LATE LATE STRIKE DENIES CLUN A WIN!

PENCOED ATH.  2    PONTYCLUN   2 

Pontyclun made the short journey down the A473 on a cloudy autumnal afternoon to take on local rivals Pencoed Athletic in a South Wales Alliance League Premier Division fixture.

Pencoed got proceedings underway kicking towards the motorway end of the ground. The first real chance of the game fell to Pontyclun in the third minute. The ball was played to Tom Tweedy on the right. The Pontyclun forward held off a couple of challenges and worked his way infield before letting fly from the edge of the Pencoed area. His shot was partially blocked by a home defender before being caught in the swirling wind and narrowly flew over the bar with the Pencoed goalkeeper watching on helplessly.

A minute later the home team had their first real attack of the game. Matthew Trigg was outpaced by a Pencoed player who succeeded in getting in a cross into the Pontyclun area where it was put behind for an ultimately fruitless corner.

With Pontyclun having the better of the early exchanges it came as little surprise when they opened the scoring in the ninth minute. The ball was played to Jamie Williams 20 yards inside the Pencoed half in a central position. The Pontyclun player advanced forward holding off a couple of Pencoed challenges before letting fly a shot from 25 yards which screamed into the net off the underside of the bar.

Two minutes later Pontyclun doubled their lead. A long throw-in by Jamie Williams on the right level with the 18 yard line was glanced into the far corner of the net by the head of Tom Tweedy.

Straight from the re-start Pontyclun continued to pile on the pressure and in the 13th minute narrowly failed to make the score 3-0. Yet another through ball found its way to Chris Darlington on the edge of the Pencoed area. However, with just the Pencoed goalkeeper to beat and with the goal at his mercy the Pontyclun forward could only send his effort just wide of the post.

The game then entered a relatively quiet phase before Pencoed pulled a goal back in the 27th minute. The home team had won a corner on the left and the ensuing kick into the box was missed by Pontyclun keeper Andrew Ringsell and several Pontyclun players and the home team succeeded in bundling the ball into the net at the far post.

The remainder of the half was fairly even in terms of possession with both sides creating half-chances although Pontyclun looked the more likely to add to their lead and right in the closing minutes of the half a pass from Chris Darlington found Jamie Williams with his back to goal. The Pontyclun forward got in a shot on the turn but unfortunately it went straight into the arms of the grateful Pencoed goalkeeper.

HALF TIME: PENCOED ATHLETIC  1   PONTYCLUN  2

After a relatively quiet opening, the first real opportunity of the half fell to Pencoed in the 50th minute. A long diagonal ball found a Pencoed player on the left hand side of the Pontyclun penalty area and his low shot evaded the despairing dive of Andrew Ringsell but fortunately for Pontyclun it went just wide of the post. Two minutes later the home team again came close to levelling when another shot from the edge of the area went just over the Pontyclun bar.

Pontyclun had to wait until the 54th minute for their first real opportunity of the half. Jamie Williams picked up the ball on the left 5 yards outside the Pencoed penalty area and ran parallel across the field before getting in a low shot from 25 yards which was palmed away by the Pencoed keeper for a corner.

Two minutes later the Pontyclun goal had a narrow escape. A ball, played in from the right, was missed by Andrew Ringsell and fell to a Pencoed player who, with the goal at his mercy, somehow managed to put the ball wide of the far post.

With the home team now having the majority of possession it was Pontyclun who might have extended their lead in the 62nd minute when a low Tom Tweedy shot was only gathered by the Pencoed goalkeeper at the second attempt.

As the half wore on it was Pencoed who were looking the more likely to score and in an attempt to freshen up proceedings manager Barry Quinn sent on Richard Lau and Alex Smith for Chris Darlington and Craig Williams. Four minutes from time it looked as if Jamie Williams would make the game safe but his effort was somehow scrambled to safety while right at the end of normal time substitute Alex Smith unluckily saw his effort from the edge of the area fly just over the bar.

Deep into stoppage time there was an off the ball altercation between substitute Oli James and a Pencoed player 15 yards outside the Pencoed penalty, an episode which resulted in both players receiving yellow cards.

As the game entered its sixth minute of stoppage time Pencoed were awarded a free-kick 22 yards from goal on the left hand side of the Pontyclun area. The same payer who had been yellow carded a few minutes earlier stepped up to take the kick and sent in a screamer which flew into the far corner of the net to bring the scores level.

Pontyclun barely had time to restart proceedings before the referee’s whistle brought the game to an ended with both teams tied at two goals each

FINAL SCORE: PENCOED ATHLETIC  2  PONTYCLUN 2