PORT TALBOT & DISTRICT LEAGUE

NEWTON WANDS ......... 0 FC PORTHCAWL ........... 3

FC PORTHCAWL got their season back on track with a run of the mill victory at lowly Newton Wanderers, writes Tony Poole.

Having suffered back to back defeats at Tata Steel in both league and cup, the Green Machine were purring again after com- pleting the double over Newton.

On day one of the season they carded a 7-1 win over Newton at Rest Bay during a first league engagement.

But with victories for the other two title-chasing clubs – Tata Steel and Cwmavon – it was a case of as you were at the top.

Going into the Christmas break, Porthcawl have a three-point advantage over the Steelmen, who have a game in hand.

And third-placed Cwmavon are six points behind Porthcawl, but the Port Talbot village side have completed two less games.

On a dank pre-Christmas afternoon in Baglan Bay, table-topping Porthcawl dedicated the win to chairman Matthew Bowden, who was celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary.

The victory was built around solid virtues with the back-three combination of Adam Jones, Dave Richards and Dewi Owen turning in rock-solid showings.

Once more James Brown was on song with every touch proving spot on, and Porthcawl went ahead just before half time.

Influential Mark Astrakaus threaded the ball through to Karl Cornock, who in turn set up a Ben Bryant goal.

His fifth goal of the campaign separated the sides at half-time and on the restart, the Green Machine cranked up the pressure.

A Cornock assist resulted in Andrew Bowden celebrating his parents wedding anniversary with a magnificent seventh goal of the season.

However, the best move of the match came close to time and it ended in Cornock getting a first goal for the club.