FOOTBALL
WELSH LEAGUE DIVISION 2 GARDEN VILLAGE ....... 2 PONTYPRIDD TOWN ... 0
PONTYPRIDD went into this game as league leaders. The week before they had crushed the previous leaders STM Sports 6-1.
The Dragons travelled to west Swansea looking to avenge a 4-2 defeat by Garden Village earlier in the season.
Garden Village, managed by ex-Swan David D’Auria, have had something of a hoodoo on Pontypridd in recent seasons and both teams were on a run of good form.
However in a blustery game both on and off the pitch it was Garden Village who set their stall up to win against a very lacklustre Ponty who were slow out of the blocks and could be accused of over indulging during the festive period.
Village went ahead through the constant threat of Joshua Bradshaw.
And then further ahead through Kieran Richards.
Ponty struck the bar during the second half and although Adam Johns, Rhys McCarthy and Andy Smith persisted in attack the play in general was disjointed and not up to recent standards.
Cordle, Bellamy and Beddard were brought on to try and change things in the second half but it wasn’t to be.
Despite the defeat Pontypridd finished 2017 as league leaders however only two points now separates five teams with league cup quarter-final and Welsh cup last-16 games to come in January. Pontypridd will be eager to make amends and keep in touch with fellow promotion contenders.