pontyclun looked to have made the game safe when they made it 5-2. Good battling by the Pontyclun forwards put the Panteg defence under pressure in their own area and the ball eventually broke to Joel Woodington on the penalty spot and he steered the ball past the Panteg keeper into the net.

Panteg were still not out of things and in the 69th minute they pulled another goal back. A deep corner was played into the Pontyclun area from the left and it found a home player whose diagonal header found its way into the net from close range.

Two minutes later it was Pontyclun who came close to further extending their lead. A long cross field ball into the Panteg area found Tom Tweedy. The Clun forward managed to hold off the attentions of two Panteg defenders before putting in a diagonal shot which evaded the onrushing Joel Woodington before rolling just wide of the post.

In the 75th minute Pontyclun again came close to scoring their sixth. A long clearance by Dean Coles found Jamie Williams on the edge of the Panteg area. The Clun forward twisted and turned before getting in a shot which flew just wide of the left hand post.

With play in this half continuing to flow from end to end two minutes later the home team had a chance to reduce the deficit but Dean Coles in the Pontyclun goal did well to push away an effort from close range before the Clun defence were able to clear their lines.

With the minutes ticking by and anxious to protect the lead manager Barry Quinn sent on defender Sam Morgan for James Gronow. This did not blunt Pontyclun as an attacking force and three minutes from time the home goal had a miraculous escape when an effort from Steve Hubbuck from inside his own half was only just scrambled away to safety by the retreating home keeper.

This proved to be the last significant action which had been played in the right way by both sides in spite of the dreadful conditions and was a good advert for Welsh League Division III football