April 29th: Ton Pentre 4 v Cardiff Corries 0
The game was played in quite difficult conditions with Ton playing with a gusty wind behind them in he first half. This was a game they needed to win to keep the pressure on Ponterdawe, what a start the home side made they went straight from the kick off onto the offensive, with a break down the Ton right with Lee Tapper putting over a superb cross, Corries could only put it behind for a corner on the left. Saltmarsh cleared out the corner and the ball fell to Dean Morris who controlled the ball and fired a low unstoppable shot into the back of the net from 25 yards. 1-0 to after one minute, it was the started they wanted. Then things got better in the 3rd when a corner was won on the left, Shaun Fackeral delivered a superb ball into the far post where Jason Roberts rose above everyone to head home from 5 yards. Making it 2-0.
Ton could not have wished for a better start and they continued going forward and n the 10th minute Dai Withers was cynically brought down by Henessey just outside the area, as Henessey was the last man and Withers was in on goal, a red card was expected. However referee Mr White of Newport gave a yellow. Henessey was very lucky to remain on the field. Withers took the kick and the Corries keeper did well to save to his right.
Then a third goal for the home side in the13th, a flowing move through midfield saw Dean Morris put a ball into the near post waste high, Andrew Hughes ghosted in to score by side footing it inside the near post. With the score 3-0 Dai Withers was brought down in the box, there was an appeal for a penalty, again Mr White waved play on, he was losing his way in the game!
Cardiff were getting the odd break, however Ton were in complete control of the game right up to the half-hour. Corries were working hard to stay in the game and Young and Johnson were prominent for them in attack. Although Ellacott was never troubled in the Ton goal.
With 40 minutes gone and the referee not in control, Ton were reduced to 10 men when Shaun Fackeral was shown the red card for violent conduct. The half finished with Ton still going forward and in the lead 4-0.
Cardiff kicked off the second in a determined mood and tried to take the game to the 10 men of the home side and after 2 minutes of the resumption they had long distance shots from Johnson and Saltmarsh, neither caused any bother to the solid Ton defence. The first 10 minutes of the half was the Corries they were using the wind and the 1 man advantage, however Hughes and Morris were covering a lot of ground ably assisted by Roberts, Davies and Prygodzicz at the back. After Ton had weathered this early storm, they started to get more of the ball; Thomas made McCarthy save with his legs. Harding found Hughes at the back post, he put the ball over from 6 yards, it was a difficult chance Hughes having to lift the ball over the defence.
With an hour played the game was more even and Ton started to pressure the Corries back line. A through ball was played into the path of Harding, who beat the keeper to the ball just outside the box at an acute angle. He sent the ball goal wards, the ball hit the foot of the upright and came back out, the alert Hughes was following up, his effort went over the top after being challenged by Hennessey. Immediately from this the Corries made a break and a good shot on the turn by Johnson alerted Ton to the danger the Corries could give.
In the 65th minute Ton made another breakthrough when a great through ball from Morris to Thomas beat the Corries defence, Thomas chipped the ball over the onrushing keeper from 25 yards to make it 4-0 to Ton. Two minutes later Ton made two changes with Withers and Thomas being replaced by Lee Brown and Lee Randall. This gave Ton a fresh impetus up front with the two strikers pushing up on the Corries defence. The third substitution saw the hard working Harding replaced by the youthful Ian Shepherd, who is one for the future. Referee Mr White was still there baffling us all with his decisions or should I say lack of, Ton's Tapper was pole axed and could have suffered a bad injury; fortunately it was not too bad. Again the referee ignored the bad challenge and just gave a free kick. The last few minutes of game was Ton's with Randall and Brown going close, the referee ended the game after 3 minutes of stoppage time. This was another very good performance by Ton they're not giving up their title without a fight, moving back top of the league with 3 games to go.
Teams
Ton Pentre: Ellacott, Tapper, Roberts, Davies, Prygodzicz, Hughes, Fackeral, Morris, Thomas, Withers and Harding substitutes Brown, Randall and Shepherd
Cardiff Corries: Evans, Harris, Saltmarsh, Henessey, Pengelly, Young, Salmoni, Johnson, Roberts, Substitutes Cock, Jones and McNamara
Report by Gary Matuszczyk
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