Afan Lido 4 Pontypridd Town 0
Welsh League Division One – 18th March 2008
Welsh League Division One – 18th March 2008
Ponty suffered a dreadful build up to the match with six players being ruled out through injury and unavailability. With a further two having to go off injured by half time, coach Mark Elliott must have been wondering if his years in retirement would come to an unexpected end in the event of another injury.
Nevertheless, an unfamiliar looking line up played some neat football early on and kept Lido at bay until the eighteenth minute when a corner was only half cleared and, when it was returned into the six yard box, Corey Thomas was able to glance a header home from close range.
Three minutes later, Jacob Daly robbed a Lido defender and set off for goal but his touch took him too wide and the angle was too sharp for him to beat keeper Leon Cosker. The home team then doubled their lead almost immediately and again the Dragons susceptibility to set pieces cost them with Thomas again heading home a corner kick. They could have grabbed a third just after the half hour mark when the unmarked Ian Jones was given a clear sight of goal only for Chris Golton (left) to make a superb one handed save low down to his right hand side. Unfortunately, the unlucky Chris Ridgeon suffered a nasty looking ankle injury only weeks after returning from a similar injury and running into some excellent form. Skipper Vinny Avery also received a head injury which forced him off the field and meant a debut for local lad Dafydd Hughes. There was still time for Golton to foil Jones with another excellent save and Cyron Williams to clear off the line seconds before the whistle.
A further reshuffled Ponty side started the second half well although Golton foiled Jones yet again with another close range save before Daly caused the Lido defence problems with a good run and Mike Selio forced Cosker into a full length save.
Nevertheless, the game began to open up with Ponty tiring and Jones finally scored with fifteen minutes to go after a quick break and cross from the left found him unmarked in front of an empty net.
Wayne Antoniazzi was playing well having been switched to an unaccustomed central defensive role but a fourth goal arrived shortly before the end when Golton again won his duel with Jones but the Lido striker was tripped by Tommy Saleh going for the rebound. The Ponty keeper’s reward for an outstanding display was to receive a yellow card for the offence in a clear case of mistaken identity before Lido keeper Cosker stepped up to hammer the ball past his opposite number from the spot.
This was another display which showed signs of promise for the future but with time running out, a good result in the local derby at home to Taffs Well on Saturday is desperately needed.
Pontypridd Town: Chris Golton; Peter Evans, Chris Ridgeon (sub. Dafydd Hughes), Cyron Williams, Tommy Saleh, Mike Selio, Wayne Antoniazzi, Jacob Daly, David Avery (sub. Gareth Liddon), Rasul Abdul. Sub not used: Mark Elliott.
Nevertheless, an unfamiliar looking line up played some neat football early on and kept Lido at bay until the eighteenth minute when a corner was only half cleared and, when it was returned into the six yard box, Corey Thomas was able to glance a header home from close range.Three minutes later, Jacob Daly robbed a Lido defender and set off for goal but his touch took him too wide and the angle was too sharp for him to beat keeper Leon Cosker. The home team then doubled their lead almost immediately and again the Dragons susceptibility to set pieces cost them with Thomas again heading home a corner kick. They could have grabbed a third just after the half hour mark when the unmarked Ian Jones was given a clear sight of goal only for Chris Golton (left) to make a superb one handed save low down to his right hand side. Unfortunately, the unlucky Chris Ridgeon suffered a nasty looking ankle injury only weeks after returning from a similar injury and running into some excellent form. Skipper Vinny Avery also received a head injury which forced him off the field and meant a debut for local lad Dafydd Hughes. There was still time for Golton to foil Jones with another excellent save and Cyron Williams to clear off the line seconds before the whistle.
A further reshuffled Ponty side started the second half well although Golton foiled Jones yet again with another close range save before Daly caused the Lido defence problems with a good run and Mike Selio forced Cosker into a full length save.
Nevertheless, the game began to open up with Ponty tiring and Jones finally scored with fifteen minutes to go after a quick break and cross from the left found him unmarked in front of an empty net.
Wayne Antoniazzi was playing well having been switched to an unaccustomed central defensive role but a fourth goal arrived shortly before the end when Golton again won his duel with Jones but the Lido striker was tripped by Tommy Saleh going for the rebound. The Ponty keeper’s reward for an outstanding display was to receive a yellow card for the offence in a clear case of mistaken identity before Lido keeper Cosker stepped up to hammer the ball past his opposite number from the spot.
This was another display which showed signs of promise for the future but with time running out, a good result in the local derby at home to Taffs Well on Saturday is desperately needed.
Pontypridd Town: Chris Golton; Peter Evans, Chris Ridgeon (sub. Dafydd Hughes), Cyron Williams, Tommy Saleh, Mike Selio, Wayne Antoniazzi, Jacob Daly, David Avery (sub. Gareth Liddon), Rasul Abdul. Sub not used: Mark Elliott.