AND ALED DAVIES HAS……………..WON IT!!!!!!!
PENYDARREN BC 0 PONTYCLUN 1
Pontyclun travelled to Merthyr Tydfil to take on Penydarren BC for their opening fixture in the new South Wales Alliance League. With their hosts finishing as runners-up in the South Wales Senior League last season and with the Clun missing four strikers they knew they were going to be in for a stern test.
The home team kicked off on a bright August afternoon kicking towards the Gurnos end of the ground. The first chance of the game came in the third minute when Pontyclun lost possession just inside their own half. The Penydarren player advanced forward and shot just over the bar from the edge of the area. A minute later Pontyclun enjoyed their first chance of the match when Matthew Trigg advanced down the left and his shot from just outside the box was deflected over the bar for a corner. From the ensuing kick on the left the ball was played into the Penydarren area to Lewis Miller who found himself unmarked 12 yards out from goal. However, his bicycle kick was cleared to safety.
Two minutes later another chance fell to Pontyclun. Tom Tweedy advanced down the left and beat several Penydarren players before a Penydarren player eventually put the ball behind for another Pontyclun corner which was cleared by the home defence from right under their posts.
In the ninth minute the home side had a chance to open the scoring when after a run down their left the ball was played at speed into the Pontyclun area but keeper Andrew Ringsell was alert to the danger and gathered the cross. Three minutes later another good chance fell to the home side when a long diagonal ball found a home player on the corner of the Pontyclun area but his form shot went just over the bar.
As the game continued to flow from end to end, in the seventeenth minute Pontyclun were awarded a free-kick when Craig Williams was fouled on the edge of the Penydarren area. Matthew Trigg took the kick but he could only fire tamely at the home keeper.
Three minutes later Pontyclun came close to taking the lead. Tom Tweedy held off the challenges of a couple of Penydarren players before getting a cross into the area where the unmarked Lewis Miller just failed to connect.
In the 23rd minute the home team themselves came close to taking the lead themselves. A move down the right eventually saw the ball being played into the Pontyclun area where a home forward was able to get in a shot in on goal. However, Andrew Ringsell got down low to block the shot with his legs.
The Pontyclun keeper had to be alert ten minutes later when a speculative Penydarren cross/cum shot from the touchline 35 yards from goal looked to be just creeping under the bar until Ringsell stuck out a hand to divert the ball over the bar for a corner.
In the 40th minute Sam Shilton had a chance to open the scoring when he latched on to a through ball and took it around the advancing Penydarren keeper. However, the home defence was on hand to clear as Shilton tried to cross the ball to Tom Tweedy.
The home side made their task much harder in the 43rd minute when their centre back was given a straight red card for an off the ball kick at Craig Williams on the edge of their area.
Spurred on by this event Penydareen wasted no time in taking the ball to Pontyclun and right on the stroke of half-time Kieran Lawrence found himself out-numbered two v one on the edge of the area. However, the Pontyclun centre-back got in a superb tackle to avert the danger.
HALF TIME: PENYDARREN BC 0 PONTYCLUN 0
In the opening minute of the second period Pontyclun came close to taking the lead. The ball was played to Oil James 30 yards out from the Penydarren goal. The Pontyclun player got in a superb volley which flew inches over the home crossbar.
With the game now much more cagey than the opening period Pontyclun had to wait until the 56th minute for their next chance. Good battling by Jamie Williams saw him hold off the challenges of a couple of Penydarren players before getting a cross into the home box which was just turned wide by Sam Shilton.
On the hour the home team almost went in front. From a corner on the left the ball was played into the area where a Penydarren player rose to send in a downward goal bound header. However Andrew Ringsell did well to get down low to gather the ball.
With chances now being much more at a premium and the home team becoming increasingly physical manager Barry Quinn rang the changes with Craig Williams and Matthew Trigg being replaced by Aled Davies and Chris Darlington.
Within a minute of coming on to the field Darlington almost put Pontyclun in front when his short from the edge of the area went just wide. As the minutes ticked by it looked as if the two sides would end up sharing the points. However, right at the death there was a sting in the tail.
In the last minute of normal time the ball was played into the Penydarren area. In the ensuing scramble several players from both sides missed their kicks. Eventually the ball came to Aled Davies in a central position on the edge of the area. The Pontyclun substitute’s effort appeared to take a slight deflection which deceived the home goalkeeper and the ball eventually dribbled into the corner of the net past his despairing dive prompting wild scenes of celebration from the large Pontyclun travelling contingent. This proved to be the last significant action of the game and the final whistle sounded with Pontyclun winners by a goal to nil.
PONTYCLUN: A. RINGSELL, K. LAWRENCE, M. TRIGG (C. DARLINGTON), L. MILLER, C. WILLIAMS, J WILLIAMS A. DAVIES), O. JAMES, T. TWEEDY, S. SHILTON (E. JONES), H. FLINT SCORER: A. DAVIES