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TON PENTRE 1 - 1 AFAN LIDO
MacWhirter Welsh Football League Division One
Saturday 25th August 2007
Ton Pentre’s unbeaten run now stretches to five matches despite Afan Lido’s best efforts at Ynys Park.
The visitors took the lead in the opening few minutes of this match but Ton Pentre were able to pull level before half time.
Early in the second half Afan Lido were reduced to 10 men following an alleged elbowing incident but they somehow managed to keep Ton Pentre out before the Rhondda Bulldogs were also reduced to 10 men in the 76th minute.
Afan Lido were gifted the lead after forcing a corner in the first half when Jonathan Kift scored an own goal. As the ball was sent in from the left Kift flicked the ball with his head past home goalkeeper Marty Ellacott. There was nothing that the Ton Pentre keeper could do.
The goal meant that the Rhondda Bulldogs were chasing this match from early on but Afan Lido were not allowing Ton any space for them to play.
Ton nearly found themselves two goals down after 16 minutes from another Afan Lido corner but were saved by Ryan Shugar who headed off the goal line.
Ton began to find their feet in this match in 25th minute as good link up play nearly led to an equaliser. Andrew Hughes and Shugar played a one-two for the former to lay the ball off to Kift. The former Cardiff City player shot at Wyn Walters in the Lido goals but the effort went wide.
Although not totally convincing, Ton Pentre did raise their game and pulled themselves back into the match in the 41st minute when Kift took a shot at goal. His first strike looked as if it was beaten away by a defenders hand. The ball dropped at the Ton striker’s feet and Kift’s second effort was drilled high into the top right hand corner of the net for a well taken goal.
A good Shugar’s run in the first minute of the second half saw him slip the ball to Alyn Jones who took on three Lido defenders. With just the keeper to beat Jones looked to place the ball over Walters but his effort was saved at the goalie’s near post.
Moments later Jones was chasing the ball in the final third again and put Lido defender Luke Harrington under pressure. As the Ton forward attempted to get around Harrington he appeared to be struck by a flailing elbow. The referee was quick to send the player off for violent conduct.
Ton Pentre were quick to put their visitors under some extreme pressure and it increasingly looked like Afan Lido were going to buckle.
During the 66th minute of play Lido were able to relieve some of the pressure and almost found themselves back in the lead when from 20 yards Carl Edwards took what seemed to be a speculative shot at goal. The strike was well hit and it forced Marty Ellacott into making a fantastic save by tipping the ball over the bar.
Ten minutes later Ashley Evans was red carded by the referee for a second cautionable offence when the Ton midfielder clattered into a Lido player whilst he was running towards goal.
With Ton now down to 10 men it gave Lido some belief that they could still win this match. And they nearly did when Stephen Davies saw his shot palmed away by Ellacott who was able to gather the ball before an opposing player could get to it.
Ton also came close to taking all three points when Dane Williams’ strike was destined for the top left hand corner of the net but a deflection off a defender was enough to edge it over the bar.
Neither team will be too disappointed about the result as both will fancy their chances of lifting the Division One title this season.
Next up for Ton Pentre is a visit to Locks Lane in Porthcawl for a match against Bridgend Town on Saturday 1st September at 2.30pm.
Team: 1.Marty Ellacott (Captain); 2.Dale Price (12.Scott Hayward, 34mins); 3.Ryan Shugar (14.Phil Clarke, 68mins); 4.Mike Jones; 5.Richard Carter; 6.Ryan Morgan (15. Lee Matthews, 78mins); 7.Dane Williams; 8.Andrew Hughes; 9.Alyn Jones; 10.Ashley Evans; 11.Jonathan Kift.
Subs not used: 16.Christian Orchard & 17.Scott Jones
Goal: Kift 41mins
Booked: Hughes 29mins; Evans 58mins; Matthews 88mins.
Sent Off: Evans 76mins (second cautionable offence)
Match report by Ton Pentre AFC Press
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