LOCAL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP
LEADERS Maesteg Park strengthened their hold on Highadmit South Wales Alliance Division Two with a 6-0 success over Llantwit Fardre at Tudor Park, writes Tony Poole.
With just six matches to go in a division only containing 13 clubs, Andrew Jones’s side stretched their lead over closest challengers Canton Rangers to four points in addition to a game in hand.
Though the Park Arabs last month struggled to take the away game against the former Welsh League club, only just prevailing 2-0 at Tonteg Park, they held all the aces in the swift rematch.
With first-half wind advantage, life was a breeze for the Llynfi Valley men after constructing a 3-0 advantage at the turnaround.
Despite taking time to settle, Ashton White gave them a 25thminute lead while soon after top scorer Steffan Roberts doubled the lead.
And in the run up to half time, not for a first time this winter wide man White found the back of the net with a deadly accurate flagkick.
It moved him on to the 19-goal mark and with manager Jones warning of a Llantwit Fardre backlash, they took on board his advice to go 4-0 up.
This time Kai Steadman was the marksman from a tight angle and in the 65th minute, Roberts scored again courtesy of a 21st goal of the campaign.
Buoyant Park then completed the scoring on 70 minutes with another goal from on-fire front man Jordan Tremlett (his eighth this term).
“Pleased with our display in windy conditions, and we remain in contention for another promotion,” said Maesteg Park boss Andrew Jones.
And there was double joy in the clubhouse afterwards, as Maesteg Park product Keane Watts, who now plays for Goytre Utd, was named J D Cymru South player-ofthe-month for January.
And Watts, whose father Andrew is part of the management structure at Tudor Park, got the Goyt winner in a 2-1 home win over Cwmamman Utd.
Meanwhile, third-placed Vale Utd kept their promotion hopes on an even keel with a 3-1 victory over Cwmbach Royal Stars in leafy Corntown.
Again Luke Dingle proved what a good signing he has become from Cornelly Utd in getting the opening goal - and fourth for the club.
And Vale were in the driving seat once Adam Lam chopped through the Cwmbach defence to make it 2-0 at the break.
Former Penybont star Oliver Waagenes then made things safe for Ryan Blanche’s side with Stars twinkling late on via Thomas Lewis.
And this Saturday all roads will lead to leafy Corntown on the Division Two circuit, as Vale throw down the gauntlet to leaders Maesteg Park.
When the sides met at Tudor Park last November it ended 2-2, and it forms only a third occasion this term for Park to miss out on maximum points.
The only other local club to taste action last weekend were Llangynwyd Rangers, who improved their chances of remaining in the South Wales Alliance with a 2-0 victory over mid-table side Cardiff Cosmopolitan at the Llan Siro.
It’s recently emerged – and dependant on what unfolds in the FAW tiers above the Alliance - that a maximum three teams could be relegated to parks level at the end of the season.
And with Llan currently in a three-strong relegation zone, they must now produce a decent haul of points during six remaining fixtures.
“The boys smashed it from the start against Cardiff Cosmopolitan, and we could have easily won by a six-goal margin,” said delighted Llan Rangers chief Mark Jenkins.
The Llan Siro boys took an early lead when a shot from Lloyd Freeman took a deflection, and the ball gently looped over a stranded goalkeeper.
And it was happy days on the half-hour mark when the potent head of Ricardo James made it 2-0.
Though Llan failed to score again, Conor Price led the line well while strength in depth came from beefy hit man Lloyd Ham and Scott South.
Even evergreen performer Philip Poole created havoc for the side from the Welsh capital while on the day Freeman should have celebrated a hat-trick.
Besides these three matches, waterlogged pitches - following the rain associated with Storm Dennis - once again led to mass postponements.
However, there was a significant result in the Premier Division with Cardiff Draconians relieving Baglan Dragons of an unbeaten tag via a 2-1 win in a top-of-the-table clash at the Evans Bevans.
Moving towards time it was 1-1 but with Draconians finishing strongly, Liam Williams netted a last-gasp winner.
But in the case of Porthcawl Town, who were due to host Cwm Rhondda in a delayed South Wales Senior Cup-tie, they called off all games following the death of longstanding supporter Ron Kilpatrick.
He was the father of Stuart, who was a free-scoring striker during a golden era for the Seasiders back in the Nineties.
Through good times and bad, Ron would turn up at home games, and also regularly attended away matches.
And on similar lines to another doyen Porthcawl fan, the late Ken Wilfort, he will also be sadly missed on the Lock’s Lane scene.