Welsh Cup Round 2 -Friday, October 3rd

Newi Cefn Druids .... 3        Porthmadog ..... 0
Mark Allen 4
Joe Desmoreaux 65
Paul Dowridge 66

Port made a quick exit from the Welsh Cup, falling at the first hurdle after
giving their poorest performance of the season so far. Newi made the best
possible start to the game and got their noses in front after only four
minutes. When the ball was played in from the right there did not appear to
be imminent danger but the visitors' defence got themselves into a tangle
and Mark Allen was on hand to score from close range. The home side looked
more likely to score and could have gone further ahead after 15 mins when
good work down the left by Dowridge set up an opportunity for Shannon but
the striker failed to hit the target when well placed.

For most of the opening half Port mainly resorted to to long ball tactics
but these proved to be largely ineffective against the no nonsense defence
of Rowlands and Jeffries. Usual dangerman Carl Owen did manage a shot which
curled past the angle after a Mark Williams supply. After 39 mins Carl Owen
returned the compliment after a good run on the left before crossing for
Mark Williams whose header flew just over the bar.

In the second period Gareth Caughter was introduced instead of Campbell
Harrison with Ritchie Owen moving to left back. For a time Port's game
improved and for the first time they managed to string a few passes together
putting more pressure on the home rearguard. The closest they came to
scoring was after 61 mins when Gareth Caughter set up Carl Owen on the
right, but the striker was unlucky to see his shot go into the side netting
from a narrow angle.

Then the game was settled in just one minute. Central defender Lee Webber
was inexplicably substituted and almost immediately the reorganised Port
defence made a muddle of an attempted clearance. Joe Desmoreaux had the
simplest of tasks to put the ball into the net from close range. A minute
later on 66 mins Paul Dowridge sent a low speculative shot towards
McGuigan's goal and the crowd were amazed when  the ball crept inside the
post, with the keeper seemingly unsighted.  The game was now over and there
was no way back into the game for Port. The final 24 mins of a very ordinary
game were played out with very little of note taking place. The only Port
effort of interest was a burst forward by Danny Hughes which was only
cleared at the expense of a corner.

Port slipped to their fifth successive defeat and on this occasion,  unlike
the game against Bangor, there was little or nothing for  supporters to
cheer. The defeats seem to have taken their toll and the team lacked
confidence to bring the ball down and play the passing game which has served
them so well in the past.

Newi Cefn Druids: McIntosh, Nick Parry(Osian Jones), Dowridge, Aled
Rowlands, Brett Jeffries, Mark Allen, Cunnah(Alec Stacey), Danny Desmoreaux,
Joe Desmoreaux, Shannon(John Madden), Anthony Williams.

Port: McGuigan, John G Jones, Danny Hughes, Lee Webber( Andy Wagstaffe),
Harrison( Gareth Caughter), Gareth Parry, Emrys Williams, Ritchie Owen, Tony
Williams, Mark Williams(Barry Evans), Carl Owen.

Gareth Williams.

Welsh Premier ( J.T. Hughes Mitshubisi ). Friday, September 26th

Bangor City .... 4                    Porthmadog .... 1
Kenny Burgess 15
Owain T. Jones 41, 47, 89(pen.)

An Owain Tudor Jones hat-trick condemned Port to their fourth consecutive
defeat. The month of September has provided a difficult programme for the
W.P. newcomers with three games against Bangor and another against TNS
giving them a real baptism of fire.

Peter Davenport's team made a bright start with some polished passing
movements. As early as the 5th minute dangerman Kenny Burgess was unlucky
not to put the home side ahead when he drove low against the upright and
then shot the re-bound wide of the post. The home side continued to dominate
and they forced two consecutive corners around the 15 minute mark taken by
Gary Roberts. The second one was only partially cleared to Kenny Burgess, 20
yds out, and the winger sent a powerful drive into the corner of the net
giving McGuigan no chance.

Port meanwhile were rarely seen as an attacking force failing to keep
possession and a run by Gareth Caughter after 18 mins and a corner forced
after 20 mins were their only threat. These were only temporary respites as
Ricky Evans and Owain Tudor Jones dominated the midfield with their Port
counterparts allowing them so much room to break forward into the danger
area. Then  completely against the run of play Port found themselves back in
the game. Carl Owen  made a good run on the left before switching the ball
inside to Ritchie Owen whose square ball found Mark Williams unmarked with
the simplest of tasks to shoot past Priestley from 10 yds.

The Port recovery was short lived for they were caught out twice either side
of the interval. Owain Tudor Jones beat McGuigan with a fine near post
header after 41 mins. The same player two mins into the second half, with
McGuigan out of his goal, tapped into the net from close range. It took a
fine McGuigan save to deny OTJ his hat-trick just before the hour mark. This
was the signal for a double substitution by Port which brought on Steve Pugh
and Tony Williams  to work the flanks. There followed the visitors best
period of the match with the subs to the fore running at the defence and for
a period putting the Bangor defence under pressure. Priestley, in the Bangor
goal was forced into a superb save to keep out Gareth Parry's deflected
free-kick. After 70 mins Carl Owen got behind the Bangor defence but his
shot failed to hit the target. A minute later and  Gareth Parry set Pugh
free down the right and Emrys Williams should have taken advantage of the
winger's excellent cut back pass but once again the shot was off target.
From another Pugh run and cross Carl Owen failed to get enough power on his
header.

At the other end McGuigan was forced to pull off several excellent saves one
from Gary Roberts and then a  speculative Lee Hunt effort. It came as a
surprise at this stage to see Gareth Parry being substituted as he had been
the only creative midfielder and the supplier for many of Pugh's good runs.

With the game drifting quietly towards the final whistle Harrison brought
down the inevitable Owain Tudor Jones just inside the box. The same player
got up to score from the spot and complete his hat-trick.

Port learned the harsh lesson that mistakes, at this level, will be
punished.

Bangor: Priestley, Hoy, Goodall, Eifion Jones, Ingram, Ricky Evans, Owain
Tudor Jones, Kenny Burgess, Gary Roberts, Gedman, Hunt.
Subs: Hugh Griffiths, Ross Jeffries, Paul Rayer.

Port: McGuigan, John G Jones, Danny Hughes, Webber, Harrison, Gareth
Caughter(Steve Pugh), Gareth Parry(Wagstaffe), Emrys Williams, Ritchie
Owen(Tony Williams), Carl Owen, Mark Williams.
Sub not used: Bari Evans.

Gareth Williams.

Loosemore's Challenge Cup Rd. 1 - 16/9/03

Port.................0 Bangor.....................2
                       Goodall 80.
                       Tudur Jones 87.

Two late goals divided these Gwynedd rivals at the end of an entertaining
match in the second leg of the League Cup. Port had started brightly, and
probably shaded the first half - having two good opportunities to take the
lead. Carl Owen had a very good first half against his former club, with the
Bangor back line having their work cut out to keep up with his pace. After
only three minutes Port could have taken the lead through another ex-Bangor
Player, Emrys Williams, whose shot went just wide of goal after a good
cut-back pass into the box from Carl Owen on the right. Bangor's defence
were obviously worried about the threat posed by Owen as Eifion Jones' rash
challenge on the striker after 9 minutes clearly showed. Somehow Jones
managed to get off without receiving a card for his troubles. Port's second
chance to take the lead fell to Carl Owen whoagain outpaced the defence
before forcing  Phil Priesley, in the Bangor goal, into making an
outstanding save. From the resulting corner Lee Webber also forced a save
out of Priestley. Bangor came back strongly in the last five minutes of the
half but also failed to capitalize in the final third of the pitch. Ross
Jefferies got the ball on the side of the box after Port had failed to
clear, but his shot was disappointing and went straight to the hands of
McGuigan in the Port goal. Seconds later Goodall broke down the left but
Paul Gedman's far post header went well over.

Bangor came out stronger in the second half, but this isn't to say Port
weren't in the game. Indeed, five minutes into the half, Carl Owen could
well have given Port the lead after he beat Eifion Jones and Bangor keeper
Priesley only to see his shot stopped on the line by Gareth Williams. On 54
minutes substitute Steve Pugh broke down the right, but Priesley again did
well to force the ball away for a corner. The visitors started to put more
pressure on the Port goal as the half progressed and had their chances
through Gareth Williams, Owain Tudur Jones, Kenny Burges and Ricky Evans,
but failed to put real pressure on Gerard McGuigan with a number of
disappointing attempts that failed to hit the target. One of Port's best
chances to find the net, during this period, came after a good Campbell
Harrison free kick, with Steve Pugh directing his header just wide.

The visitors piled on the pressure during the last 15 minutes, and managed
to create a number of chances. Ricky Evans' was unlucky after his attempt
from 35 yards went only inches wide. On 79 minutes the ball was scrambled
away by Port after a good run into the box by Eifion Jones, but as it turned
out this was only a stay of execution as Alan Goodall opened the scoring
with a low drive from the left side of the box. Despite getting his fingers
to the ball, McGuigan failed to keep the ball out at his near post. Seven
minutes later, Bangor's lead was doubled after some poor marking in the box,
with ex-Port player Owain Tudur Jones capitalizing on the host's failure to
clear their lines.

Let's hope that Port will now bounce back in the league after two defeats in
two games against two of the front runners for the League title. We can now,
as the cliché goes, concentrate on the league! The team can take pluses from
their performance in the first half. Bangor were stronger in the second
half, but they may not have deserved to win by a two goal cushion.

Port: G McGuigan, JG Jones, C Harrison, G Parry, L Webber, D Hughes, G
Caughter, T Williams (S Pugh), C Owen, M Williams, E Williams.
Subs not used: A Morgan, A Wagstaffe, C Roberts, R Edwards.
Mascot: Jack Jones, Borth y Gest.

Bangor: P Priestley, P Hoy, A Goodall, E Jones, G Williams, R Ingram, K
Burges, O Tudur Jones, P Gedman, R Evans, R Jefferies.
Subs: H Griffiths, G Roberts.

Iwan Gareth.