Dawning of a new era as FC Porthcawl emerge on the scene

FRIENDLY FC PORTHCAWL ............ 3 CORNELLY UTD ............. 2

DURING the close of the season, the dawn of a new era on the Porthcawl football scene broke, writes Tony Poole.

FC Porthcawl have emerged as a challenger to Porthcawl Town Athletic for the hearts and souls of football folk in the seaside town.

The fledgling club will play Port Talbot League standard football at Rest Bay with a base in the Ancient Briton public house in Newton.

They are under the guidance of former Porthcawl Town Athletic managers Matthew Bowden and Jon McCarthy along with David Owen.

The main target is two promotions in the next five years to climb into the South Wales Alliance.

Several enthusiastic sponsors have bought into the project, and 25 players have already been attracted to Rest Bay.

Saturday was land- mark day with the fixture against Cornelly United, who have just been relegated to Alliance Division One, with the game staged on the 3G pitch at Pencoed College.

Although club captain Will Owen was unavailable to start, Evan Jones proved an inspirational deputy.

The Green Machine men soon got the wheels turning against an experienced Cornelly side, and dominated early possession. And it wasn’t long before the first goal in club history was recorded – Gareth Davies ghosting past a few defenders for Joe McCarthy to hit the target.

James Brown then went close for the newcomers while Cornelly’s Dale Owen brought out the best in goalkeeper Connor Jones.

Soon after, Matthew Bowden was felled in the box but Steffan Cornock sent the ensuing penalty just wide of a post.

Into the second half and after Gareth Davies just failed to double the lead, a deft Joe McCarthy chip achieved the feat.

And McCarthy kept the match ball after Cornock played him through and he went on to complete a classy hat-trick.

But Cornelly came storming back with a thunderbolt effort from Chris Mitchell to reduce arrears – and it was game on once the same player headed home.

Although the Meadow Street boys mounted a rousing finish, the Green Machine men celebrated a day one victory.