CARNETOWN CRUSHED!
CARNETOWN 1 PONTYCLUN 7
Pontyclun travelled to Abercynon to take on Aberdare League side Carnetown BGC in the opening round of the Welsh Cup. After Wednesday’s disappointing result at home to Porthcawl manger Barry Quinn rang the changes with Oli James dropping back to centre half in place of Chris Bell and Ethan Jones replaced Sam Shilton in attack.
Pontyclun got proceedings underway on a bright and sunny afternoon and, kicking towards the Pontypridd end of the ground, wasted little time in taking the game to their opponents forcing several corners in quick succession. Pontyclun continued to pressurise their hosts and came close to scoring in the 14th minute when Tom Tweedy headed over the bar.
Pontyclun finally took the lead in the 16th minute. The ball found its way to Tom Tweedy on the edge of the home penalty area. His firm shot looked initially to have been palmed away by the Carnetown goalkeeper but all the home custodian succeeded in doing was deflecting the ball into the opposite corner of the net.
Six minutes later Pontyclun doubled their lead. The ball was played into the Carnetown area where it found its way to Ethan Jones. The Pontyclun forward’s first attempt hit the Carnetown goalkeeper. However, when the ball rebounded straight back to him he bundled it to the net.
Pontyclun lost Craig Williams in the 24th minute with a leg injury and he was replaced by Kieran Hodgkin, who was making his Pontyclun debut. The home team had to wait until the 27th minute for their first real chance of the game. The ball was played long into the Pontyclun area. The Carnetown centre-forward got in a firm header but could only direct his effort straight into the hands of Andrew Ringsell in the Pontyclun goal.
With Pontyclun still enjoying the lion’s share of the possession right on the stroke of half-time they made it 3-0. Good battling by Kieran Hodgkin on the left hand side of the Carnetown area allowed him to play in Tom Tweedy whose low cross from the by-line found Jamie Williams on the right hand side of the six yard area and the Pontyclun player fired low into the opposite corner of the net.
HALF TIME: CARNETOWN BGC 0 PONTYCLUN 3
Pontyclun began the second period strongly and in the opening minutes of proceedings had chalked up a further two goals. In the 47th minute Jamie Williams broke down the right before crossing the ball into the Carnetown area where the unmarked Ethan Jones was on hand to head powerfully home from close range. After Aled Davies had shot just over the bar from 25 yards and Tom Tweedy had seen his low effort saved by the feet of the Carnetown keeper Pontyclun soon made it 5-0 when Kieran Hodgkin’s 25 yard cross cum shot from the near the touchline on the right eluded everyone before dropping into the far corner of the net.
In the 57th minute Carnetown made a rare attack which saw a home forward strike a low shot just wide of the post. Despite Pontyclun still remaining well on top it was the home team who next found the net in the 73rd minute. A through ball eluded the Pontyclun defence and put a Carnetown forward one on one with Andrew Ringsell. Despite the Pontyclun goalkeeper trying to bring down the attacker, he managed to stay to his feet before taking the ball wide of Ringsell before rolling it into an empty net.
However, less than five minutes later Pontyclun once again increased their lead. The ball was played out to Jamie Williams on the right wing. After bringing the ball under control the Pontyclun player beat a home player before advancing into the Carnetown area before sending in a firm low shot across the Carnetown goalkeeper and the left hand corner of the net.
In the 88th minute Pontyclun might have increased their lead still further when a firm shot from Ethan Jones was pushed onto the post by the Carnetown keeper. This proved to be just a brief respite for the home team as right on the stroke of time Pontyclun made it 7-1. Oli James’ header in the box was pushed out by the Carnetown keeper but only as far as debutant Jacques Tertois who managed to bundle the ball into the net from close range.
This proved to be the last significant action of the game and the final whistle sounded with Pontyclun emphatic winners by 7 goals to 1 as they booked their place in the next round of the competition.
PONTYCLUN: A. RINGSELL, K. LAWRENCE, M. TRIGG (S. SHILTON), O. JAMES, L. MILLER, C. WILLIAMS (K. HODGKIN), H. FLINT, A. DAVIES (J. TERTOIS), T. TWEEDY, E. JONES, J. WILLIAMS
SCORERS: ETHAN JONES (2), J. WILLIAMS (2), T. TWEEDY, K. HODGKIN, J. TERTOIS