|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
| Rhayader (h) |
Caersws (a) |
Yr Wyddgrug / Mold (h) |
Caergybi/ Holyhead (a) |
Derwyddon/Druids (a) |
Huws Gray Alliance -Saturday, 05 September 2015 Cefn Druids.................. 2 Adam Hesp 28’’ Mike Pritchard 60’ CPD Porthmadog.......... 3 Cai Jones 30’ Josh Davies (p) 50’ Iolo Hughes 70’ In the sunshine at the Rock, Port edged out Cefn Druids with a huge performance in a tense often physical game. In so doing they ended the only 100% record in the Cymru Alliance. In an exciting game full of attacking football the home side’s 28th minute lead proved short lived as Port struck back immediately and then thanks to a Josh Davies penalty, his second in successive games, went in ahead at the interval. A storming Druids response early in the second half saw them draw level on the hour mark but 10 minutes later Iolo Hughes’s first goal for Port proved to be the winner and the win lifts Port into 2nd place in the table. The Druids had the better of the early exchanges and came close to going ahead after only five minutes when a Whitfield header struck the post and it needed a big goaline clearance to keep the ball out of the net. Port had to survive several Ryan Kershaw corners and free kicks under pressure from the tall Druids strike force but gradually got into the game and their first effort on goal came from Julian Williams breaking from midfield drove with power but wide of the target. It was the home team broke the deadlock just short of the half hour mark. Almost inevitably it came via a Kershaw free kick which was swung in from the left to the back post where Forbes headed back across goal for Hesp to net with a header just inside the near post. But the lead was short lived as Port hit back immediately with a break down the right. Gruff Williams found Iwan Lewis on the edge of the box and his through ball found Cai Jones who turned well to score from 10 yards. Port were now forcing the home side back on to defence and when Julian Williams lifted a corner to the back post Gruff Williams tested keeper McGee with a clean header. Then another corner from the same player led to the second Port goal. Following the melee the referee blew up pointing to the spot and despite McGee’s correct guess Josh Davies beat his outstretched hand to find the net. The Druids responded to create a good chance but Forbes blasted well over when well placed. But the half ended with more Port pressure but when Gruff Williams found Cai Jones in the box the forward had his shot blocked. 2-1 to Port at half-time. With Huw Griffiths’ words ringing in their ears the home side stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second period and Port defence were subjected to a barrage of high crosses. Five minutes into the half and it required an outstanding piece of goalkeeping from Richard Harvey to deny the home team a score. Mike Pritchard broke along the byline on the right and pulled the ball back for Graham Partridge who’s powerfully struck shot was double fisted away by Harvey diving to his right. But on the hour came the equaliser when a Mat Holt cross from the right found Mike Pritchard in space on the back post and the forward drilled his shot high into the roof of the net. Druids continued to pressurise as Hadjari crossed dangerously across the face of goal but without a final touch. Shortly after Richard Harvey pulled off another outstanding save to deny Partridge clinging on to an angled shot which had taken a slight deflection. But Port weathered the storm and broke forward themselves. A Julian Williams’ snapshot from 20 yards forced McGee to punch away but with 70 minutes on the clock came the winner. Following the partial clearance of a corner Stuart Rogers broke down the right cutting inside and after breaking a tackle slid the ball to Iolo Hughes in space in the box. The defender rifled a shot high into the net past McGee to score his first goal for the club and a decisive one it proved to be. A minute later and things got worse for Druids when Mike Pritchard was dismissed after receiving a second yellow. The steam was running out of the Druids response and Iwan Lewis, Stuart Rogers and Eilir Edwards were now in control in midfield. Eilir Edwards fired a shot from 20 yards which flew wide and a run from Cai Jones, who put in another big performance, was halted at the expense of a corner. Druids last effort to get back on terms was inevitably halted by skipper Richard Harvey who saved from Mat Holt at his near post. A huge team performance from Port with the back three of Iddon Price Iolo Hughes and Richard Harvey outstanding. PORTHMADOG: Richard Harvey, Gruff Williams, Josh Banks, Iddon Price, Iolo Hughes, Iwan Lewis, James Papirnyk (Stuart Rogers 46’), Cai Jones, Julian Williams (Steve Jones 66’), Josh Davies, Leon Newell ( Eilir Edwards 35’). Unused subs: Gwydion Ifan, Craig Papirnyk. CEFN DRUIDS: Adam McGee, Max Penk, Adam Hesp, Matthew Holt, Robbie James, Dave Forbes, Mike Pritchard, Craig Whitfield(Jack Edwards 80), Graham Partridge, Fisnik Hadjari (Jimmy Jones 81), Ryan Kershaw. Unused sub: Jake Roberts. Referee: Martin Williams. Attendance: 183. Gareth Williams Huws Gray Alliance -Tuesday, 01 September 2015 Holyhead Hotspurs....... 1 Damien Ketley 3’ CPD Porthmadog.......... 1 Josh Davies (p) 50’ Points are never easy to come by at the New Stadium and tonight Port needed a second half fight back to pick up a point after conceding a soft early goal. However, considering the home team were down to 10 men for the last 25 minutes, following Dean Garmey’s second yellow card, Port will consider that this was a good opportunity missed to collect all three points. The Hotspurs got off to the best possible start when a harmless looking long ball down the Port right suddenly turned into a goal opportunity when Damien Ketley took advantage of an under hit back pass to nip in and score from close range. For the rest of a very scrappy first half the home side just about held the upper hand though neither side were able to carve out any decent opportunities and neither keeper were tested. The only other real threat on goal came 10 minutes from the interval when Hotspurs won a free kick on the left and Dean Garmey's lofted kick came to Damien Ketley at the back post and the forward struck a dangerous shot which hit the top of the crossbar. It took Port half an hour before they got a shot on target and home keeper Carl Jones dealt comfortably with Leon Newell’s low shot. A minute from the interval Port did threaten the home goal when Eilir Edwards’ left wing corner caused a moment of panic for the home back line but was finally scrambled clear. 1-0 to the home side was probably a fair reflection of a disappointing half. Port introduced Josh Davies and Rob Evans for the second half and now with the breeze on their backs they started to impose themselves on the game for the first time with their play taking on a fresh urgency. Five minutes into the half the breakthrough came when home defender Dean Garmey brought down Cai Jones who had burst into the box down the right. The referee showed yellow and pointed to the spot. Josh Davies resumed duties as penalty taker and fired an emphatic shot past Carl Jones. Travelling supporters now scented more and within minutes a Leon Newell break down the left should have produced a goal but the final ball in was delayed and the chance lost. Rob Evans then drew a good save from the home keeper at his near post and there was a good burst from Julian Williams halted by an excellent last ditch tackle. Port’s cause was further aided when Dean Garmey was sent off after receiving a second yellow card with 25 minutes still remaining. Port came close on a few occasions. There was a good low shot from Leon Newell which went narrowly the wrong side of the post and a minute later Cai Jones lifted a shot from 18 yds over the bar. The best opportunity came five minutes from time when an excellent Steve Jones cross from the right provided Josh Davies with a clear heading opportunity. He rose well but headed wide. Port enjoyed huge amounts of possession during the second period but failed to break open a stubborn Holyhead rearguard well marshalled by former Port defender Rhys Roberts. The home side had few opportunities in front of goal throughout the second half apart from an early effort from Jamie Roberts which flew over the bar and one panicky moment following a free kick into the Port box. In the end Port had to be satisfied with a point on a hard pitch where controlling a bouncy ball in the windy conditions was never easy. PORTHMADOG: Richard Harvey (capt), Gwydion Ifan, Josh Banks, Iddon Price, Iolo Hughes, Iwan Lewis, Gruff Williams (Rob Evans 46’, Steve Jones 84’)), Cai Jones, Julian Williams, Leon Newell, Eilir Edwards (Josh Davies 46’). Unused subs: Stuart Rogers, Ilan Hughes. Yellow: Iwan Lewis 53’, Josh Davies 90+. HOLYHEAD: Carl Jones, Ben Hogan, Kenleigh Owen, Dean Garney, Dewi Thomas, Rhys Roberts (capt), Mike Kelly, Jamie Roberts, Damien Ketley, Phil Williams, Mike Edwards. Subs: Ryan Jones, Nick Clark, Dewi J Thomas. Red: Dean Garney (2nd yellow) 65’, Yellow: Dewi Thomas 89’ Referee: Gareth Wyn Jones (Bontnewydd). Attendance: 162 Gareth Williams Huws Gray Alliance -Saturday, 29 August CPD Porthmadog ...... 3 Julian Williams 23' Cai Jones 39' Leon Newell 53' Mold Alex ........... 2 Gerard Mullen 6’ Haydn Cooper 81' In a tense exciting finish, which at times threatened to boil over, Port held on to claim the three points. After a shaky start, which saw them go a goal down in just 6 minutes, Port fought back to go in a goal to the good at the interval. But after extending their lead early in the second half found that the visitors were not about to keel over, and Alex reduced the arrears with an 81st minute second goal, to set up a nail biting finish. Though home supporters were relieved to hear the final whistle they were sent home happy with both the result and the performance of their team. Playing into a stiff breeze in the first half Port found themselves pushed back into their defensive area by their opponents’ strong start. Some misdirected passes and clearances compounded their early problems and the visitors went into an early lead. Another poor clearance provided Gerard Mullen with the opportunity and he took it well chasing a bouncing ball and lobbing coolly over Richard Harvey into the net. Port responded well and Josh Banks’s angled shot flew narrowly over the Mold crossbar. Gradually the home team got themselves back into the game with Julian Williams, on his home debut, giving the Mold defence a hard time with his clever runs and his dangerous crosses and he was well supported by the driving runs of Gruff Williams and the creative work of Eilir Edwards. It was not a surprise when Julian Williams levelled the scores firing into the net from 12 yards following a period of Port pressure. The visitors produced some threats of their own and they could have restored their advantage in the 34th minute when a series of errors and some panicky defending gave Mullen a chance for his second goal but eventually the home defence managed to scramble the ball away. Five minutes later and Port were ahead. Mold keeper Kris Leigh failed to hold Leon Newell’s shot at his near post and Cai Jones was on hand to score with a close range header. In the next two minutes keeper Leigh pulled off two excellent saves as Port threatened to extend their lead. First he threw himself to his left to fist away Eilir Edwards’s shot and at full stretch managed to push away a Julian Williams bender. But it remained 2-1 to Port at the interval. From the off in the second period Port looked to extend their lead and a good defensive header was needed to avert the threat of Eilir Edwards’s in swinging corner. But there was not long to wait for Port’s third and it was an outstanding individual goal from Leon Newell. He broke past two defenders down the left before cutting inside and when he found a space to shoot fired a well struck shot just inside the keeper’s near post. Sub Josh Davies just past the hour mark turned well in the box but his shot was deflected for a corner. But the visitors were far from finished as Woods headed wide meeting Torpey’s free kick to the back post. Following a card free first half play was becoming increasingly tetchy and referee J B Roberts shared four yellow cards equally between the two clubs. With play entering its final ten minutes the Alex threw everything into attack and Iddon Price and Richard Harvey did well to clear a cross dangerously close to their goal line. A minute later and Mold pressure paid off when Haydn Cooper placed a low shot wide of Richard Harvey following a good break down the right. Pressure on the home goal continued and it needed a good defensive header from Josh Banks to clear Economides’s dangerous corner. Then when Eilir Edwards made an excellent 86th minute break down the left and Josh Davies rose at the back post to net a pin point cross, Port felt the tension had been relieved. But after initially awarding the goal the referee changed his decision after talking to his assistant. Before the final whistle was blown Port had good reason to thank their keeper/captain Richard Harvey who pulled off an excellent match winning save at his near post to deny Haydn Cooper. The three points were now safe and at this very early stage puts them in 4th place in the table. As a postscript to a tense game it appears that the frustrations did finally boil over and visitors’ skipper Daniel Dalton received a straight red for foul and abusive language as he left the field of play. PORTHMADOG: Richard Harvey (capt), Gwydion Ifan (James Papirnyk 77’), Josh Banks, Iolo Hughes, Iddon Price, Iwan Lewis, Gruff Williams, Cai Jones (Josh Davies 61’), Julian Williams, Leon Newell (Stuart Rogers 69’). Unused subs: Steve Jones, Ilan Hughes, Siôn Parry. Yellow: Gwydion Ifan 70’, Iddon Price 76’. MOLD ALEX: Kris Leigh, Michael Girvan, Paul Davies ( R. Economides 77’), Daniel Dalton (capt), Darren Torpey, John McAuliffe (Ross McDowell 65’), Danny Calvert, Haydn Cooper, Jamie Henders, Gerard Mullen (Thomas Murray 65’), Daley Woods. Red: Daniel Dalton. Yellow: Daley Woods 66’, Haydn Cooper 82’. Referee: J. B. Roberts. Attendance: 193. Gareth Williams. Huws Gray Alliance -Saturday, 22 August 2015 Caersws FC..................0 CPD Porthmadog........2 Cai Jones 42’ Gruff Williams 76’ The Cai Jones goal three minutes before the interval proved a turning point in this game. Before this stage the match had provided very disappointing fare, with keepers rarely in action in a scrappy opening 40 minutes. But after the goal Port lifted their game and when Gruff John thumped a low free kick past keeper Aaron Warwick to provide the necessary cushion of a second goal, Caersws, despite some late possession, never really threatened to get back into the game. New signings Julian Williams and Iolo Hughes both featured in the Port starting line-up and the latter did not take long to make his presence felt as he first got a head to an early corner and a minute later, when another corner was partially cleared, tested Warwick with a low volley. Following these early threats Caersws enjoyed a period of good possession forcing Port back on the defensive winning several corners of their own but these came to nothing. The closest they came to threatening Richard Harvey’s goal was when Jack Bermingham’s free kick found Scott Williams in the box but the final shot was comfortably saved. Towards the end of the half Port broke forward again and a forceful Rob Evans shot took a deflection into the safety of the keeper’s arms. Towards the end of the half an Eilir Edwards corner was touched on to Cai Jones at the back post but his shot took a deflection taking it over the bar. Then with three minutes left of the half Port took the lead. A Julian Williams free kick from wide on the left reached Eilir Edwards wide on the right. The winger cut inside and threaded a perfect pass into the box allowing Cai Jones time to turn and steer a low shot past Aaron Warwick. And that was how things stood at the interval with Port 1-0 ahead. . Early in the second half a good Port break down the left saw Josh Banks send Julian Williams away but the angled shot flew over the bar. 10 minute into the second period Caersws could have equalised when following an attack down the right, the ball broke for Jolyon Harris in the box but the shot was blasted over the bar from 15 yards. They could have paid for this miss a minute later when following a break down the left a low Julian Williams cross was only inches beyond the reach of Leon Newell sliding in. Caersws were clearly missing the main scorers of last season John Owen and Mark Griffiths, who have now left the club, as they again failed to find their first goal of the season. For Caersws former Port forward Josh Hartrick broke dangerously into the box on the right but failed to get his shot away and the ball was scrambled for a corner. In the 76th minute Iddon Price sent a long ball behind the Caersws defence for Jack Davis to latch on to and break goalwards but two yards outside the box he was brought down. Free kick! Up stepped Gruff Williams, who had come on as a sub at the interval and put in a strong performance, cracked a low shot wide of keeper Warwick. This goal gave Port the cushion they needed and though Caersws pushed forward in the closing stages Iddon Price and Iolo Hughes looked comfortable at the heart of the defence. The only time the Port goal came under any kind of threat was a looping Dale Evans header which drifted narrowly wide. . The ‘Rec’ has not been a happy hunting ground for Port in recent seasons so picking up three points there today was very satisfying and the clean sheet a welcome bonus. A feature of today’s game was the refereeing of Mr John Alun Jones and his quiet control. . PORTHMADOG: Richard Harvey (capt), Robert Evans, Josh Banks Iolo Hughes, Iddon Price, Steve Jones (Gruff Williams 46), Iwan Lewis, Leon Newell (Josh Davies 68’), Cai Jones, Julian Williams (Jack Davis 58’)Eilir Edwards. Unused subs: Gwydion Ifan, Ilan Hughes. Yellow: Cai Jones 52’. . CAERSWS: Aaron Warwick, Jake Parr, Will Evans (Luke Roughley 81’), Alex Jones (Lance Evans 65’), Dale Evans, Graham Jones (capt), Jolyon Harris, Scott Williams, Josh Hartrick, Dane Griffiths (Helder Ramos 22’), Jack Bermingham. . Referee: John Alun Jones (Y Wyddgrug) . Gareth Williams Huws Gray Alliance -Friday, 14 August CPD Porthmadog ...... 0 Rhayader Town ..........1 Asa Hamilton 56’ Everything was set up for a good season's opener,a good Friday night crowd, despite the counter attraction of Man Utd on Sky, with Port coming in on the back of a couple of excellent pre-season results. In the event there was little to excite the crowd as Port failed to get to grips with the game and Rhayader’s game plan worked. After a very disappointing first half the visitors snatched a goal and then defended well keeping chances down to a minimum backed up by a good Luke Evans performance in goal. In a very scrappy opening half there were a couple of early corners at either end before Port created their first worthwhile move when a good exchange of passes between Stuart Rogers and Cai Jones set up a shooting chance for the latter but his angled shot was deflected for another corner. That apart, there was little for home supporters to enthuse about. Rhayader did not allow Port to settle into their passing game, closing them down quickly allowing their opponents little time on the ball. As the half went on the visitors threatened the home defence and just after the half hour could well have gone ahead when a cross from the left found the new signing from Aberystwyth, Rhydian Davies, who thundered a shot against the post. This was quickly followed by an Asa Hamilton header which forced Richard Harvey into a good save. Port responded when Josh Banks’ met a good Stuart Rogers cross but he failed to test the keeper with his header. It remained goalless at the interval with the only other happenings of note being the four yellow cards issued by referee G W Jones. Port started the second half with more purpose and Rob Evans’s near post cross was deflected on to the roof of the net. This was followed by one of home side’s best efforts when Leon Newell almost caught out the excellent Luke Evans when he flicked Eilir Edwards’ cross dangerously goalwards. But a minute later and disaster struck for Port when a Rhayader counterattack saw the ball played long to Asa Hamilton and another of Dylan McPhee’s summer signings delivered cutting in from the right and scoring with a low angled shot. As Port now pushed forward searching for the equaliser the visitors defended well and in numbers. Though Port broke to the byline on numerous occasions for Gwydion Ifan, Eilir Edwards or Josh Banks to cross there was no end product. The nearest Port came to scoring was a low shot from Leon Newell after cutting inside from the right and a similar break from Gwydion Ifan but on both occasions Luke Evans pulled off good diving saves. Apart from these efforts there was a header from Josh Banks and a fiercely hit shot from Eilir Edwards saved at the near post. But the Rhayader defence held firm and few would deny them their delight at securing three points to make it a very good start to their season. Referee G W Jones kept himself firmly in the picture again in the second half issuing a further five yellow cards. PORTHMADOG: Richard Harvey, Rob Evans, Josh Banks, Gruff Williams, Iddon Price, Stuart Rogers (James Papirnyk 75), Iwan Lewis, Eilir Edwards, Cai Jones, Ceri James (Gwydion Ifan 62’), Jack Davies (Leon Newell 46’). Unused subs: Steve Jones, Ilan Hughes. Yellow: Josh Banks 23', Jack Davies31', Stuart Rogers 42', Ceri James 60',Rob Evans 89'. RHAYADER:Luke Evans, Dan Goodwin, Tom Wozencraft, Gareth Hughes, Dylan McPhee, Sean Powell, Rhydian Davies, Gwion ap Dafydd, Asa Hamilton (Ben Evans 90'), Gethin Jones, Jordan McFadden (Mike Fawley 68'). Yellow: Gethin Jones 32, Sean Powell 60' Rhydian Davies 69', Mike Fawley 78'. Referee: G W Jones Attendance: 223 |
|||
 |
|||