May 1st: AFC Rhondda 0 v Ton Pentre 3
This was Ton's penultimate game of the season against local rivals AFC Rhondda. Both sides needed the points for very different reasons, Rhondda to try and avoid the drop and Ton to keep the pressure on Ponterdawe at the top of the league.
The game was played with quite a strong wind behind Rhondda and therefore it took a while for the sides to adapt to it. The first 10 minutes had very little pattern to the play and both sides were unable to do anything with the ball, Rhondda did get a shot on goal through Vaughan early on. Marty Ellacott in goal for Ton pushed the ball around for a corner, which was cleared by Roberts. The game was very scrappy and Ton looked nervy in the opening half hour with most of the game played in the middle third. Ton needed composure on the ball, whilst a very young Rhondda outfit chased and harried the Ton midfield. This was effective in keeping Ton from their defensive third. Harding had a shot punched over the bar from an in swinging corner. On the half hour Carl Thomas made Leach in the Rhondda goal pull of a good save, his headed attempt was going just under the crossbar, when Leach at full stretch pushed it over.
This settled Ton and they did start to play the ball on the ground with Neil Davies joining the attacks from sweeper. Leading up to half time Rhondda did make a number of breaks with Cory and Nobel prominent. Ton had a number of free kicks and a string of corners from both sides of the field, however the Rhondda defence marshalled by Ian Davies held firm. On the stroke of half time Rhondda's Howells controlled the ball on the edge of the area, he shot on the turn just over the cross bar. Within a minute Dai Withers was brought down on the edge of the box, Thomas took the kick from 19 yards to the right of the goal, he hit the ball with pace again going just under the bar, Leach was there to palm the ball over. The poor first half finished 0-0.
The early exchanges of the second period were even, then in the 49th minute the best move of the match saw Dean Morris take a quick kick, he put the ball through the Rhondda defence who were caught napping to Neil Davies, he lifted the ball over the oncoming Leach to score, 0-1 to Ton.
From this point Ton settled and with the Rhondda side tiring they took the game to them. With Withers going close in the 59th and repeated corners Rhondda were still gamely keeping Ton out. Hughes had a shot saved, and crosses by Tapper and Fackeral were now starting to trouble the Rhondda defence and in the 70th minute Ton made a change with the ever present Harding being replaced by Ian Shepherd.
Ton continued to pile on the pressure and in paid off in the 78th minute when Withers closed down the Rhondda defence and the ball was played to Andrew Hughes who took the bal into the area and fired the ball past a despairing Leach. 0-2
Following this Withers was replaced by Lee Randall. The game was now being played in the Rhondda half and to their credit they did not give in at any stage. However the third and final goal came from a Ton corner played in by Hughes, the ball fell to Jason Roberts in the middle of the area. he fired the ball home from 6 yards to make to 0-3. The referee played 5 minutes of stoppage time with Ton still going forward.
This was a well-earned 3 points by Ton, the unfortunate part of the evening was that AFC Rhondda were very likely relegated from the 1st division. Let's hope they can bounce back and be a force again in the top division the Rhondda needs as many teams at the highest level.
The later news that UWIC had beaten Ponterdawe really made it a great night for Ton; if they win their last league game they will have won the league for the 5th time in succession and the 6th time if you count the year they were promoted to the LoW. The last game is against Neath at home, and it's sure to be a big game for them.
Teams
AFC Rhondda: Leach, Bowen, Jones, Davies, Owen, Cory, Noble, Thorne, Howells, Vaughan and Morgan substitutes Kelland K, Gowen, and Griffiths
Ton Pentre: Ellacott, Tapper, Roberts, Davies, Prygodzicz, Hughes, Fackeral, Morris, Thomas, Withers, and Harding substitutes Shepherd, Randall and Phillips
Report by Gary Matuszczyk
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