NATHANIEL CARS
BRACKLA ........................1 MAESTEG PARK ............2
(After extra time, 1-1 after 90 mins) IF ever there was an action replay it was this Maesteg Park success last Friday night over Brackla in another Cup Final staged at Bridgend super club Penybont, writes Tony Poole.
The previous week, Park CEFN Cribwr are still celebrating a victory over FC Cwmaman that made them Highadmit South Wales Alliance Division One champions, writes Tony Poole.
Under the baton of conductor Scott Dryden, the Riders not only consolidated at this level but showed a massive improvement.
It’s also a second successive promotion for the Cae Gof club, who during the 2016/17 campaign finished third behind champions Garw and Trebanog in Division Two.
And ironically these three promoted clubs carried on the success last came from a goal down at the Kymco Stadium to pip Llangeinor, 2-1, during extra time to lift the Celtic Tyres Bridgend League Premier Division Cup.
Fast forward seven days and a similar course of events led to them placing another piece of silverware in their Tudor Park trophy cabinet.
While Llangeinor won the Bridgend League title and associated elevation into the South Wales Alli- winter, and all three will now play next winter in the Premier Division.
However, things were reversed this time around with Cefn champions; Garw second while Trebanog edged out by a point FC Cwmaman for the third promotion spot.
And if the “famous three” manage to keep their squads intact then they have the ammunition to fire some lethal shots up top next season.
“Going up as champions was the icing on the cake and it was a season in which everyone pulled in the right direction to reap the rewards,” said Cefn Tata Steel United in the Knockout Cup Final that was staged at Ynys Park in Trefelin.
Under-strength Porthcawl went a goal down to Andrew Thorne with an own-goal from Jackson Hall making it 1-1.
However, just ahead of half time the Margambased side struck again with Thorne once more a thorn in the flesh of Jon McCarthy and his merry men. the sun on foreign beaches, there was a liberal sprinkling of less familiar names on the team-sheet.
And Ynys, who took the reverse fixture 4-2, went on to card a double despite playing ex-Caerau and Llangeinor star Nicholas Maggs in goal.
Little of note unfolded during the opening half, and it was the Llandarcy Park side that broke the deadlock on the hour. Council had called time on parks football pitches in the Welsh capital.
Having taken the reverse fixture, 3-0, back in February, the Blandy boys took a 10th-minute lead via Oliver Davies.
However, the lead didn’t last long as proven scorer Huw Owen dragged the Welsh side back on terms.
Even though Jimmy Hardwick and Nathan Rose were working their socks off, the goal served ance, the Llynfi Valley side are cup kings on the back of two pieces of silverware.
Two earlier league meetings between Park and Brackla were tight affairs, and the third instalment followed this trend.
Though Park dominated first-half possession, a fine display at the back from man-of-the-final Thomas Mahoney led to it being goal-less at half time.
However, a Park blunder led to Brackla getting their Cribwr boss Scott Dryden.
The team scored an astonishing 107 goals in league and cup-ties.
Captain Tom Harris headed the Cae Gof goalscoring chart, hitting the
But Porthcawl were far from finished and they again squared matters – this time from a sizzling free kick. Joe McCarthy drove it up and over the wall and into the roof of the net to signal a 19th goal of the campaign.
However, the resilient Steelmen came again with Jonny Hall curling in a shot from just outside the box to heap more misery on the Rest Bay men.
The Porthcawl path to
A Jonny Evans lob eluded star-stopper Matt Rees while a 30-metre screamer from Danny Griffin bulged his net.
It was only during final knockings that the Riverboaters opened their account with a stinging first goal of the season from Caerau wasp Nathan Watkins giving the Riverboaters a consolation token.
A 17th league defeat of the season left Caerau an- as a Garw wake-up call and a strike from Lewis James soon gave them back the lead.
But Clwb Cymric were adamant they should have been awarded a penalty at this stage, and they felt even worse when Lewis Davies made it 3-1.
That gave him nine goals for the season, and he finished second to 18-goal hitman Damian Barnard on the seasonal Blandy goal-scoring chart. noses in front on the hour with Lee Greenall stabbing the ball home.
Park boss Andrew Jones then eyed a change in personnel and having shuffled his pack, the move came up trumps.
In the 78th minute, Scott Sainsbury played his cards right for Ashton White, who rounded the goalkeeper to make it 1-1.
That took the tie into extra time, and another Park winner on this occa- target 22 times, to finish just four goals in front of ex-Cornelly Utd star Daniel Jenkins, who converted five penalties.
Tom Jones was signed from Alliance Division the final came via a pulsating 9-0 victory over Bryn Rockets at the quarter-final stage.
Man-of-the-match Ryan Coward was a hat-trick hero; Harry Nicholls struck twice while single strikes came from Matthew Rowley, Ben Bryant, Karl Cornock and Joe McCarthy.
In the semi-finals, the Green Machine faced Croeserw, and eased through on the back of a 3-1 success. This time the Porth- chored in ninth spot, but they could finish as low as 11th should both Panteg and Tredegar Town win games in hand.
Golden boot winner at the Riverboat this season is Jack Page with 15 goals, and he finished four in front of ex-Llan Ranger Lewis Kingdon.
Next on the list were three men with five goals against their names – exPenybont star Paul Evans,
Though the men from the Welsh capital did have the final word via Tommy Bajar the Blandy boys maintained control.
They successfully wound down the clock to make it 22 wins and two draws from 30 league starts, and they finished runners-up to the rampant Riders.
And last Friday the Blandy boys were rewarded for a further hike up the FAW pyramid by an- sion unfolded in the 115th minute.
They won a free kick on the left edge of the box, and free-kick specialist Kai Steadman did the rest with a superb effort.
“We might have missed out on the league title to Llangeinor, but the boys proved resilient and deserved to bring the curtain down on a marvellous season with two cups,” said delighted Maesteg Park chief Andrew Jones. Two club Llanharry and responded with 13 goals to finish two in front of powerful Gordon Watt.
Curtis Grant netted nine times while young Penybont starlet Ioan Clatworthy contributed eight goals.
Defender Jonny Tiffin got five goals; three went against the names of Ross Hooper, Jason Cave and Kieran Davies while on the two-mark were Dan Harris-James, Ben Morgan, Connor O’Connell and Gwyn Thomas.
And single strikes were recorded by Rhys Alden, Sam Comley, Jordan Jeffreys and Shay Jones. cawl goal scorers were Jordan Pugh – his two-goal haul gave him 11 for the campaign - and Rowley.
On the league scene, the Green Machine came fourth behind champions Cwmavon, Tata Steel and Gwynfi United.
They now look forward to a second Annual Presentation Night on June 1 at the Fairways Hotel ahead of a summer of improvement work to their Rest Bay headquarters. golden boy Dale Price and the prince of strikers Robbie Walters.
Earlier, Caerau drew 1-1 away to Panteg with Paul Evans drilling home a spectacular free kick.
However, they turned on a five-star performance against Treowen Stars at the Riverboat, triumphing 5-1. Page struck twice with Evans, Kingdon and Shaun James the other star performers. other end of season tour to sunkissed Benidorm.
And once the globetrotters return, they have a glittering club presentation evening on June 29 to look forward to at Day Towers in the heart of downtown Pontycymer.
Iconic Garw Valley sports personality DG Lloyd is compere, and he’s already lined up supporting acts that include Jack Delve of Pencoed Athletic fame.