MATCH DAY 13, 2024/25

Match Day 13 now and we start by wishing good luck to our six clubs remaining in the JD Welsh Cup. We will be guaranteed at least one club in the next round as Goytre play Cardiff Draconians at Plough Road on Friday. While Saturday sees Cardiff Corinthians take on Afan Lido, Newport Corinthians travel to Trefelin, Morriston take on Llantwit Major at Windmill Lane and Swansea University travel to face Aber Valley.

There is only one Ardal Southern game on Friday as AFC Llwydcoed take on Treherbert BGC at the Ron Jones Stadium in Aberdare. Its 16th v 8th in the South West League, as the home side will be looking for a win to lift them off the bottom of the table and give them their first win in four league games. Last week they came away from Llandarcy Park with a useful 1-1 draw with Ynysygerwn, but will be disappointed not to take all three points after taking the lead after just 7 minutes, Polish defender Kamil Filarski setting up Gabrielle Viazzani to put the visitors ahead. However Ynysygerwn equalised just before half time and this is how the game remained in the second half with AFC Llwydcoed taking a share of the spoils. The previous league game AFC Llwydcoed were unlucky to go down 4-3 to South Gower after coming back from 2-0 down through a Ross Daniels goal, then closing the gap at 3-1 thanks to Kamil Filarski and 4-2 with a Ricky Carter penalty. Meanwhile Treherbert had been in a rich vein of form before last Saturday having beaten South Gower and Pontardawe Town, Christian Bethell scoring 2 along with Brandon Thomas and Keane Hagerty against South Gower and Deacon Greening the winner against Pontardawe. However Treherbert went down to a late own goal by keeper James Bailey last Saturday, just 4 minutes from time to give Evans & Williams a surprise win at Baglan. AFC Llwydcoed are 8 points behind Treherbert but have three games in hand and will soon have to start to pick up wins to match their encouraging form in games.

Onto Saturday and Evans & Williams will face the league leaders Cefn Cribwr at Stebonheath Park in an intriguing 2nd v 1st battle at the top of the South West table. A first ever meeting between the sides, and Evans & Williams will be without their manager Richard Lewis who is in Bulgaria watching his son Bobby play for Wales Under 15s. Evans & Williams also lost promising striker Jac Walters who has signed for Carmarthenshire League side Kidwelly Town. After suffering tow damaging losses at home to South Gower and away at Swansea University, Evans & Williams travelled to newcomers Trehebert BGC last Saturday looking for a morale boosting result. They certainly got it as the Treherbert keeper scored an own goal with just 4 minutes remaining after Evans & Williams had played the last 25 minutes with just ten men after defender Rob Jones was sent off for a second caution. Cefn Cribwr will be a tough ask though as Cefn Cribwr Manager Scott Dryden does his homework on every team and will be confident coming to Llanelli to keep the momentum up at the top and are unbeaten in their last four league games, including three wins. Last Saturday they pulled off a hard fought 2-1 win at the Jewson Stadium against a Morriston Town side who had won their last four games themselves. Morriston in fact took the lead after just 2 minutes and this is how the score remained at the interval. However Matthew Symons grabbed the equaliser on 50 minutes and good work from Rhys Morgan saw him set up Rhys Alden for what turned out to be the winner on 69 minutes. A minute later Morriston were down to ten men and the game was almost over when Cefn Cribwr suffered the same fate, Ben Symons receiving his second caution of the game.

Seven Sisters Onllwyn host Bridgend Street at the Welfare Ground as 7th place play 14th. The home side are on a five game unbeaten run in the league, including holder league leaders Cefn Cribwr to a 0-0 draw at their Jewson Stadium three weeks ago. Last Saturday they travelled to face South Gower and came away with a rewarding 2-1 victory, despite failing a goal behind after just 11 minutes to the hosts and remaining a goal down at the interval. The equaliser came on 50 minutes, former Cwmamman United player Ethan Taylor, setting up Leon Herdman for his third league goal in five games. Seven Sisters Onllwyn suffered a setback though on 62 minutes when Shay Isaac missed a penalty, but it was not to prove costly s he courageously took another penalty on 79 minutes and this time made no mistake finding the back of the South Gower net. Bridgend Street are coming to the Welfare Ground on the back of two excellent results as they look to kick start their season and get out of the bottom three on their return at this level. Two weeks ago they dispatched Clydach Wasps 2-1 thanks to goals from Jeff White and Abdul Mohsin in the Dragon Signs FAW Trophy and last Saturday their namesake but from the West, Clydach came calling at Willows Avenue. It was not a good start for Bridgend Street, going a goal down after 24 minutes. It was to get worse three minutes later when Kyle Bassett saw red, receiving his marching orders and it remained 1-0 to Clydach at the interval. However Bridgend Street rallied after the break, Paul Fowler out of retirement setting up Abdul Mohsin on 47 minutes, Connor Jones assisting Fowler himself on 62 minutes and then Harry Burge setting up Jeff White on 67 minutes. It was left to Callum Gunstone to put the icing on the came in injury time, when good work from Mike Murphy led to Gunstone scoring the fourth.

Pontardawe Town under new management, with Christian Evans in the hotseat assisted by Jerome Jeremiah and Kyle Cockings, will be looking for their first win in three games against Pontyclun as 11th play 15th in the table. Two defeats against Treherbert and Giants Grave had been a big set-back for Pontardawe, but a 1-1 draw at high flying Cardiff Draconians last Saturday has given them an opportunity to play themselves back into form. Joshua Williams set up Steffan Pryce to give Pontardawe a dream start at Lydstep Park and they held on to the lead until early in the second half, when the Dracs equalised on 51 minutes and they game ended 1-1. Pontyclun meanwhile have yet to win this season, drawing 6 and losing 6 league games and they will be looking to erase the memory of their last two games which have brought defeats against Morriston, 2-0 and Cardiff Corinthians 4-2. They did not get off to the best of starts against the Corries last Saturday at Ivor Park, going 2-0 down after just 16 minutes and it was to be worse at the interval as the Corries scored a third seconds before the break. Worse was to follow in the second period as Aled Davies received a second caution on 54 minutes, but on 75 minutes, good work from substitute Harvey Howell set up fellow substitute Iestyn Stone to pull a goal back. Could a comeback be on as injury time started, Kieran Lawrence assisted Jackson Acreman to make it 3-2, but it was not to be for Pontyclun as Cardiff Corries scored a fourth deep into injury time to make the final score 4-2.

Ynyshir Albions host Ynysygerwn at the Ynyshir Oval as 5th play 12th in the table. The home side are unbeaten in three games and pulled off a fantastic 1-0 win At Swansea University last Saturday thanks to a goal on the stroke of half time, Chad Goss setting up 17 year old Logan Perris to score his second goal in just his third Ardal Southern appearance. The week before the Albions had won a tough game on penalties at Tata Steel in the FAW Trophy, after drawing the game 1-1, thanks to an injury time equaliser by Alex Rees. Despite Jacob Matthews missing the first Ynyshir penalty, Liam Thomas, Scott Jones, Jago Norton and Alex Rees found the net after Tata had missed one and keeper Harry Webber saved another for Ynyshir to win 4-2 on penalties. Ynysygerwn travel to the Rhondda looking to win their first league game since August. Last Saturday they battled out a 1-1 draw at home to AFC Llwydcoed at Landarcy Park. AFC Llwydcoed took the lead after just 7 minutes, however Ynysygerwn equalised just before half time Jac Jones setting up Bradley Crooks for the equaliser and this is how the game remained with both teams taking a point. The previous week Ynysygerwn had suffered the disappointment of losing on penalties to former groundshare neighbours West End 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. West End were 1-0 up at the interval, it looked all but over on 65 minutes when they made it 2-0. However Ynysgerwn came back to score after 78 minutes through Jac Jones and the same player scored the equaliser from the penalty spot 4 minutes later, shortly after the visitors had gone down to ten pen. However despite Bradley Crooks and Dan Nagle scoring their penalties, Allister Davies saw his spot kick saved and Callum Wright missed, to leave West End 4-2 winners.

The final game in the South West this weekend sees Clydach take on South Gower at Coed Gwillym Park, 13th v 10th places. Clydach have found it tough since their dream start, beating Swansea University, but they haven’t won since and now gone nine league games without a win. Last Saturday they suffered a 4-1 defeat at Bridgend Street despite taking the lead, Ryan Thomas setting up Cai Thomas after just 24 minutes. However Bridgend Street came back strongly in the second half to score four times despite playing 55 minutes with ten men. While the previous week they put up a brave display at home to league leaders Cefn Cribwr but went down to a 3-1 defeat despite Cai Thomas bringing the score to 2-1 after 75 minutes before Cefn Cribwr sealed the win in the 78th minute. South Gower have suffered a tough couple of weeks after winning two on the bounce at the end of September. Since wins against Evans & Williams and AFC Llwydcoed, they have suffered a 4-0 defeat at Treherbert BGC two weeks ago, while last Saturday they went down 2-1 at home to Seven Sisters Onllwyn. They had a dream start when Rob Morgans set up Emyr Hughes to open the scoring after 11 minutes, but it was not to be, with the visitors equalising on 50 minutes and scoring the winner on 79 minutes from the penalty spot, after previous missing from the spot on 62 minutes.

The South East sees six games on Saturday starting with Undy against Canton with 10th place against 2nd. Undy have found some form of late and are now three games unbeaten in the league, with 2 wins and a draw. Last Saturday they produced a superb performance to win 3-0 at Abertillery Bluebirds, taking the lead on the verge of half time thanks to a goal from Gareth Cullimore, assisted by Harris Thomas. The second half produced a defining moment in the 75th minute, Undy taking a 2-0 lead with a goal by James Barnes after good work from Bradley Hanbury while the home keeper saw red and received his marching orders. It was left to Dan Jarman to seal the three points in injury time after being assisted by Harris Thomas with his second assist of the game. Canton’s fantastic run of form continues and they are now 9 games unbeaten in league and cup. They have only lost once all season in the league, 3-0 at Treowen and last Saturday they won a thriller 4-3 at Treharris Athletic Western. They didn’t have the best of starts as Treharris took an early lead from the spot after 5 minutes, but were back on level terms on 33 minutes Caylam Palmer finding the net. Five minutes later though and Canton were behind again, but the thought they would go into the interval on level terms when Elliot Humpries equalised but two minutes later Treharris scored again to make it 3-2 at the break with Canton also down to ten men with Bo Cordle seeing red. It couldn’t get any worse, but it did before it got better Andre Phillips missing from the spot on 56 minutes. The tide started to turn though as Kyle Campbell set up Curtis Griffin on 65 minutes to make it 3-3 and the same player was to prove to be the hero on 79 minutes, Griffin finishing after great work from 18 year old substitute Shane Hill.