Porthmadog 1..... Colwyn Bay 4..........(after extra time  - 1-1 after 90
mins)
Few games could have had a scoreline which less reflected the pattern of the
play than this one.The scores remained level until 3 mins into the second
period of extra-time when Craig Lawton, with the Port defence stretched in
search of a winner, found himself in space on the left turned inside Richard
Hughes' despairing tackle and fired from 18 yds into the far corner of the
net.
    Until that point Port, looking comfortable with their 4-4-2 formation,
more than matched their Unibond League opponents. Indeed during the opening
half they created the better chances with the pace of Adrian Owen and Allan
Jones catching out the slower Bay defence on numerous occasions. Clear
chances fell to both of these players, sent through with only the keeper to
beat but they failed to find the net. Port could well have been two goals up
in the first 20mins.
    They paid the price for these missed chances, for when a Port attacking
move broke down after 31mins, McCosh broke down the left and crossed for
McIlvogue to find himself given space in front of goal.He did not squander
the opportunity and the Bay were a goal in front. Crossfield passes caught
out the home defence on a number of occasions with Limbert on the right a
particular danger.At half-time Bay led 1-0.
    The second-half started with both sides equally matched and, considering
the foggy and slippery conditions, an exciting skilful game was provided.
The introduction of Emyr Jones after 65 mins was the signal for a period of
intense Port pressure. First Nigel Barry supplied Adrian Owen only for his
shot to be forced away for a corner .Then after 76 mins, Emyr Jones forced
his way through on the left of goal, but his shot was just wide. Two mins.
later came the deserved equaliser when an Evans corner on the right was
headed in by Emyr Jones.
    Both sides had chances during the remaining period of normal time with
Viv Williams coming close to converting a far post cross for the home side
and McIlvogue shooting wide for the visitors when he had already rounded the
keeper. 1-1 at the end of normal time.
    During the first period of extra-time the home side came closest to
scoring when Martyn Roberts, in the Bay goal, dropped the ball twice in
quick succesion but Port failed to capitalise on the errors.Then came the
Lawton goal which sealed the game. It was unfortunate that as they struggled
to get back on level terms Port became overstretched at the back. Again they
were caught out by a crossfield ball and Limbert took full advantage. The
final goal was a simple tap-in for Caton following a Bay corner.
    Although disappointed at the final result, caretaker manager Viv
Williams will take heart from the performance over 90mins and the number of
good chances created by the midfield quartet.

Port: Dixon, Hughes, Harrison, Flower, Stuart Williams, Barry, Evans,
Banks(V. Williams), Caughter, Allan Jones(Emyr Jones), Owen. Sub not used
Steve P. Williams.

Colwyn Bay Martyn Roberts, Dave Norman, McCosh, Mooney, Caton, Donnelly,
Limbert, Gelling, McIlvogue, McGoona, Lawton. Subs Russell Jones, Alun
Evans.

Porthmadog Res. ..........7 Deiniolen ..........0
As the first team were without a fixture this week we turn our attention to
the club's successful  young reserve team.This 1st round match in the
T.G.W.U. Cup was in danger of being overshadowed by the off-pitch news of
the departure of club manager Colin Hawkins. Despite being without regulars
Allan Jones, Emyr Jones, Stephen Paul Williams -ineligible through having
made too many first team appearances- and Richard Harvey -on under-18
international duty at Aberystwyth- the reserves turned in a highly efficient
performance.
    The game was only 2 mins old when Trystan Jones put the home team in the
lead. Port took control of the game from then on and after 12 mins they
produced a sweeping move which opened up the Deiniolen defence for Trystan
Jones to score his second goal. 10 mins later Trystan Jones became the
supplier with an excellent cross from the left which was matched by Anthony
Williams' header into the roof of the net.
    After 30 mins Paul Chunn put his name on the score sheet with a goal
directly from a corner on the right. Deiniolen survived several more near
misses but on the stroke of half-time Matthew Hughes shot on the turn
following a corner on the right to make the score 5-0.
    During the early part of the second-half Deiniolen came more into the
game with Port tending to rest on their clear first-half lead. After 69
mins, however, the game's outstanding player, Trystan Jones completed his
hat-trick by latching on to a long pass out of defence and confidently
placing the ball into the corner of the net. Jones with his good touch,
close control and movement gave the Deiniolen defence a torrid time and we
will surely see him making his first-team debut before too long.
     The scoring was completed in the 71 min when another long pass out of
defence found sub Gareth Pritchard who ran on to score.

Porthmadog..........2 Rhydymwyn..........2

    Port met Rhydymwyn for the 3rd time this season on a cold day at y
Traeth - the home side having had the only win in the previous two meetings.
    The first half was a poor advertisement for the Cymru Alliance league,
with the first real action coming after 10 minutes when referee, Mr A
Alexander, was floored by a rasping shot which hit him right in the face.
Luckily he was able to continue after a few minutes recuperation. Five
minutes later, the Port defence probably wished that he had stayed down when
a penalty was awarded for a trip in the box by Simon Flower. A missed
clearance by Phil Dixon left the Rhydymwyn number 7 with a clear run on
goal, and from the resulting penalty, Mike Lewis coolly struck home.
    Most of the rest of the first half was played in the middle of the
pitch, with neither team causing serious problems up-front. For Port - half
chances fell to Gareth Caughter and Adrian Owen - Caughter seeing his shot
from a Simon Flower long throw saved by keeper Porter. Grant Montgomery came
close for Rhyd, but his shot was saved by Kenny Dixon. It was the final
minutes of the half before the game saw some real excitement - the Rhydymwyn
number 7 again causing problems for the home defence and from the resulting
corner, Dixon was glad to tip the ball over the bar. There then followed a
sequence of Rhydymwyn corners, which finally resulted in Rhydymwyn extending
their lead through a header from their number 5. Atrocious marking could
have led to another Rhyd goal, but Port will have to thank Dixon in goal for
an excellent save.
    The second half was a much more entertaining affair (especially from the
Porthmadog point of view!). Nigel Barry nearly opened the scoring after only
4 minutes, but his fine volley from a clearance went just past the post. It
was only a matter of time before Port opened their account, and on 59
minutes Gareth Caughter did just that. Adrian Owen received the ball on the
edge of the box and skilfully flicked the ball over the defender's lunge
into the path of Caughter, who slotted the ball past the keeper.
    Adrian Owen had a few good efforts, with his curling shot on the hour
only just creeping past the post.On 63 minutes, following good work by sub
Viv Williams on the right, Owen was again unlucky after a good turn and shot
was excellently parried by Porter in goal. Owen must have thought it was not
going to be his day when, a minute later his blasting shot came back to him
off the bar and his subsequent shot was parried off the line by the keeper -
at least that's what the Rhydymwyn players thought! Rhydymwyn must have
though that the referee was still concussed from his earlier accident as he
promptly gave Port a penalty for hand ball against John Sharples who
received a yellow card. Dafydd Evans, however, was not complaining as he
bought his team level from the spot kick.
    The game then reverted to the pattern of the first half, with neither
side making much of an impression. Nigel Barry, who had another busy game,
was in the thick of things - on 84 minutes seeing his effort from a poor
kick by the keeper being saved, and then in the final minutes clearing the
ball after a scramble in his own penalty box.
    In all this was probably a fair result, however, Rhydymwyn will probably
leave the Traeth feeling aggrieved at a referee's decisions for the second
time this season. (they had 2 players sent off in a League cup clash)

PORTHMADOG:
K. Dixon, Stuart Williams, C. Harrison, P. Dixon, S. Flower, Steve Williams
(V. Williams), G. Caughter, N. Barry, D. Evans, M. Davies (E. Jones), A. Owen,

Porthmadog 1.......Lex XI........0

It was League Cup duty for Porthmadog -the Cup holders- on Saturday.From
their point of view the only two positive things that can be said are that
this was a win and that a third consecutive  clean sheet was achieved. Kenny
Dixon will be well pleased at least!
    Apart from a 10 minute spell fairly late-on in the second-half this was
another disappointing performance by the home team. Port had the better of
the early stages but failed to make the most of the opportunities which they
created. This allowed Lex to come more  into the game, but even so there was
little to enthuse about and half-time was reached without either side
seriously threatening to score.
    The second-half opened in the same vein -a couple of good crosses by
Owen on the left for Lex and a few determined runs by Emyr Jones for Port,
but no shots on target.A good crossfield ball by Nigel Barry, after 65 mins,
opened the way for Adrian Owen but the shot was disappointing and no threat
to the visitors goal. Things did not change until the last 20 mins when Port
brought on their three substitutes -Steve Williams, Gareth Caughter and
player-coach Viv Williams. This allowed them to move, leading scorer, Adrian
Owen into a striking position.
    At last Port started attacking down the wing through Steve Williams and
Evans and there was far more movement in forward positions from Owen and
Caughter. A spectacular attempt from Owen, after 80 mins, following Evans'
right wing cross, went just wide.Then a minute later came the game's only
goal, following an excellent through ball by Viv Williams and latched on to
by Adrian Owen who coolly placed the ball inside Penlington's near post.
    Good work again by Caughter, Steve Williams and Evans threatened the Lex
goal. Then, just as it looked that Port would belatedly take charge, Lex
were very unfortunate not to score an equaliser. The Port defence, for once,
was caught napping and from a central position Kendrick neatly lobbed the
ball over the advancing Ken Dixon. It looked a certain goal, then, with the
Lex supporters preparing to celebrate, the rolling ball became stuck in the
mud in front of goal!
    Lex applied more pressure in the closing minutes but could not find that
elusive equaliser. The solitary goal was enough to secure a semi-final place
and Port can thank a defence in which Lee Webber gave a solid performance.

Porthmadog: K. Dixon, P Dixon, C Harrison, L. Webber, Stuart Williams, C.
Banks (Steve Williams) N. Barry, D. Evans, A Owen, M. Davies (V Williams) E.
Jones (G. Caughter).

HOLYHEAD HOTSPURS..........0 PORTHMADOG..........1
        Being my usual organised self, I arrived at Holyhead's ground at 2:20,
only to realise that the kick-off was actually at 2:00! So, this report is
an account of the last 70 minutes of the game. The man at the gate assured
me that Holyhead had dominated the opening minutes, but score remained 0-0.
        His account seemed quite close to the mark if the rest of the first half
was anything to go by. Holyhead, with the strong wind at their backs,
dominated most of the possession and should really have gone ahead after 25
minutes. A long range shot was pushed out by a fine diving save from Kenny
Dixon, and from the resulting corner Dixon had to save well from a header.
It was not all Holyhead though - Port had a couple of good chances which
fell to Nigel Barry and Adrian Owen. Owen, who was constantly reminded by
the home crowd that he used to play for Hotspurs, saw his header go
straight to the goalie after good interplay with Dafydd Evans.
        Holyhead's frustrations at not capitalising on the advantage of having the
wind at their backs came to a head after 41 minutes when they were denied a
"blatant" penalty. The number 8 had a good run - passing 4 Port players -
and laid the ball to Richard Jones. His run into the penalty area was
halted when he stumbled on the uneven pitch, and claims that Dixon had
tripped him came to nothing.
        The second half was the exact opposite of the first, with Port dominating
possession, and Holyhead confined to a few attacks on the break. Emyr Jones
nearly opened the scoring after only 6 minutes, but his shot, after a
goalmouth scramble, was cleared off the line. There then followed a period
of sustained Port pressure, with Dafydd Evans nearly scoring direct from a
corner. Mike Davies, who had had a quiet game up to then, scored after 55
minutes. The 3rd in a series of corners was driven in allowing Davies to
head the ball down and into the net.
        Port's lead should have been doubled only a minute after the re-start.
Nigel Barry finished off his run down the right with a venomous shot which
was fantastically saved by the goalkeeper.
        With only ten minutes left in the game, Holyhead knew that they had to
attack. Kenny Dixon saw some of his first action of the half when he had to
save well directly from a corner. Within 3 minutes he had to do well again
to save the ball on the line after number 8 had a free header from a
corner. Many of the Holyhead supporters behind the goal claimed that it had
gone in, but the referee ignored their protests.
        That was the last of Hotspurs attacks, and Port held on through 5 minutes
of injury time to collect the 3 points. The game as a spectacle was spoilt
by the wind, although Porthmadog manager Colin Hawinks will not be
complaining at 3 points in the bag.

PORTHMADOG:
K. Dixon, S. Williams, S. Flower (L. Webber), C. Harrison, P. Dixon, C.
Banks, A. Owen, N. Barry, D.Evans, E. Jones (G. Caughter), M. Davies (V.
Williams)