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TON PENTRE 1 - 4 BRYNTIRION
MacWhirter Welsh Football League Division One
Saturday 26th March 2008
Bryntirion Athletic dragged themselves back into the Welsh League Division One title race with an excellent performance at Ynys Park with Ton Pentre’s poor performance also opening the door to their other rivals at the top of the league.
It’s not all doom and gloom however, as despite losing a healthy points advantage over their rivals, Ton Pentre’s destiny this season still lies in their own hands but they must play much better than this mid week performance otherwise their title challenge will flat line.
Bryntirion Athletic’s fine display kicked off with a goal after just 4 minutes when the Ton Pentre defence appealed for an offside that was not given. This allowed a Bryntirion player to run through the middle of defence and take the ball around Marty Ellacott to score.
Ton Pentre battled back and played some neat football. Such football saw the Rhondda Bulldogs link well all over the pitch in the 17th minute of play. The move was completed when Lee Matthews made an excellent run in the box only to be sent to the ground following a clumsy challenge by Bryntirion defender Rhys Williams.
Before having chance to appeal for a penalty the Referee immediately pointed to the spot providing Ton with the chance of an equaliser. Captain Andrew Hughes scored from the penalty kick with confidence.
Bryntirion could have found themselves back in the lead on 34 minutes when Adam Carpenter was allowed to wriggle his way through the centre of defence but the midfielder spurned his chance by hitting the ball over the crossbar.
Less than a minute later striker Robbie Walters held off the challenge of a Ton defender to unleash a useful looking shot that Ellacott did well to beat away from immediate danger.
Ton Pentre made a disastrous start to the second half when they conceded two goals in the first ten minutes.
During the 49th minute of play slack defending allowed room for a Bryntirion strike. Ellacott looked as though he had saved the effort but somehow the ball slipped through his arms and into the goal.
In the 55th minute Ton’s Nicky Jones lost possession in the Bryntirion half which allowed them to counter attack. Mark Crutch was unable to stop the attack resulting in the defender desperately appealing to the Assistant Referee for offside. The flag, quite rightly, stayed down and Ton found themselves losing 3-1.
Ton introduced Dane Williams, Mattie Davies and Scott Jones into the match but they were unable to turn the game around as Bryntirion were too strong.
Williams however, did come close to scoring in the 77th minute when goalkeeper Alain Founaguin dropped the ball but the former Blaenrhondda and Port Talbot midfielder saw his effort cleared off the line by a defender.
Six minutes from time Ton Pentre’s misery was completed when Carpenter took advantage of the defence’s failure to clear the ball from the box to notch up Bryntirion’s fourth goal.
The most concerning aspect of the game for Ton Pentre must be the fact that they failed to create goal scoring opportunities against one of the better teams in the league.
Team: 1.Marty Ellacott; 2.Richard Stevens (15.Mattie Davies 58); 3.Richard Carter; 4.Mark Crutch; 5.Mike Jones; 6.Andrew Hughes (Captain) (16.Scott Jones 78); 7.Lee Matthews; 8.Nicky Jones; 9.Andrew Pearson; 10.Dale Price (17.Dane Williams 73); 11.Alyn Jones.
Subs not used: 12.Ryan Morgan & 14.Phil Clarke.
Goal: Hughes 17
Booked: Stevens 22; N.Jones 64; Davies 65
Match report by Ton Pentre AFC Press
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