PORTHCAWL ALL THE SHOTS!
PONTYCLUN 0 PORTHCAWL 4
Porthcawl Town Athletic were the visitors to a wet and windy Ivor Park for Pontyclun’s opening home fixture in the new South Wales Alliance League
Having secured a win at Penydarren BC on the weekend hopes were high of another three points when Pontyclun got the game underway kicking towards the Cowbridge end of the ground
Initially these hopes looked to be justified as Pontyclun began the game at a fast pace. As early as the second minute Tom Tweedy won the ball inside the Porthcawl half and advanced towards the Porthcawl penalty area before playing in Matthew Trigg on the left. However, the Clun’s full-back’s low shot flew just wide of the opposite post.
A minute later the same player sent in a cross from the left high into the Porthcawl penalty area where the opposition goalkeeper was on hand to push the ball to safety. Porthcawl’s first real attack of the match came shortly afterwards. The visitors broke out of defence and sent the ball forward to one of their players who was unmarked on the edge of the Pontyclun penalty area. However, Andrew Ringsell in the Pontyclun goal was on hand to first away his firm effort.
In the 10th minute Pontyclun again came close to taking the lead. A good break by Jamie Williams down the right saw him get in a good cross from the by-line which was met by Sam Shilton but his effort went narrowly wide with the Porthcawl goalkeeper well beaten. Two minutes later Jamie Williams again made a good break down the right and sent in another excellent cross into the Porthcawl six yard area. When the visiting goalkeeper fumbled the ball it looked odds on as if Sam Shilton or Tom Tweedy would be able to bundle the ball into the net but somehow the Porthcawl defence managed to scramble the ball to safety
Pontyclun were made to pay for squandering those early opportunities when they went a goal down in the 17th minute. The visitors broke down the right before getting a cross into the Pontyclun area where the unmarked Alex Treharne was on hand to turn the ball past the helpless Andrew Ringsell from 12 yards.
Pontyclun came close to levelling the scores a minute later when they were awarded a corner on the left. The deep kick found Tom Tweedy on the edge of the 6 yard box but unfortunately his firm header was straight at the Porthcawl goalkeeper.
Pontyclun still continued to press at this stage and despite opportunities falling to Sam Shilton, Matthew Trigg and Lewis Miller were unable to find an equaliser. However, as the half wore on the visitors began to enjoy a greater share of the possession and in the 37th were awarded an indirect free-kick just outside the Pontyclun area after Andrew Ringsell was adjudged to have carried the ball outside the area when clearing. However, good work by the Pontyclun defence saw this effort come to nothing. This proved to be a mere let-off for Pontyclun as a minute later the visitors doubled their lead. Again lax defending by Pontyclun allowed Porthcawl to play the ball into their penalty area where Daniel Harris got in a low shot which flew into the net beyond the despairing dive of Andrew Ringsell.
Three minutes later Pontyclun came close to reducing Porthcawl’s lead when Sam Shilton, after good work down the right, got in a low cross to Tom Tweedy whose effort went just the wrong side of the post. A minute later Sam Shilton himself was unlucky not to score when his close range header was palmed away by the Porthcawl keeper. This proved to be the last significant action of the half and the interval arrived with Porthcawl leading by 2 goals to nil.
HALF TIME: PONTYCLUN 0 PORTHCAWL TOWN ATHLETIC 2
Manager Barry Quinn rang the changes at the start of the second half by sending on Joel Woodington in place of Oli James. However, in the 48th minute it was Porthcawl who went 3-0 in front. Again indecision in the Pontyclun defence allowed Porthcawl’s Morgan Thomas to nip in and shoot past Andrew Ringsell from 15 yards.
With the game now played at a much slower pace than the previous period Pontyclun had to wait until the 57th minute for their first real opportunity of the half when Harry Flint shot just over from the edge of the area. Again Pontyclun rang the changes by replacing Jamie Williams with Chris Darlington on the hour.
As the light started to fade the game entered a very sterile period as both sides created little in the way of scoring opportunities. Pontyclun were awarded a couple of free-kicks on the edge of the Porthcawl area in quick succession but neither Matthew Trigg nor Joel Woodington could take advantage of the opportunities.
With the minutes ticking by and with Pontyclun beginning to look more and more dispirited it was the visitors who were creating more of the very few chances which came along. Three minutes from time they made it 4-0 when Sam McCarthy put the ball into the Pontyclun net.
Right at the death Pontyclun might have secured a consolation goal but their efforts came to nothing and the game ended with Porthcawl winners by 4 goals to nil.
PONTYCLUN: A. RINGSELL, K. LAWRENCE, M. TRIGG, C. BELL, L. MILLER, A. DAVIES (E. JONES), J. WILLIAMS (C. DARLINGTON), O.JAMES (J. WOODINGTON), T. TWEEDY, S. SHILTON, H. FLINT.