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TON PENTRE 0 - 2 CAERLEON
MacWhirter Welsh Football League Division One
Wednesday 14th November 2007
Caerleon were visitors to Ynys Park as Ton Pentre looked to blow away the cobwebs of their disappointing Welsh Cup performance in the previous match.
Their Gwent visitors came into this MacWhirter Welsh Football League Division One fixture full of confidence following a good run of results. They defended stoutly and took their chances well to submit Ton Pentre to their fist league defeat of the season.
Possession was evenly shared between the two teams in the open exchanges but a cross from the right in the 13th minute sent the Rhondda Bulldogs defence into disarray. This allowed a Caerleon player to lose his marker and head the ball into the bottom right of the goal leaving home team goalkeeper Marty Ellacott flat footed.
Following this and throughout the half Ton Pentre were heaping more and more pressure on the visitors defence but it stood up well to the test. However, in the 26th minute the Bulldogs were able to breach this defence when the ball was played to Mattie Davies in an excellent position within the 18-yard box. Unfortunately the player miss kicked his shot with just the keeper to beat and the ball spun wide of the post.
On the half hour mark Kristian Orchard crossed low into the box for Alyn Jones. The speedy Ton striker could have levelled but his shot hit the side netting much to the relief of the Caerleon rearguard.
The Bulldogs almost found themselves another goal down eight minutes later when a Caerleon striker was allowed a free header on target. The ball was bearing towards goal but a wonderful one handed save from Ellacott pushed the ball out towards the penalty area. From a follow-up shot Ellacott was forced to react again and the Ton goalkeeper pulled off another superb save putting the ball out for a corner kick.
Early in the second half Ryan Shugar came close for Ton Pentre when he received the ball from a cross by Dane Williams. Half the ground thought Shugar’s strike was in but the ball had smashed against the side netting for the second time in the match.
With just over an hour of the match played Ton conceded a free kick approximately 30-yards out from goal. From it the ball was blasted at Ellacott who did well to tip the ball onto the crossbar. From the rebound however, a Caerleon player was positioned well to slot the ball into the net while the Ton goalie was on the ground.
Ton Pentre reacted by replacing Mattie Davies, who had picked up a knock, with Nicky Jones coming in on the left wing as Orchard was pushed up front.
Jones gave Ton a little more width and the player thought he had got the Bulldogs back in the match during the 75th minute when he had cut inside to run onto the ball in the 18-yard box. He side footed the ball past the Caerleon keeper but his strike was disallowed after the referee’s assistant had flagged him offside.
Caerleon comfortably held on to their 2-0 lead to win the honour of being the first team this season to beat Ton Pentre in the league.
The next match for Ton is at home to Caldicot Town on Saturday 24th November 2007 at 2pm.
Team: 1.Marty Ellacott (Captain); 2.Ryan Shugar (16.Phil Clarke, 79); 3.Kristian Orchard; 4.Scott Hayward; 5.Ryan Morgan; 6.Mark Crutch; 7.Dane Williams; 8.Andrew Hughes; 9.Mattie Davies (14.Nicky Jones, 62); 10.Dale Price (15.Scott Jones, 75); 11.Alyn Jones.
Subs not used: 12.Paul Michaels & 17.Gareth Mouncher.
Goals: None
Booked: Orchard 33; Crutch 44; Williams 62.
Match report by Ton Pentre AFC Press
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