SOUTH WALES
AFAN LIDO .................... 0 PENYBONT .................... 4
A YOUNG Penybont side overwhelmed indisciplined Afan Lido to reach the final of a once proud cup, writes Tony Poole.
Social media has dubbed it the Pointless Cup and given both sides fielded under-strength teams, then it’s hard to disagree. Just four days earlier, the clubs had met at the same Aberavon Beach venue in the league – and it ended 1-1.
But Lido made six changes for the swift cup rematch with the Bridgend super club trumping that with nine.
The only two players then turned up again at the Marston’s Stadium were Adam Carpenter and James Parry.
And it was Carpenter who hammed them into a 20th-minute lead from the spot after Josh Doyle obstructed Bleddyn Webster.
And soon afterwards, ex-Penybont goalkeeper Christopher Curtis did well to keep out a Kurt Thornbury free kick.
But Bont doubled the lead in the 32nd minute from a fortuitous ricochet with Webster – the son of ex-Wales flanker and Bridgend Ravens coach Richard – going through to beat Curtis.
But a night that wasn’t setting up well for the Seasiders got even worse in the 49th minute when Morgan Griffiths received a straight red card for a two-footed challenge.
And the Bridgend super club made them pay in building up an unassailable three-goal lead.
Thornbury drove the ball past Curtis from close range ahead of the Seasiders going down to just nine men. Alex Gammond received a red card for inappropriate language and Bont took their leave of Aberavon Beach with another goal. Matt Symons followed Webster and Thornbury in recording a maiden first-team goal for the Bridgend super club.
The only downside came via Harrison Collins breaking a leg.
Bont will face Taffs Well in the final after they got an 89th-minute penalty to gain a 2-1 home win over Port Talbot Town.
The final is at Aberdare Town on March 21 (7.45pm).