DARLO TEACHES BUTETOWN A LESSON

AFC BUTETOWN 0 PONTYCLUN FC 4

Pontyclun travelled to Cardiff Bay on a bright, but cold, Saturday afternoon to take on AFC Butetown in a South Wales Alliance League Premier Division fixture.

The home team got proceedings underway kicking towards the city end of the ground. After an extremely quiet opening where little was created by either side, Pontyclun had to wait until the 23rd minute for their first real opportunity of the match. Oli James advanced down the right wing before getting in a shot from the edge of the area which went wide of the post.

Three minutes later though it was Pontyclun who opened the scoring. A good piece of improvisation by Craig Williams on the ground saw him cleverly play the ball into the path of Chris Darlington twelve yards inside the Butetown half. The Pontyclun wide man did well to bring the ball under control and hold off the challenge from a Butetown defender as he advanced on goal before skilfully lofting the ball over the advancing Butetown keeper into the net.

Butetown had to wait until the 37th minute for their first opportunity of the game. A rare mistake by young Jordan Lawrence allowed a Butetown forward a clear run on goal. However, he was denied when James Billington in the Pontyclun goal did well to get down low and divert the ball to safety with his foot.

The home team were left to rue this lost opportunity when Pontyclun doubled their lead in the 43rd minute. Good work in the Butetown area by Craig Williams led him to spread the ball to Oli James with his back to goal. As the Pontyclun centre-forward looked to bring the ball under control he was fouled from behind and referee Mark Boucher had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Shaun Moss stepped up to take the kick and made no mistake from the spot sending his firm effort right into the left hand corner of the net.

This proved to be the last significant action of the half and the interval arrived with Pontyclun leading by two goals to nil.

The opening phases of the second half followed very much the same pattern as the first with little being created by either side. In the 52nd minute the home team were offered a lifeline back into the game when they were awarded a penalty after Kieran Lawrence was adjudged to have brought down a Butetown player in the area. However, the home player could only send his spot kick high over the bar.

This let-off seemed to spur Pontyclun into action and in the next few minutes both Oli James, Jamie Williams and Craig Williams all had opportunities to extend their lead. With Pontyclun now well on top they should have gone further in front in the 65th minute. Oli James latched on to a through ball and found himself one on one with the home goalkeeper. Despite having masses of time to place his shot the Pontyclun centre-forward could only send his tame effort wide of the far post.

Three minutes later the Oli James atoned for his earlier effort when he put Pontyclun further in front. Substitute Tom Haley crossed the ball low into the area from the by-line on the left to an unmarked Oli James just inside the Pontyclun area and he smashed his shot into the net.

With the home team now offering very little in the way of an attacking threat it seemed only a matter of time before Pontyclun extended their lead still further. Indeed the fourth goal duly arrived in the 83rd minute. Good interplay by several Pontyclun players eventually led to the ball being played to James Gronnow on the left hand side of the Butetown area and the Pontyclun substitute fired the ball into the net from an acute angle.

Pontyclun might have made it five in the remaining minutes but substitute Chris Bullock was thwarted on a couple of occasions by the home goalkeeper and the final whistle sounded with Pontyclun comfortable victors by four goals to nil.