TREHARRIS ATHLETIC WESTERN 2-3 TON PENTRE
MacWhirter Welsh Football League Division Two
Saturday, 18th September 2010
Athletic Ground
The Athletic Ground, Treharris - one of the oldest grounds in the Welsh League
Ton Pentre survived a second half collapse in their match against Treharris Athletic Western to score an 88th minute winner that took the Bulldogs to the summit of the MacWhirter Welsh League Division Two table.
It had all started well for Ton in the first half as Andrew Hughes fired the Bulldogs into a 4th minute lead with a cracking shot from outside the box that had the goalkeeper desperately attempting to get his hand to the ball.
Ryan Prosser came close in increasing the lead ten minutes later when he ran onto the ball at the edge of the box to powerfully strike it whilst in his stride. It was an excellent effort and one that the keeper was unable to hold on to. A defender was on hand to clear but only as far as Ton’s Christopher Vardon. He was forced to take a snapshot as the ball came quickly to him and as a result he flashed his strike inches wide of the goalpost.
Treharris were a physical team and moments later as Vardon was making a run into the box with possession, a defender forced him to the ground to stop the striker from going any further. The Bulldogs anticipated the referee’s whistle to signal a penalty but it never came with Mark Dyson judging that the Treharris defender had got a nick on the ball.
Ton Pentre scored a deserved second goal in the 40th minute of play after Vardon headed the ball on for Prosser to run into the box. As Prosser did so he was completely taken out but Vardon had run onto the loose ball and slotted it into the back of the net. Following the awarded goal, Treharris were reduced to ten men when their number 3 was sent off after allegedly spitting at Prosser on the ground before forcing his forehead into Andrew Hughes’ face.
Treharris came out of the changing rooms with determination for the second half as Ton Pentre planned on increasing their lead to secure a win with a one man advantage.
The Bulldogs nearly did this on 57 minutes when Prosser headed Wayne Antoniazzi free up the right wing. He crossed into the Treharris penalty area where a defender cleared the ball out for a corner. Antoniazzi crossed into the box where Vardon sent his headed shot onto the top of the crossbar.
The late win and three points took the Rhondda Bulldogs to the top of the Division Two table.
From this moment on Ton Pentre’s performance dipped as Treharris were in the ascendency and Thomas Harris, who spent pre-season with the Bulldogs, hit a 25-yard looping strike that came close to beating Lee Rudall in goals.
Ton were reduced to ten men soon after when Chris Clingo was dismissed for a second yellow card following a foul in the 62nd minute. He had picked up his first booking in the 43rd minute for a foul tackle. As a result Dean Morris was urged to reorganise his team and replaced Antoniazzi and Vardon with Jason Cowans and Chris Colvin.
With the numbers even it visibly spurred Treharris on and they got the goal they were looking for on 69 minutes when Dan Howe scored a 25-yard screamer after the Bulldogs lost possession in defence. There were suspicions of offside but Ton’s appeals were turned down by the assistant referee.
It got worse for Ton in the 80th minute when Harris equalised for Treharris from inside the 18-yard box and the home side could sense a comeback was on the cards as the Bulldogs were floundering.
Three minutes later Ton were under pressure again inside their penalty area and when Thomas Davies booted the ball away the referee awarded an indirect free kick to Treharris inside the Bulldogs box for a high foot. It was a strange decision as the Treharris player had ducked so low meeting Davies’ boot near the ground.
Harris took the indirect free kick and blasted it straight at the Ton wall standing directly on the goal line. Leon Young jumped over the ball so that it would not deflect off him and it ended up in the back of the net. As Treharris began their celebrations the assistant referee, who had a keen eye, correctly informed the referee that the ball was hit directly into the goal and as a result Ton were awarded a goal kick.
Colvin (Centre) celebrates scoring the winner with Prosser and Young
Immediately after surviving this scare Ton got the ball upfront where Colvin dribbled past two defenders to set himself free on goal. With the keeper coming to meet him he attempted to place the ball inside the left post but put too much on his shot and sent it painstakingly wide.
The Bulldogs showed good character to open Treharris up again in the 88th minute with Colvin running through for a second time onto Cowan’s pass. It was almost a carbon copy of his first attempt as the keeper narrowed the angle but this time Colvin did put the ball inside the left post for a dramatic goal.
There were six minutes of injury time and both teams had glorious chances to score with Treharris first scraping the crossbar before Prosser skied the ball over the bar without the presence of the goalkeeper.
The late win and three points took the Rhondda Bulldogs to the top of the Division Two table. Welsh League tables can be found at the following web address: http://www.welshleague.org.uk/newsletter.htm.
League Cup
It’s a break from league action for Ton Pentre as they welcome Division Three outfit South Gower to Ynys Park on Saturday, 25th September for a first round match in the Nathaniel Car Sales League Cup. Please note that kick off for this match is at 2.00pm.
Ton Pentre team v Treharris Athletic Western
1. Lee Rudall, 2. Adam Lewis, 3. Leigh Phillips, 4. Thomas Davies, 5. Christopher Clingo (C), 6. Ross Williams, 7. Wayne Antoniazzi (65), 8. Leon Young (90+1), 9. Ryan Prosser, 10. Andrew Hughes, 11. Christopher Vardon (65).
Substitutes: 12. Christopher Colvin (65), 14. Josh Evans (90+1), 15. Jason Cowans (65), 16. Fraser Williams, 17. Darrel Giles-Minett.
Goals:
Hughes 4
Vardon 40
Colvin 88
Bookings:
Lewis 20
Clingo 43, 62
Sent off:
Clingo 62 (second caution)
Referee:
Mark Dyson (Abertillery)
September 19, 2010
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