WELSH LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
ABERDARE TOWN ........ 2 AFC PORTH ................... 1
AFTER the comfortable win over title contenders Pontypridd, Aberdare turned their attention to another team in the running for promotion and duly triumphed by the same score.
But that is where the comparisons end, because this was a feisty affair displaying the good, the bad and the ugly of our great game.
Top scorer Elliot Morris returned from suspension and he was to witness a great start for Town with in-form Luke Jones rattling home from 18 yards for a second-minute opener.
Aberdare captain Lewis Holder received an early booking as Porth showed why they are promotion hopefuls often pulling the home defence apart with the front line of Stewart Brook and Ben Ah-mun particularly dangerous with one fierce effort striking the base of the post. Porth keeper David Burnett was also kept busy tipping away a Josh Powell strike but he was helpless to deny a second for Town on the half-hour mark. Rob Blatchford was giving the Porth defence a torrid time on the left flank and one such excursion saw him outwit Dom Dwyer and cross for Ross Daniels to head home from five yards.
Aberdare were now enjoying their best spell of the half with a Morris humdinger going narrowly wide and Burnett pulling off a fine save from Daniels.
The first half had provided the good but the second period was to take on a different tone but not without some excellent football from both teams.
Burnett was again in action saving well from a Luke Jones header and a little later a Tom Billings effort but as the half moved on the visitors began to take the ascendancy.
Aber keeper Clint Forbes had to produce his best and Billings was booked for a “professional foul” as Porth steamed forward with Ross Daniels another entrant into Mr Shiels’ rapidly filling notebook.
Aberdare’s successful reserve team have produced a gem in Corey Thomas and only minutes into his introduction he forced Burnett into a desperate back tracking save tipped over the bar and from the resulting corner Morris heading over.
At the other end Ah-mun blasted over when well placed but on the hour he was to make amends finishing well to cut the deficit.
The tension was palpable as Porth strived for the equaliser but with 10 minutes left, things boiled over with a second yellow and dismissal for Holder.
Tempers frayed leading to a melee with Porth’s Jason Davies seeing red and the situation exacerbated by vitriol spewing from the mouths of several spectators as matters got really ugly. Calm was finally restored but it would take only another incident to light the touch paper and this came about five minutes from time with Blatchford scythed down near the touchline. Confrontation again raised its head with further scuffles and it was a relief to all when the referee finally blew his whistle.
The gloss had certainly been taken off Aberdare’s fine win and indeed the excellent Porth performance, the result seeing Aberdare move into fifth spot drawing level with the Rhondda outfit on points but with an inferior goal difference.