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The spoils were shared when Ton Pentre and Cambrian & Clydach Vale met at Ynys Park for a MacWhirter Welsh League match that had an added incentive with it being a Rhondda derby match.
Bulldogs captain Ryan Morgan certainly got himself involved in the match as the defender gave Cambrian a second half lead with an own goal before scoring the equaliser and then getting himself sent off for a second yellow card.
In all honesty this was probably not the best of matches for the neutral to watch, but despite the lack of quality the game remained a nail bighting encounter for both sets of players and fans.
Cambrian were easily the most dominant team during the opening exchanges having set up camp in the Ton Pentre half of the pitch for the first 15 minutes. The Bulldogs had to endure some scary moments but between some exquisite goalkeeping by Richard Jeffries and resolute defending by Jamie Thomas, Ryan Morgan, Tom Davies and Adam Lewis, Cambrian’s attempts for a lead were blunted.
Once Ton had settled they started to explore Cambrian’s end of the pitch and Calvin Mclaggon was beginning to cause the away team’s defence a few problems. In particular, Cambrian will have felt fortunate that they kept Daniel Lever on the pitch as the defender was involved in two off the ball incidents before receiving a yellow card for a foul on Mclaggon.
Through Alyn Jones and Wayne Antionazzi, Ton were creating the odd chance in attack but were unable to direct much of this on target and a goalless draw at half-time was a fair outcome of the first period’s events.
Jason Bertorelli should have given Cambrian an early second half lead when the striker was presented with a chance following a corner kick. After the ball was curled into the penalty area a Ton defender headed it out to the edge of the box where it was met by Chris Ingram who worked the ball through to Bertorelli. His strike was tipped away from the goal by Jeffries for another excellent save.
Following this Ton continued to chip away at their opponents as they had done in the first half and when Cambrian took the lead the Bulldogs had every right to feel aggrieved. It was a sucker punch that started with the home team losing the ball in midfield. With Ton on the back foot Cambrian attacked and entered the Bulldogs goal area. As the ball pinged around the box Bertorelli got a touch that sent it towards goal. Morgan slid in attempting to sweep clear but between him, the post and goalkeeper the ball rebounded back against his body to go over the line.
The Bulldogs looked dejected and with time running out they understandably appeared to look beaten, however, derby matches are never as straightforward as that and as fate would have it Morgan was the player to grab the equaliser.
Ton had won a corner kick and Liam Hutchinson’s well executed cross into the box saw Morgan rise unchallenged to powerfully head the ball past Jarrad Howells making it Cambrian’s turn to look miserable.
Morgan saw red in the final minute of the match when the referee deemed the Ton captain’s challenge on Michael Jones was worthy of a yellow card. As this was his second of the match he was sent off leaving him to serve an immediate one match suspension.
Neither team will grumble at the outcome of this derby match as a draw was a fair result.
Morgan will now be forced to sit out Ton’s visit to Caerleon on Saturday 30th January at 2.00pm.
Ton Pentre: 1. Richard Jeffries; 2. Jamie Thomas; 3. Adam Lewis; 4. Ryan Morgan (Captain); 5. Tom Davies; 6. Leon Young; 7. Wayne Antionazzi; 8. Liam Hutchinson; 9. Matthew O’Keefe; 10. Calvin Mclaggon; 11. Alyn Jones.
Substitutes: 12. Matthew Hearne; 14. Geraint Parfitt; 15. Leighton James; 16. Andrew Hughes (for 9 on 70mins).
Goal: Morgan 39
Bookings: Young 1; Morgan 58
Sent Off: Morgan 90
Referee: Lee James (Pontardawe)
Match report © Ton Pentre AFC Press
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