Unless otherwise stated all match reports relate to Division One

Saturday 11 August 2007

Taff’s Well 1, Cwmbran Town 0

The opening fixture of the 2007-08 season saw Taff’s Well entertain the United Nations of Cwmbran Town.  The visitors arrived confident of winning by six or seven goals according to former Taff’s Well player, Gareth Mouncher.  Sidelined by injury, Mouncher was buoyed by Cwmbran’s pre-season preparations and the fact that many of the side selected had featured in the UWIC team that had beaten Taff’s Well by a 5-0 margin in March.  Good results against NEWI Cefn Druids and Corby Town certainly sound encouraging and the squad of Nigerians, Cameroonians, Portuguese and Brazilians sprinkled with the occasional Welsh or English player went through an impressive pre-match warm-up whilst the home team stayed out of the heat in the dressing room.

It was a hot day and Taff’s Well’s squad was missing at least five likely starters from the first choice squad due to holidays, work or injury.  The omens did not look auspicious.  Taff’s Well’s new coach, Mark Hennessey, contented himself with a short warm-up and manager, Adam Moore reminded the players that he had played for Cwmbran in the past and that they should concentrate on their own game: the visitors are only human after all.

The game was preceded by a minute’s silence as a tribute to the memory of long-time supporter of Taff’s Well, Mr. John Champ, who sadly died last week after a period of illness. 

Once under way a pattern soon emerged: some neat and controlled approach play by Cwmbran repelled at the edge of the Taff’s Well penalty area followed by a more direct counter-attack from the home team until possession returned to the visitors.

Cwmbran’s calmness and control disappeared in the fourth minute.  Gareth Wallwork gained possession of the ball out wide on the Taff’s Well right flank.  He looked up and, with no immediate challenge, launched a well-placed long cross into the Cwmbran penalty area.  The visitors’ outstanding central defender, Majeed, was for once not in control.  Kevin Crock dropped off a yard with perfect timing to head the ball over goal keeper, Richard Jeffries, and into the top corner.  One-nil to Taff’s Well.  Cwmbran looked stunned.  Their confident, urbane and sophisticated supporters (“We are used to a better quality ground/standard of play/level of football but of course this is only temporary!”) blanched.  A slight setback but nothing to get worried about!

Minutes later, a flowing Taff’s Well move released Steve Edwards in the penalty area unopposed for a strike at goal.  Unbelievably the assistant referee raised his flag for offside.  Cwmbran, stunned and in disarray, survived.  The visitors survived again shortly afterwards when Kevin Crock was upended in the penalty area but, as became the pattern for the game to the dismay of followers of both teams, the referee ignored his impassioned pleas.

Cwmbran began to draw confidence from this and with Christopher Omuta finding space on the left flank and Moses Malanga and Martin Houston pressing hard through the middle they began to look threatening.

Houston should have scored from a driven cross but balked at the header as he was about to collide with a post and several dangerous crosses flashed across the Taff’s Well goal but Cwmbran could not pull a goal back.

Jon Seymour, captain James Passmore and Gareth Wallwork defended stoutly.  Jon Howe’s handling in goal was impeccable and the young midfield worked tirelessly to preserve the home side’s lead despite the loss of Owain Adams to a blow in the face in the 35th minute. 

The Cwmbran coach gave the players a stern lecture at half time but the second half was a repeat of the pattern of the first.

Cwmbran’s supporters were increasingly frustrated as the minutes ticked away.  Gone were the slightly superior smiles – every blast of the referee’s whistle brought howls of disgust or anguish, every failure to blow in Cwmbran’s favour provoked wild accusations of bias or incompetence.

The longer the half progressed, the more frustrated the Cwmbran players became.  Taff’s Well’s midfielders: Dan Thomas (substitute for Owain Adams), Ross Perkins, Steve Edwards and Jay Davies (on for Aaron Colwill) tackled and scrapped for every slightest possibility of possession or simply to thwart Cwmbran.  Tony Wallis led the line magnificently despite the attentions of one, two and sometimes three opposition defenders. 

Taff’s Well owed survival at one point to young left back, Lloyd Stenner, who covered across as all good full backs do to clear danger when one visiting attacker looked to get free to score.  Despite the odd scare, Jon Howe’s goal remained intact and he had barely a save to make for all of Cwmbran’s possession.

Tony Rees might have increased Taff’s Well’s lead had he been a little more match fit, in his own words afterwards.

The lesson of the underdog triumphing against supposedly superior opposition is one of the great marvels of football.  It happens often enough for it to cease to be a surprise.  For once, Taff’s Well’s supposedly inferior squad overcame a highly talented Cwmbran selection.  This was only the first game of a long campaign and it would be foolish to expect to pull off a similar triumph on a regular basis.  On the day the grit and determination of the home side saw off the superior craft of the visitors.  It was such a chastening experience that the Cwmbran manager kept the players in the dressing room for an hour after the match.  No doubt Cwmbran Town will win more than they will lose this season.  Maybe Taff’s Well won’t.  Every dog has his day.

Welcome to the First Division – reality bites!   

Taff’s Well: Howe; Wallwork; Stenner; Passmore (Capt.); Seymour; Perkins; Edwards; Colwill; Wallis; Crock; Adams; subs. Rees; Thomas; Davies; Salmoni; Arthur.

Cwmbran Town: Jeffries; McGibbon; Oyinloye; Kaffi; Akinbolw; Majeed; Hodge; Ngody; Malanga; Omuta; Houston; subs. Pardeal; Martins; Shadrack; Smith; Gordon.  

SUPER VETS BRING HOME CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY

Pictured (left to right): Mike Bobbett, Brian Gullett, Tarki Micallef, Rob Poyner, Kyle Burrows, Eifion Thomas, John Convery (Capt.), Gavin Price, Dave Price, Glenn Price, Howie Beynon, Ioan Emanuel, Dickie Batt, Frank Terrell (Player-Manager), Herbie Miller.

Taff’s Well Super Vets (Over 45) travelled to Kettering Town on Sunday 13th May to play Siemens F.C. from Eastwood (between Nottingham and Derby) in the Umbro Veterans Super Vets Championship Trophy.  This is effectively the UEFA Cup of the three Umbro tournaments now in their 20th year as a nationwide competition for veteran footballers at Over 35, Over 40 and Over 45 age groups.

Injuries to key players and availability problems have dogged Taff’s Well Super Vets all season and this has been compounded by cancelled fixtures due to bad weather so it was fitting that the final should be won in torrential rain and with seven of the squad unavailable for various reasons.

The contrast between the Final and the Quarter and Semi-final rounds could not have been more marked.  The quarter-final was won 4-1 in Dagenham against Old Barkabbeyans in hot sun and temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade.  The semi-final was played in equally high temperatures but greater humidity against Welsh rivals, Pembrokeshire Veterans with Taff’s Well winning 6-5 on penalties after extra time.  The final was the third game of three on a day of continuous rain at Kettering Town’s Rockingham Road ground but the pitch held up remarkably well despite some standing water in the goalmouths.

Veterans’ Captain, John Convery (with player-manager, Frank Terrell, the only two left of the original team from fourteen years ago), led the team out.  He would not have believed when Cardiff City released him some forty-seven years ago that he would still be playing at sixty-two and it is a tribute to his level of fitness and competitive spirit that he is still able to perform on the pitch.

Taff’s Well were the more threatening side throughout and started at a high tempo in an attempt to get an early goal.  It looked as though this would be a vain hope as Brian Gullett, normally a centre back playing as target man, missed several good chances.  The opposition began to put in some “robust” challenges to try to get a foothold in the game going through speedy striker Howie Beynon (once in professional football as a junior at Swansea) from behind and committing fouls on a number of other Taff’s Well players more out of frustration than a desire to hurt.

As the match settled down, it became clear Siemens did not have the pace to get behind the Taff’s Well defence and nor could they exert enough control of the midfield to impose themselves on the game with any consistency.  It, nevertheless, appeared that it might be one of those days as a brilliant move saw Howie Beynon beat the last defender and place the ball past the goalie only to see it stop in a puddle on the line to be cleared by a covering defender.  Moments later, the Siemens defence forced Beynon out to the left wing where he held the ball, waiting for the onrushing support; he looked up to see the goalie out of position and chipped the ball goal-wards but it rebounded off the junction of post and cross bar.  It appeared that a goal would be elude Taff’s Well despite a series of fluent attacks.  Ex-Cardiff City, Newport County and Bristol Rovers player, Tarki Micallef, was proving a handful for Siemens with his free role and the midfield of Gavin Price (ex-Aston Villa), Mike Bobbett and Ioan Emanuel had established a clear ascendancy in that area of the pitch.

All of the best efforts of Taff’s Well paid dividends three-quarters of the way through the half.  Brian Gullett received the ball with only one defender to beat as he ran into the inside right channel.  His first touch gave him the space he needed from the edge of the penalty area and the goalkeeper parried his firmly struck drive.  Reacting more quickly than the defenders yet with great composure, Gullett fired the ball past the goalie as he regained his feet and the ball nestled in the back of the net.

Stung into retaliation by this setback, Siemens stepped up their efforts but were forced to by-pass midfield to get the ball up to their front men and then try and get players joining in from there.  It was at this stage of the game that John Convery and Dave Price showed their defensive strength and the outstanding Eifion Thomas swept up every danger reading dangerous situations perfectly to tidy up using his pace when necessary.  Thus, Rob Poyner was scarcely troubled apart from one speculative snapshot that he saved with ease making a tricky chance appear innocuous in the driving rain.

All the while, Taff’s Well remained the more dangerous side and the marauding runs of Herbie Miller from left back and the threat of the two front runners made it impossible for Siemens to throw players forward in an attempt to pull back the opening goal before half time.

Manager, Frank Terrell, made two changes of personnel at half time: John Convery went off and Brian Gullett moved back to centre half, Kyle Burrows came on to play on the right side with Dickie Batt replacing the excellent Dave Price.  This meant pushing Tarki Micallef up to join Howie Beynon in attack and the manager’s instructions were to keep possession to frustrate the opposition and to use the pace of the two front men to catch Siemens pushing forward.

Tactics are entirely dependant on the capacity of the players to carry them out and, on the day, these were the players up to the task.  Siemens became increasingly frustrated at their inability to control possession and to force their way back into the game.  This led to a series of bad challenges on the slippery pitch, one in particular, a nasty late lunge, left Gullett floored clutching his leg and requiring lengthy treatment but warranted only a warning from the excellent match official.

As the half progressed, chances proved harder to come by for Taff’s Well as the ball flashed across the face of goal on a number of occasions with no attacker able to get a touch and the Siemens goalkeeper dealt capably with a number of shots, corners and the occasional long throw from Ioan Emanuel.  The key feature of this period in the game was a series of slick passing moves put together by Taff’s Well involving sometimes seven or eight players in stretching the Nottinghamshire team from side to side.  Glenn Price had replaced his brother, Gavin, but Taff’s Well’s dominance continued and eventually Frank Terrell came on too.

Matters were becoming desperate for Siemens so the brought on one very tall substitute and moved their two centre backs forward and resorted to long balls lumped up to these big men.  As the taller team this proved a legitimate tactic but it failed to earn them a goal.  On the two occasions they did manage to get an attempt on target, Kyle Burrows was perfectly placed to head powerfully off the line following a corner and Rob Poyner made an exceptional save clutching the ball into his body from a low shot through a crowd of players.  It was only in the last five minutes of the match that Taff’s Well had come under any concerted pressure and with victory being so close some nerves were understandable.

The veterans’ season ended with triumph at the final whistle, albeit by a slender 1-0 margin but it was a tribute to the contributions of all the players who had helped get the team to the final as well as those magnificent performers on the day.  This was the fifth final for Frank Terrell’s veterans and the first triumph.  Observers in the grandstand voiced the opinion that three-nil would have been a fair result and it could easily have been six but that would have been a little unfair on the resilience of the Siemens team who were gracious in defeat. 

Dave Shepherd, whose brainchild the competition is, spoke to both teams and supporters at the end and complimented everyone on the quality of play and endeavour and Colin Garlick, Chief executive of Football League team Rochdale, presented the magnificent (and very heavy) trophy to John Convery, the Taff’s Well captain.

One distressing footnote to a thrilling day was that Gavin Price and his wife and son were involved in an accident travelling back and, even though their car was a right-off, fortunately all three escaped with little more than bruising and shock.

So, a season in which hopes were high for Taff’s Well Over 40s, a team packed with big names (Paul Sanderson, Roger Gibbins, Cohen Griffith and many other exceptional players at this level) saw them bow out to a Paul Giles goal at the first knockout stage to Dinas Powys.  The team that beat them in last year’s semi final – Flackwell Heath - were at Kettering Town and could not believe that result saying Taff’s Well were the best team they had played.  The Super Vets, however, after struggling to field a consistent side or to travel with a full squad returned in triumph.  Thanks go to outstanding contributors through the group stages and beyond in: Derek Jones, Kyle Charles, Roger Broome, Mal Camilleri, Jeremy Hill, Ian Sutton, Graham Bassett and Phil Martin.  Next year’s target is to get both teams to the finals. 

Taff’s Well Super Veterans: 1. Rob Poyner; 2. Dave Price; 3. Herbie Miller; 4. Eifion Thomas; 5. John Convery (Capt.); 6. Gavin Price; 7. Tarki Micallef; 8. Mike Bobbett; 9. Howie Beynon; 10. Brian Gullett; 11. Ioan Emanuel; 12. Glenn Price; 14. Dickie Batt; 15. Kyle Burrows; 16. Frank Terrell.

Frank Terrell

16 May 2007

Taff’s Well AFC 60^th Anniversary Dinner

The Quality Hotel, Tongwynlais, Cardiff.

Saturday 23^rd June 2007, 7.00 for 7.30 pm

Acting Chairman: Frank Terrell

Special Guest Speaker: Joey Jones (Former Liverpool & Wales Footballer)

As part of the celebrations of Taff’s Well Football Club’s 60^th Anniversary the Committee invite you to attend our celebration dinner on Saturday 23^rd June 2007 at the Quality Hotel, Tongwynlais.  Drinks will commence at 7 pm and a three-course dinner at 7.30 pm

The evening will be compered by ex-first class referee, Keith Cooper, and the former Wales and Liverpool footballer, Joey Jones, will entertain us with recollections of his experiences in top class football.  The evening will also feature an auction of sporting memorabilia and presentations of trophies.

The dress code is lounge suits and ties for gentlemen.  There will be a disco to end the evening.

Prior to the dinner there will be a Celebrity Exhibition Football Match with – kick off 2 pm – and football fun activities for children at the club.

A donation from the proceeds will be made to local charities.

Tickets for the evening cost £30.00 per person (tables of ten are available for parties) payable in advance to either the club Treasurer, Mr. Don James (Tel: 02920 337374), or the Secretary, Mrs Norma Samuel (Tel: 02920 813020).

Saturday 3 March 2007

ENTO Aberaman 2 - 1 Taff’s Well

Taff’s Well ran out on a pitch made heavy by Friday’s continuous rain but showing all the confidence obtained from previous two victories in a bright start.  Lee Denner created the first opening with a well-timed pass into space for Barrie Gunstone who had peeled wide.  Gunstone eluded the covering defender with ease before crossing but a home defender just beat Andy Hammett to the ball to head clear.

The opening exchanges were all Taff’s Well so, with their defence under pressure, an Aberaman defender fouled Paul Michael out on the Taff’s Well right but Barrie Gunstone’s aim was not quite right and the free kick came to nothing.  Immediately after that a sweeping attack from Taff’s Well set Andy Hammett clear and he scored with a well-placed finish only to turn and see the assistant referee flagging for a very marginal offside so the “goal” was disallowed.

Another move down the Taff’s Well left flank between Gunstone, Denner and Ashley Gittings ended when Gittings slipped as he was about to shoot home from only ten yards with Aberaman keeper, Neil Collins totally exposed.  Ten minutes in and the pitch had revealed its treacherous side.

Aberaman managed to escape the visitors’ onslaught long enough to force a corner clipped in by Ceri Harding.  Once more the pitch played a part as a difficult bounce saw the ball elude two defenders to fall perfectly for Kurt Nogan but Callum McKenzie tidied up at the expense of another corner cleared with some ease by the visiting defence.

Lee Denner was then unfortunate to receive a yellow card when he overran the ball on the slippery surface and collided with an Aberaman defender who had raced across to cover.  The decision could easily have been reversed so reckless was the home player’s charge at Denner.

Taff’s Well had played all the enterprising football in the opening half hour with a series of sweeping attacks but with no end product.  This was perfectly illustrated when Steve Arthur played a searching through pass between two Aberaman defenders to the onrushing Andy Hammett.  The Taff’s Well number nine took a touch to set up the shot and then fired hard and low for goal but Collins saved with both hands at full stretch.

The mounting pressure took its toll after thirty-one minutes when another perfectly placed and weighted pass, this time from Rhys Jones, put Barrie Gunstone in on goal.  Gunstone’s clever movement and angles of running were proving a real challenge for the home defenders who, this time, misread the situation and Gunstone was in the clear.  Collins raced from his goal to take out the Taff’s Well striker with a desperate challenge.  The referee awarded the penalty and brandished his yellow card at Collins who might well have been dismissed from the game, as there appeared to be no cover for Collins from any of his teammates.  Gunstone despatched the penalty left footed to give the visitors a well-deserved lead.

Aberaman tried to fight back but strike partners Nogan and Jago were having a wretched game.  Twice Jago fell over in the penalty area in vain attempts to gain his side a penalty perhaps under the false impression that this particular referee was likely to even things up to appease the frantic protests of his manager at every decision that went against Aberaman.  Jago then felt the full frustration of his manager by straying offside wasting a possible opening.  This was unexpected, as the home side’s hard running striker has enjoyed plenty of success in the past for his previous two clubs against Taff’s Well.

As half time approached the focus switched once more to the other end. Excellent play from Andy Hammett, strong and determined, allowed him to release Ashley Gittings with a clever pass.  He ran in on goal but could not finish off the chance and a minute later play ended for half time.    

ENTO Aberaman started the second half by replacing the luckless Nogan and Jago with the experienced John Phillips and hard working, super fit boxer, Nathan King.  Taff’s Well had so dominated the first half it was worth trying anything to redress the balance and get the home side’s promotion ambitions back on track.

Taff’s Well faced an early blow, quite literally, when Gunstone was felled by a blow to the neck in a very heavy challenge for a high ball.  He returned to the action in discomfort after treatment.  It was clear that Taff’s Well had relaxed and that Aberaman were determined to turn things around.  Bit by bit the home side fought for a foothold in the game; it wasn’t pretty but it was effective.  Gradually they began to take control of the game and on the hour received their due reward.  Steve Powell made good ground on an overlapping run along the spongy left touchline for the home team. Displaying clever foot movement he executed a double shuffle on the ball to go inside and out past two sluggish Taff’s Well defenders before passing inside to Paul Dawes.  Still a popular and highly respected figure at Taff’s Well, Aberaman’s former Taff’s Well captain, Dawes ran into the visitors’ area before finishing well past Jon Howe’s left hand to equalise.

The best Taff’s Well could manage by way of an immediate response was a corner hit too flat and cleared easily.  Nathan King then went down the other end and missed a sitter for Aberaman when set up by Ceri Harding.  A cross was then flicked over keeper Jon Howe but Steve Arthur cleared off the line.  Arthur then saved Taff’s Well from further danger when he tidied up a threatening situation by cushioning a header back to Howe when under extreme pressure.

Aberaman made their third and final substitution on seventy-two minutes bringing on Will Davies for Craig Hewings in a bold move to try and get a winner.  This disruption allowed Taff’s Well a toehold back into the game. Callum McKenzie shot over the bar from just outside the penalty area following a tame clearing header and then two successive corners failed to trouble Collins in the Aberaman goal. 

Mark Evans decided to risk substitutions of his own taking off Rhys Jones and Lee Denner for Brian Burke and Owain Adams.  A quick throw on the Taff’s Well left gave Andy Hammett the chance to run at the home defence but when he tried his luck from out wide the chance flew over and would anyway have been miraculous to have caught out the alert Collins.  This summed up a scrappy second half for the visitors who, for all their dominance of the first half, were now reduced to such hit and hope methods.

The winning goal summed up the way the game had gone.  A hopeful through ball was chased by John Phillips who had chased everything and battled for everything since being introduced to the action at half time.  Jon Howe went down to gather the ball for a routine stop but, somehow, Phillips nipped in front of him as the keeper went down and then he had the simple task of diverting the ball into the empty net.  It might have taken eighty-five minutes to happen but the turnaround was now complete – from total Taff’s Well dominance at half time to ENTO Aberaman victory in the end.  There was still time for Howe to make two excellent saves and for Callum McKenzie to clear a corner off the line just to emphasise the total reversal in fortunes.  Rhodri Thomas and Steve Arthur had played outstandingly well for the visitors but this was not enough to earn a point and nor will total dominance of the first half be enough to win games at this level.  Aberaman may not have won prettily but they did win and that is what counts in the League table at the end of the season.  

Taff’s Well: Howe; Gittings; Denner; Fleming; Thomas; Arthur; McKenzie; Michael; Jones; Gunstone; Hammett. Subs: B. Burke; Adams; Evans. 

Saturday 24th February 2007

Taff’s Well 3 - 0 Pontardawe

Taff’s Well started strongly with the players clearly full of confidence following the previous Tuesday’s victory over Barry.  Attacking down the slope, first Andy Hammett and then Barrie Gunstone, both played in good balls forcing Pontardawe’s keeper, Marc Snell, into action.

Pontardawe’s first real threat came when striker, Kevin Bartley, looking well offside but not flagged, tried to chip Jon Howe after eleven minutes but his effort drifted well wide.  This seemed to energise the visitors and a minute later Howe was forced into a good save from a fiercely driven shot and from the clearance kick, Barrie Gunstone was booked for allegedly leading with his arm in challenging the Pontardawe defender as he attempted to head clear.

Taff’s Well began to take control of the game once more and Andy Hammett was the first beneficiary.  He received the ball from a left wing throw and swivelled to hit his shot early but the ball flew just over.  Moments later Callum McKenzie picked Hammett out with an incisive pass for the Taff’s Well striker to twist and turn to create an opening for a shot but he unfortunately slipped at the decisive time and the chance went away from him.

Taff’s Well’s play entered a sloppy phase with players not winning their tackles and appearing to be slow in closing down their opposite numbers thus Andrew Stokes was able to burst through the midfield area almost unchallenged before getting in a dangerous shot.  Padraig Burke then came to Taff’s Well’s rescue with a timely intervention putting the ball out for a throw as two Pontardawe players threatened Howe’s goal.

As the match reached the half hour mark the home side appeared to shake off the collective lethargy and step up the action.  This paid dividends after thirty-three minutes when a good spell of Taff’s Well pressure produced the opening goal.  Paul Michael picked up a stray ball in the midfield area and looked up to see Barrie Gunstone get ahead of his marker with a clever run along his favoured inside left channel.  Michael’s incisive pass was weighted perfectly for Gunstone to run in on goal without breaking stride, send the goalkeeper to ground with the characteristic Gunstone drop of the shoulder before pushing the ball into the empty net.

Taff’s Well regained possession very soon after the restart and a clever double shuffle by the corner flag earned Gunstone a corner for his team. Paul Michael’s in swinger led to a Lee Denner up-and-under headed back into the danger area only for Marc Snell to clutch the ball gratefully under pressure.

Pontardawe stepped up the pressure to try and regain parity as the half drew to a close.  A visiting attack earned a corner and Jon Howe was forced to make a fine save from the deflected shot that resulted.  The half finished with the referee waving play on as a defender climbed all over the home side’s Andy Hammett in an attempt to win a header against the target man. The ball flew up in the air but Hammett managed to control it with an excellent first touch and he turned this good technique to advantage with a powerful shot forcing Snell into a difficult save.

With the half time team talk still ringing in their ears, Pontardawe’s young team came out determined to turn their manager’s words into action.  They raced down the Taff’s Well slope forcing the home side back with a series of dangerous attacks.  It fell to Barrie Gunstone to shake off the Taff’s Well lethargy and complacency when he cut in from the right wing onto his lethal left foot, shrugging off two challenges in the process, before forcing Snell into an excellent low stop on fifty-one minutes.

On fifty-six minutes, Ashley Gittings was flattened at the end of a surging right wing run but the referee gave nothing much to the dismay of Callum McKenzie who protested persuading the referee to blow up and award a free kick to Pontardawe instead.  The visitors took advantage of this to release Luke Rees into space for a chance but he fired wide.

Pontardawe earned a corner shortly afterwards and the resultant header saw Lee Denner well placed to head the ball off the Taff’s Well line.  The ball was cleared but Denner then fouled a visiting player out on the left touchline but Padraig Burke covered behind the line of defenders to head the ball away from danger.

Taff’s Well eased home supporters’ fears and struck a decisive blow to the visitors’ hopes in the sixty-fifth minute.  The goal was the result of a classic counter attack:  Andy Hammett pulled wide on the left, held the ball up and then fired a long pass out to the right wing to where Callum McKenzie had overlapped.  He ran in unopposed having left the visiting defenders in his wake and hit a hard, low shot at goal.  Snell parried the ball but could not hold it and Ashley Gittings’ pace enabled him to follow up and drive the ball into the net for a two-nil lead.

This was too much for Pontardawe’s young side and Taff’s Well now took the game over with little beyond a sporadic threat from the desperate visitors.  One moment of misunderstanding saw a serious element turn to farce when the entirely innocent Haydn Fleming was given a yellow card for abusing one of the assistant referees over a decision when he was mistaken for a white team mate despite being black himself.  He had not even been near the incident.  In the kaleidoscope of match action such mistakes do happen and there is no excuse for abusing match officials.  Lee Denner was quite rightly booked for tackling from behind on the half way line minutes later.

Taff’s Well dominated this phase of the game and Rhys Jones, looking fitter and stronger with every game, hit a fierce shot just wide following good approach play involving Lee Denner and Callum McKenzie; Denner and Jones were then replaced in a double substitution by Steve Arthur and Brian Burke (75 minutes), Barrie Gunstone then gave way to Liam Williams for the last ten minutes.

A swift flowing interchange between the Burke brothers along the left wing saw the overlapping Padraig get free but his cross came to nothing.  Callum McKenzie then tried his luck from long range but Pontardawe’s Snell made another good save.  In an isolated riposte, Luke Rees tried a shot from the edge of the Taff’s Well area but Jon Howe saved with some ease.

Callum McKenzie then showed his confidence with a lovely turn on the half way line to throw a couple of visiting players off track.  His driving run opened up the Pontardawe defence and he was able to play in Ashley Gittings but his shot was well saved (83 minutes).  Two minutes later and the game was sealed with a decisive move featuring Paul Michael in a prominent role to open up the visiting defence for Brian Burke to finish with a deft left footer – coolness personified in rounding off a convincing 3-0 home victory.

It was significant for home team manager, Mark Evans, that the injured trio of Jon Seymour, James Passmore and Owain Adams were all supporting the team on the day and also all three are close to returning to action.  Two home games in a row and the team has scored three times in each with the added confidence boost of a clean sheet for the defence makes good reading as February draws to a close.  Things don’t look quite so promising for the visitors whose confidence took another blow on the day and they face a tough run in to the end of the season though their young players will only go on to develop greater maturity by surviving setbacks like this.

Taff’s Well: Howe; Gittings; Denner; Fleming; Thomas; P Burke; McKenzie; Michael; Jones; Gunstone; Hammet. Subs: B Burke; Williams; Arthur. 

Tuesday 20 February 2007

Taff’s Well 3 - 1 Barry Town

Hard times, once they hit, are desperately hard to get out of and Barry Town are finding that the momentum that took them to League of Wales dominance and glory days in Europe has swung back the other way and they are in danger of free falling into insignificance.  That will not be the case if Stuart Lovering, the present club Chairman, has his way.

Lovering has put his money where his mouth is and paid out to get Barry back at Jenner Park.  His management team of Gavin Price and Richie Burnell are putting all their energy and enthusiasm into turning out a competitive team on a small budget.  With the twin strike force of behind-the-scenes drive and footballing expertise Barry will bounce back, but on Tuesday night it was a case of but not just yet.

Barry started well for the first five minutes pinning Taff’s Well back with some strong attacks.  The first warning of a home backlash came after seven minutes when Matthew Davies won the ball out on the right flank. Seeing Barry keeper, Dan Bradley off his line, he tried an audacious long-range chip which flew just wide of the far post with Bradley back-pedalling furiously.

Following this cheeky attempt, Taff’s Well stepped up the pressure on the Barry defence and only a last ditch deflection from Matt Driscoll prevented Davies from getting in behind the Barry defence on nine minutes.

Driscoll promptly returned the favour at the other end getting in behind his marker onto a long free kick but headed wide.  Scott Morris, Barry’s promising, hard running midfielder, then ran through some soft challenges but shot weakly as Taff’s Well defenders got back to him (11 minutes).

Paul Michael, in impressive form since returning to the side from injury, then burst through the soft centre of the Barry team in an unopposed surge of pace before trying his luck from some thirty yards but Bradley fielded the ball with little discomfort.  Michael then showed a touch of class when he bent a perfectly weighted pass with the outside of his right foot into the path of Barrie Gunstone.  The Taff’s Well number ten tried his luck from thirty-five yards but only succeeded in ballooning the ball high and wide.  

One of Gunstone’s great assets is total faith in his own ability backed by the capacity to put past failures behind him.  Ally this to sound technique and he will always be a threat.  So he proved in the twentieth minute when his delivery of a free kick, left footed out to wide player Ashley Gittings coming in from the right, carved open the Barry defence.  Though not the tallest player, Gittings timed his run to perfection to out jump the covering defender and head down into the danger area for Paul Michael to surge onto the ball and head unopposed past Bradley to give Taff’s Well the lead.

Barry’s self belief drained away almost in front of the eyes of the crowd and Taff’s Well put them under increased pressure with Gunstone unable to finish two half chances before Dan Bradley saved his side from annihilation.

First, a good pass from Padraig Burke to Lee Denner was then helped on to the right wing where Callum McKenzie had run free.  His incisive pass fell into the path of Mattie Davies who forced Bradley into a brilliant save followed immediately by a second as Bradley blocked the follow-up and then watched one of his defenders block a third Taff’s Well attempt (32 minutes).

A second goal was on the cards and duly arrived on thirty-eight minutes  When it did it was simplicity itself and summed up the performance of a rampant Taff’s Well.  Ashley Gittings, now switched to the left, battled for the ball and managed to cross at the second attempt.  Mattie Davies, with the instincts of the accomplished finisher, drove the ball inside the keeper’s right hand post from fifteen yards out.  Two-nil.

Full of confidence, Gittings then cut in from the left onto his right foot to hit another drive just wide in Taff’s Well’s next attack.  This was followed, minutes later, by McKenzie who took advantage of a slip by Barry’s Morris to burst through on goal only to see his ferocious drive connect with the junction of post and bar rather than the back of the net (42 minutes).

Barry made one substitution at the break bringing on Josh Bell but this did not stem the flow of Taff’s Well attacks.  The home side should have scored two minutes after the restart when Paul Michael and Mattie Davies combined well but the only result was a weak shot saved easily by Bradley.

Barry Town then had the temerity to head straight for the other end and force Jon Howe to save but Barrie Gunstone quickly set about restoring normal service.  First of all Gunstone burst through with a sudden burst of acceleration past two visiting defenders before hitting his shot wide under pressure.  He followed that up by being given offside having turned the ball home from close range when Ashley Gittings won the ball near the right corner flag and crossed from the touchline much to the amazement of all in the ground.

Taff’s Well, and Barrie Gunstone in particular, would not be denied for much longer, however.  Mattie Davies embarked on a run along the inside right channel and held the ball up to wait for support.  He checked his run to come inside but instead went again to get a yard ahead of Barry defender, Jeff McLean, before crossing.  Gunstone’s movement enabled him to get in front of the goalkeeper before firing home from only two yards out to increase the home advantage to three-nil (58 minutes).

Home manager, Mark Evans, then swapped Mattie Davies and Lee Denner for Andy Hammett and Liam Williams and the home team relaxed with the victory seemingly secure.  This is not the division where you can relax, however, and Barry had enough quality in their team to punish such arrogance with substitute, Josh Bell, scoring after 63 minutes.

Taff’s Well struggled to regain the previous superiority and Haydn Fleming was promptly booked for taking out Bell on the run.  Jon Howe then had to make a good save to deny Laith Jawad as Barry had a purple patch with Taff’s Well players standing off their opponents and letting them play.  Steve Arthur was brought on as substitute in an attempt to remove this complacency.

Once momentum is lost it is very hard to regain and Liam Williams saved Taff’s Well blushes with a brilliant piece of back-tracking to somehow stop a goal bound effort on the line and then the referee denied Barry a goal for offside before, as a final throw of the dice, Jon Howe made a good save with his feet to preserve the final score at three-one.

Taff’s Well: Howe; Gittings; Denner; Fleming; Thomas; P Burke; McKenzie; Michael; Jones; Gunstone; Davies. Subs: Hammett; Williams; Arthur. 

Saturday 10 February 2007

Neath Athletic 2 - 1 Taff’s Well

With South Wales almost paralysed by two days of snow it was unlikely many Welsh League games would survive and so it proved on a dank, wet February Saturday: the game at the former BP ground was one of only two in the First Division to be played.  Neath sit proudly at the top of the table with a pack of the usual suspects snapping at their heels so they needed the win to keep up their advantage believing that points in the bag are worth more than games in hand.  Come the run in they could well be proved right as injuries and tiredness begin to handicap the chasing pack.

Taff’s Well’s squad has been handicapped all season by injuries and the most vulnerable players would appear to be central defenders.  For this crucial test, Jon Seymour, who has been outstanding all season, has joined club skipper, Mark Hennessey on the injury list and Rhodri Thomas, a star performer since his return to the first team was forced to drop out on Friday with a side strain.  This meant rushing the versatile Owain Adams back into action after weeks out with an ankle injury and including Wayne Marks on the bench despite a sore knee.

With the onus on the surviving defenders to cope with the dangerous Neath strike force of Keaveney and Hill, manager Mark Evans was forced to deploy a 5-3-2 formation with himself in the anchor role in midfield with recalled Paul Michael and redeployed flank player Rhys Jones.  Ashley Gittings, having recovered from a virus that kept him out of the previous game, was picked as the right wing back with Lee Denner on the left.

It was the dangerous Lee Denner who attracted close attention from Neath as the home side’s players ganged up on him in twos and threes every time he got the ball and then they targeted that area of vulnerability between so attack-minded a wing back and the left sided central defender of the three.

It was along this avenue that Neath exploited their first real opening when their number four played the ball along that channel for the swift-moving John Keaveney to cut in and score with a low shot past Jon Howe after only about six minutes.  One-nil to the home side and the league leaders, how would the visitors respond?  The answer is very positively.

Taff’s Well began to win ball in midfield and to set the two fast flank players, Gittings and Denner, free and with Brian Burke running hard along the channels and Barrie Gunstone coming off defenders to receive the ball a positive response appeared imminent.  That moment arrived when Denner and Gunstone combined brilliantly along the left for the ball to be delivered perfectly behind Neath’s statuesque defenders.  Brian Burke timed his run to perfection and arrived as the ball came across hard and low only a yard or two from goal with the Neath keeper unsure what to do.  Goal?  You would expect so, as did the entire crowd.  Poor Brian Burke, as honest and hard-working a team man as you could wish, somehow contrived to get his feet in a mix and miss-hit the ball, which then zipped away off the wet turf.  The chance was gone.  Much as the approach play and Burke’s honest endeavours might have deserved a goal, football is not as comforting as that and Taff’s Well followers held their heads in their hands.

Neath had to change things as, for once, they were being outplayed for all their hard work and so they began to by-pass the midfield getting the ball up to the front runners early and trying to build from in behind the Taff’s Well wing backs.  James Passmore rose brilliantly to the challenge.  After the shock of the early goal he had begun to control things at the back for Taff’s Well winning everything in the air and sniffing out danger on the ground with a series of well-timed tackles and interceptions.  One frustrated Neath forward was warned following an ill-advised charge into Passmore’s back as the central defender won yet another towering header and all of his weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring strain were behind him.  That was until following a Neath corner kick, defended successfully by the visiting defence. saw him collapse in pain and frustration having over-stretched that same vulnerable hamstring and so off he limped to be replaced by Andy Hammett, a striker, with Mark Evans dropping back into defence and Brian Burke into midfield.

Regrouping meant a few nervous moments but Andy Hammett’s ability to hold the ball up despite pressure from the Neath defenders added a different dimension to the game and the score remained unchanged to the half time break.

Taff’s Well started the second half very positively with the half time pep talk still ringing in the players’ ears.  Player manager, Mark Evans, however, had to be replaced very quickly being another victim of a hamstring strain.  This meant midfielder, Wayne Marks, coming on as a centre back.  The reshuffle did not affect Taff’s Well’s ability to take the game to Neath and a series of slick passing moves saw the visitors probe either side of the Neath defence with only poor delivery of the final pass thwarting the forwards although Neath deserve credit for some stout last ditch defending.

Andy Hammett was determined to make an impact on the game and chased back from the right wing all the way to his own team’s left back position as Neath counter-attacked.  His impact at the other end was of more interest to Taff’s Well followers in the fifty-fifth minute. 

The ball was played up to the striker who used his body to shield the ball from the defender trying to harass him into a mistake.  When the moment was right, timing being crucial, Hammett released the ball at just the right weight of pass to Barrie Gunstone.  Gunstone dipped a shoulder to feint one way and then suddenly turned back the other before slipping a clever pass behind the defence to the onrushing Paul Michael.  The Taff’s Well midfielder arrived at pace bursting between two defenders, shaped to shoot to one side of the goal and then turned the ball with deft precision inside the keeper’s right hand post.

This was fitting reward for Michael’s tireless efforts and as the game wore on, and other players tired, he went from strength to strength showing real leadership qualities for a twenty-one year old both winning the ball and being at the heart of many of Taff’s Well’s best moves.

Neath were not going to give up victory lightly and fought hard against this setback.  The game settled into a series of attack and counter-attack swinging from end to end but neither side seemed able to threaten the opposition’s keeper with Owain Adams, Padraig Burke and Wayne Marks somehow performing the necessary heroics for the visitors.

All of this good work was undone, however, when Rhys Jones, tackling back to retrieve a ball he had been pressurised into giving away was deemed to have fouled his opposite number out on the Taff’s Well right flank.

The defence lined up. Neath sent forward their big men.  The referee blew his whistle.  The kick was not a good one – it was high and curved in a looping parabola behind the Taff’s Well defence.  When it dropped it was met by uncertainty from the visiting defence and flailing desperation from the Neath attackers, one of whom somehow contrived to swing at and misconnect.  With Taff’s Well defenders swivelling to try to see where the ball had travelled in its flight one of the Neath players managed to stick out a foot and the ball drifted in slow motion over the line for the winning goal.

There might have been twenty minutes left and Taff’s Well might have fought back with courage and fluent, flowing football but when you are top of the league you have the confidence to hang on to the lead.

John Keaveney might have made the last fifteen minutes a little more exciting by getting so incensed with a decision by one of the referee’s assistants that he swore at him and was promptly dismissed from the game.  He walked almost the length of the field back to the home dressing room as slowly as he could.  His team-mates roused themselves to resist everything Taff’s Well tried and managed to keep the increasingly desperate attempts of the visitors well away from the home goal for another win in the chase for the championship.

Taff’s Well’s coaching staff can console themselves with the quality of much of the team play, particularly the passing, and with the thought that, despite an almost continuous epidemic of injuries, the squad proved strong enough to outplay potential champions for long periods of this keenly contested game.

Paul Michael edged out injured defenders James Passmore and Owain Adams with a tireless display of box-to-box midfield play to earn the man of the match plaudits for Taff’s Well.

Taff’s Well: Howe; Gittings; Denner; Adams; Passmore; P Burke; Evans; Michael; B Burke; Gunstone; Jones. Subs: Marks; Hammett; Williams. 

Saturday 27 January 2007

Ely Rangers 0 - 1 Taff’s Well

The closing days of January have been full of talk about Welsh football, in both the media and local football circles, with interest centred on the Welsh Assembly Government’s criticisms of the way the game is run in Wales. This has coincided with the announcement of grants to clubs in the Welsh League for developing their facilities.  Ely Rangers have been the main beneficiaries in that money has been granted to them to support their long-term plan for floodlights at the ground.  The club has been engaged in a long-running battle with planners and some local residents over erecting floodlights and they have been forced to go for retractable pylons to meet certain objections. 

The club, under the stewardship of Chairman, Graham Clarke, has developed a real sense of family over the years as recurring names on team sheets running from one generation to the next bears witness.  Links in recent years with junior side, Capitol Trucks Colts, show a forward thinking club determined to foster links with the community in Ely from which the club developed even though it has now moved a few miles in the Barry direction.  These links are already bearing fruit with a very young side by Welsh League standards competing, just, in a tough division.  This season’s priority would appear to be survival but the long-term prospects look very positive.

For once, this winter, when Saturday came it proved to be a beautiful day for football.  Ely Rangers’ pitch, otherwise known as Graham Clarke’s bowling green, looked immaculate even though it may seem about the same size as the turf bowls trundle across on a blissful summer’s evening.  There was nothing trundling or blissful about the fare on offer for the spectators in this match.

Even though former manager, John Boulton, is no longer in charge, ex-Cardiff City stalwart, Wayne Matthews recognises the need to maximise local advantages by utilising the pace and enthusiasm of his young players to maintain a high tempo and restrict visiting teams’ chances of settling to their own rhythm.  They close space very quickly and play passes in behind visitors to turn them.  This meant a helter-skelter opening with frequent physical clashes and plenty of noise from the home crowd in support of the efforts of their young team.  It would be fair to say they might have edged a close first half.

Taff’s Well faced an early set back when defender Jon Seymour was forced to limp out of the action after only eight minutes having twisted his knee in a full-blooded challenge with Spencer Clarke.  Shortly after that, a swift break by Taff’s Well led to a foul on Barrie Gunstone.  He took the kick himself and it appeared well within his range but a spectacular save by young keeper, Ashley Hart, saw him turn the ball wide as it headed for his top left hand corner.  Sion Anstee was well positioned on the line to head clear the resulting corner as it fizzed in to the near post.

Ely went straight down the other end from Hart’s long punt and his opposite number, Jon Howe, was forced to head clear outside his own area flattening Nicky Hooper in the process.

Hart had to make two further good saves in the half, the first from a Rhodri Thomas header, the second from Brian Burke’s clever drift off the back of the home defence to meet Mark Evans’s flighted free kick.

The Taff’s Well player-manager was then booked for a late challenge on Spencer Clarke as Ely stepped up the pressure before half time.  As the referee checked his watch, Rhodri Thomas ended the half with a brilliant tackle inside the penalty area to halt a sweeping Ely Rangers break.  

Taff’s Well started the second half very positively with the goal scorer from the previous game, Callum McKenzie, hitting a clever shot with the outside of his right boot to cause Hart momentary alarm.  Play became cagey for five minutes before Ely stepped up the pressure with a couple of dangerous attacks one of which led to a corner that caused confusion in the Taff’s Well penalty area.

It was apparent that, for all the huff and puff of Ely’s efforts, Jon Howe had little to do other than watch the occasional long shot from Graham Cummings fly high, wide and handsome.  Cummings definitely did not have on his shooting boots despite his tireless efforts in his team’s cause.  One major factor, however, was the dominance of Rhodri Thomas and James Passmore in the centre of the visiting defence.  Passmore has been out for a long spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury but returned to play a stormer.

The classy Barrie Gunstone was not having one of his better days at the apex of the Taff’s Well formation and was getting increasingly frustrated by the close physical attentions of the Ely players whenever he got on the ball. The coaching staff decided to replace him with Andy Hammett after sixty-seven minutes to avoid him getting into trouble with the referee for venting his frustration on the opposition.  Rhys Jones, returning to action for the club he played for last season, made way for Steve Arthur at the same time.

Arthur made the change count in the seventy-second minute.  Showing great awareness, he switched play from right to left setting up a neat interchange between Paul Michael and Brian Burke.  The ball was fed out to the overlapping Callum McKenzie on the edge of the area and Brian Burke turned in his driven cross for an excellent goal.

Someone in the crowd had been heard announcing for anyone interested only a minute before,  “Whoever scores first is going to win this game.”  How right it was.  There was still time for Mark Evans to be flattened by a dangerous challenge from a defender.  James Passmore got up well to head the resulting free kick at goal but Hart made another routine stop.  Jon Howe caused a scare for the visitors when he flapped a hand at a long cross to deflect it away but, for the struggling home side, it was too little too late.

The final whistle saw Taff’s Well victorious and the three points earned moved the club up closer to ENTO Aberaman in the table with a game in hand.  Full credit to Mark Evans and his players for shrugging off continuing injury and availability problems to earn another three points.

For Ely Rangers there were some bright spots: they have a very young side for whom Hart, Osborne and the skilful Nick Hooper show rich promise; however the outstanding Ely player on the day was Matthew Trotman in the engine room of the team and had he not been forced off with an injury, who knows what the outcome might have been?  When you are struggling for points, the game is full of might have beens.  

Taff’s Well: Howe; P Burke; Passmore; Thomas; Seymour; Jones; Evans; McKenzie; Denner; B Burke; Gunstone; Subs: Michael; Hammett; Arthur. 

Saturday 20 January 2007

Newport YMCA 2 - 2 Taff’s Well

This was a game dominated by the wind and, therefore, to use a well-worn cliché, very much “a game of two halves”.  Newport had the gusting wind at their backs in the first half and so Taff’s Well spent most of that first forty-five minutes defending.  The outstanding performer for the home side throughout the game but especially at this time was Lewis Sommers who must be 6’4” tall and, unlike Liverpool’s Peter Crouch, has the physique to match.  Sommers’ game, however, is not only about physical presence – he has a deft touch and enough pace to pose problems for any defender of similar physique.

The YMCA took a deserved lead after only a quarter of an hour of the game when a long ball was caught by the wind and carried in a long, looping parabola to the far post of the Taff’s Well goal.  The visiting defenders were distracted by Sommers’ presence and lured into that fatal trap of ball watching; fast-moving Faris Yafai kept his eye on the ball and sneaked in behind the visiting defenders to hook the ball goal wards and, despite goal keeper Jon Howe stretching a hand to the ball, it trickled over the line to give the YMCA a 1-0 lead.

Taff’s Well simply could not get going as the eager Newport midfielders tore into them and long balls from defence pegged them back repeatedly.

A controversial incident occurred in the 39th minute when, on a rare Taff’s Well breakaway, Barrie Gunstone followed up his own shot, parried by YMCA keeper Gareth Yeoman, to try to force it over the line.  A Newport defender flailed a leg at the ball as he covered his stranded keeper, and in so doing his flailing arm connected with the ball and hooked it out.  Most observers claimed the ball had crossed the line and the Newport supporters feared a red card for the defender.  After consulting his assistant, the referee awarded a penalty and the Newport player escaped a sending off.  Gunstone, who had never missed a penalty before, had the confidence to strike the ball to Yeoman’s left but it was too close and the keeper saved, much to the home fans' relief.

Only minutes later, and from a Taff’s Well throw in, Newport YMCA doubled the lead.  The ball was won by a home defender and delivered to Sommers with his back to goal: he simply helped it behind the static Taff’s Well defence for Faris Yafai to run in and turn his shot past Jon Howe. (42 minutes, 2-0).

Taff’s Well fought back bravely creating several chances and from the best of these, Gunstone’s right foot volley was turned aside by Yeoman with an acrobatic save.    

Taff’s Well came out for the second half with the wind behind them.  Much like the previous game, against Croesyceiliog, the pendulum had swung and the visitors were to go on to dominate the game.

Mark Evans made two immediate changes taking off the unfortunate Steve Arthur and Paul Michael both of whom had struggled to get into the game in the first half as the midfield had been by-passed most of the time, or Newport had been too quick into the tackle to prevent any real momentum.  Callum McKenzie and speed-merchant, Ashley Gittings, were introduced.

In the fiftieth minute, the Taff’s Well team were awarded a free kick for a foul on battling target man, Andy Hammett.  Player manager, Mark Evans, thinking quickly, played a quick low ball into the feet of Barrie Gunstone, he laid the ball off to Wayne Marks who helped it into the path of McKenzie who struck the ball hard and low and with unerring accuracy inside Yeoman’s left hand post to pull back the first goal with an outstanding strike.

Only two minutes passed before Taff’s Well equalised.  Ashley Gittings was fouled on the edge of the penalty area; Yeoman parried Gunstone’s curving free kick but Wayne Marks followed up to score from a few yards out.

Taff’s Well continued to dominate even when the wind dropped towards the end but there was no further addition to the score despite concerted pressure on the home goal and the occasional dangerous foray forward led, usually by the impressive Sommers.  Faris Yafai could have been the home hero when he got free for one last effort but blazed his hat trick chance well over.

Man-of-the-match for Taff’s Well was undoubtedly central defender Rhodri Thomas who made it impossible for dangerman Lewis Sommers to find a chance of his own forcing him to lay the ball off or turn into trouble most of the time.  

Taff’s Well: Howe; P Burke; Evans; Thomas; Seymour; Arthur; Marks; B Burke; Hammett; Gunstone; Michael. Subs: McKenzie; Gittings; Newton.

Saturday 13 January 2007

Croesyceiliog 2 - 2 Taff’s Well  

Croesyceiliog AFC is the sort of club that forms the bedrock of any League: ambitious, full of enthusiasm on the crest of the wave of recent success that has been the reward of years of hard work building up foundations in junior football; keen to improve both on and off the pitch, these are the clubs Welsh football needs to ensure the health of the game in the Principality.

Full credit to Croesyceiliog for ensuring the game at Woodland Park took place at all after the wind and rain that has battered the country day after day but, despite the heavy conditions, both sides gave everything in an end-to-end thriller.  The pitch conditions were inevitably heavy and this suited the more powerful players on show with man-of-the-match Wayne Marks a colossus in midfield for Taff’s Well.

As usual, it was changes in personnel forced upon Mark Evans with eight players unavailable due to suspension or injury.  Jon Howe was back in goal following nearly two months out with a shoulder injury, Steve Arthur was back in the midfield following suspension and the bench saw Andrew Newton promoted following some outstanding performances in the Amateur League side and hoping to make an impact as impressive as Rhodri Thomas, and Gareth Wallwork back from Australia where he was a member of the cricket-supporting “Barmy Army”.

The visitors took an early lead when a fast raid swept up the field; Lee Denner passed the ball out to Barrie Gunstone who had drifted off the right shoulder of his marker out towards the left wing.  Gunstone wears the number ten shirt proudly and showed why with a shrug of the shoulders to give himself an extra yard and then a powerful strike through the ball to shoot at goal; Pat O’Hagan in the Croesyceiliog goal could only wave as it flew past his outstretched right hand into the net.  Seven minutes in and the visitors were able to celebrate taking the lead after nearly a month with no game.

Stung into a response, Croesyceiliog’s number 11, Griff Jones, embarked on a series of dangerous runs forcing Taff’s Well onto the back foot and only luck and some determined defending prevented headers from James Stokes and Chris Watkins scoring.

Having survived the initial storm Taff’s Well attempted to steady things but all hopes of retaining the lead disappeared when a visiting defender pushed one of the home attackers in the penalty area in an attempt to defend a long, looping cross from deep on the right.  The referee had no alternative: penalty.  Chris Watkins struck it with power and confidence past Jon Howe’s dive and into the net.  Twenty-seven minutes had gone and the scores were level.

A period of home dominance followed and only a brilliant covering challenge from Lee Denner prevented a further threat on Howe’s goal.  Taff’s Well continued to hang on despite what the visitors regarded as some bizarre decisions by the officials but it was clear that Croesyceiliog were in the ascendancy as the minutes ticked down to the half time whistle. 

Taff’s Well Manager, Mark Evans, and Coach, Adam Moore had clearly worked their magic in the interval because the visitors came out and began to dominate the second half.  Wayne Marks powered through the midfield hunting the home players down whenever they got the ball and beginning to launch himself on lung bursting surges through the muddy middle of the Woodland Road pitch.

The pendulum had swung and a series of corners should have given Taff’s Well the lead.  From the first, Jon Seymour pulled free of his marker on the far post and his powerful header rebounded from the cross bar until, after a scramble, the ball was forced out for another corner; from the second, Pat O’Hagan had to tip the ball away for another, from the third, Seymour had again pulled wide and the ball curved wickedly onto his head only for him to deflect it wide for a goal kick (53 mins.).

Seymour’s influence on the game took a dramatic turn for the worse only minutes later when he attempted to tidy up a Croesyceiliog through ball under pressure from Griff Jones.  Unfortunately for the Taff’s Well defender, in attempting to turn away from his opponent, he twisted too sharply in the heavy conditions and fell pulling his groin in the process.  Jones seized upon the opportunity and dragged the ball away from the prone defender before advancing and lashing his shot beyond Jon Howe’s dive into the net. Whilst delighted Croesyceiliog players celebrated their 56th minute lead, Seymour was helped from the pitch to be replaced by Gareth Wallwork.

Taff’s Well’s worries increased when one of the other defenders, Rhodri Thomas, required lengthy treatment for a back strain but all was not lost. Wayne Marks, ably assisted by the rampaging runs of Lee Denner and Paul Michael and the determined covering of Steve Arthur, began to drag Taff’s Well back into the game.  With Gunstone in attack to provide the necessary touch of class and Andy Hammett, gradually lasting longer in the exhausting role of target man, chasing lost causes into the corners and making life difficult for defenders trying to come away with the ball, it looked only a matter of when, not if Taff’s Well would score.

It was a pass from Wayne Marks that set up the equalising goal.  A counter attack along the home side’s right flank exposed tiredness in the covering runs and Andy Hammett’s run into space was timed perfectly to enable Marks to pick him out.  Hammett manoeuvred the ball onto his favoured left foot and hit his shot so powerfully that Jamie Edwards’s deflection merely helped the ball past O’Hagan’s despairing dive.  An hour gone and parity had been restored.

Taff’s Well had begun to dominate the game and when Croesyceiliog conceded a free kick some thirty yards from goal, up stepped the lethal Barrie Gunstone whose strike flew back off O’Hagan’s right hand post despite the efforts of the defensive wall.

Mark Evans decided to gamble on fresh legs to try to win the game bringing on pacy Ashley Gittings for Lee Denner and then Andrew Newton for goal scorer, Hammett.

Taff’s Well had the edge but still had to be wary of the home threat on the counter attack: Wayne Marks ran back 40 yards to block an attacker right on the edge of the visiting penalty area; then, a right wing burst from the home side saw the cross fade wide and, finally, a weak clearing header fell to James Stokes more than thirty yards from goal and he hit the ball with tremendous venom only to see it crash away to safety from the Taff’s Well cross bar.

These incidents merely interrupted Taff’s Well’s almost continuous pressure but it was all to no avail as Croesyceiliog held on for a deserved point, even when Gunstone’s corner in stoppage time flashed right across the face of the home goal agonisingly away from everyone.

Taff’s Well: Howe; P Burke; Denner; Thomas; Seymour; Arthur; Marks; B Burke; Hammett; Gunstone; Michael. Subs: Gittings; Newton; Wallwork.

Wednesday 20 December 2006

Bridgend Town 2 - 3 Taff’s Well  

Taff’s Well players and officials arrived for the match blinking and rubbing their eyes in disbelief: surely we had arrived in that mysterious place that materialises out of the mist only once in a hundred years, Brigadoon?  No, the man on the gate reassured us, this was indeed Bridgend on a freezing, foggy December night and, yes, the game was going to be played; referee Kevin Russell had decided.

This was the first of many decisions the referee got right on the night, including sending off Taff’s Well’s Nathan Johnson (though he was more sinned against than sinner leading up to his dismissal).  Mr. Russell may come across as a stray character from “The Bill” but he referees with humour and common sense, which was all both sets of players could ask on the night.  Whilst standing no nonsense, he also communicates with players and was well supported by his assistants in the difficult conditions.

Unlike the film version of “Brigadoon” where director Vincente Minnelli had Gene Kelly, Van Johnson and Cyd Charisse as his leading players, Taff’s Well’s Mark Evans relied on Barry Gunstone, Callum McKenzie and “Sid” Seymour.  For those not sure: Gene Kelly is a man, Cyd Charisse a woman and Van Johnson is not a hire company based in Barry.  Gunstone, McKenzie and “Sid” Seymour are all very much men and key figures in this team.

Mark Evans and his assistant, Adam Moore, had to scratch their heads again on team selection due to absences: the highly promising goal keeper, Chris Golton, made way for experienced Gary Haman; Rhodri Thomas came into the defence for captain, Padraig Burke, who was working.

The referee, Kevin Russell, came out in luminous yellow gloves and directed the ensuing action as if on traffic duty at a busy junction in rush hour. Traffic was mostly one way in the opening quarter as Taff’s Well started strongly against what appeared, on paper, to be a very strong Bridgend side.  As Brian Clough might have said, “Football matches are played on grass, not on paper, young man!” and so Taff’s Well took the game to their hosts with a series of fast-paced attacks with Lee Denner prominent to the extent of nutmegging a Bridgend defender on the left flank before crossing in a move that came to nothing after five minutes.

It was difficult to see the far side of the pitch from the stand so players might have had outstanding games on that flank and we would not have known.  Fortunately, from the middle, referee Russell could see everything and spotted a foul by former Taff’s Well defender, Chris Ashley, and gave a free kick in a threatening position.  Ashley, keen to do well against his former club continued to protest as Callum McKenzie played a quick free kick to Paul Michaels who inter-changed with Lee Denner but the shot was cleared (7 minutes).

This was only a foretaste of what was to come.

Lee Denner, again, burst along the Taff’s Well left flank past three defenders, one after the other, to reach the touchline.  His cross, hit hard into the area, was met at pace (his!) by Wayne Marks who drove the ball into the net.  Twelve minutes gone and a Taff’s Well lead, all we needed to warm us on such a cold night.

Brigadoon, sorry, Bridgend Town, had suffered three or four bad results in a row and came back determined to reverse this trend.  Inexorably, inevitably, the flow of the game began to turn as Bridgend’s Gethin Jones began to win the midfield battle and the conditions influenced matters.

Taff’s Well conceded a free kick on the far side of the pitch, who or what for was impossible to tell through the fog.  When the ball was delivered into the visitors’ penalty area players lunged at it in hope rather than confidence and it was half cleared to the 18 yard line where Shaun Chappell drove it back through the crowd past the unsighted Gary Haman’s right hand and inside the post to equalise (26 minutes).

The ebb and flow of the game became fascinating for the crowd peering through the fog: Wayne Marks forced a save from Bridgend’s Lee Idzi; Idzi then saved an Andy Hammett free kick from just on the “D”; Lee Denner cleared off the line following a Bridgend corner; a Bridgend player, who will not wish to be identified, then shot over unopposed with only Haman to beat (36 minutes).

Defence turned to attack in seconds for Taff’s Well when superb defending in the left back area saw the ball cleared to Andy Hammett who had come deep to help, much to the surprise of his team mates.  He turned on the ball and ran at the heart of the Bridgend defence who parted, if only the mist had, allowing the Taff’s Well number nine the opportunity to size up his options.  He had the presence of mind to pick the best one: give it to Gunstone.  Barrie Gunstone was in his favourite place, bursting into the inside left channel with the opposition defence in disarray, there could be and was only one outcome; shifting the ball from left foot to right to wrong foot Idzi in the Bridgend goal, he shot coolly inside the keeper’s left hand post.  2-1, 39 minutes.

Two minutes later, an in swinging corner to Taff’s Well, Gunstone again, goal again for 3-1.  

Bridgend declared their second half intentions as early as the 47th minute when Andrew Mainwaring, still an imposing figure in attack, rolled the ball across the face of Haman’s goal only for referee, Russell, to blow his whistle for a hand ball by the striker.  Taff’s Well players were struggling to clear the ball any distance and paid the price in the 53rd minute.

A long ball into the Taff’s Well penalty area swirled through the fog luring Haman from his line.  His punch to clear the danger was, unfortunately, mistimed and the ball dropped at the feet of an unidentified Bridgend player who managed to put it over the line to pull the score back to 2-3.  We learned that some of the Bridgend players wore different numbers to those provided on their sheet although the referee had been informed.  It was so foggy it made little difference to spectators half a pitch away.

Nathan Johnson pushed the ball past Chris Ashley who then threw himself into Johnson’s path forcing both to receive prolonged treatment before Ashley was given a yellow card by the referee, flourished by his yellow gloved hand.

With an hour gone, Brian Burke replaced Andy Hammett for Taff’s Well.

Jon “Sid” Seymour then conceded a free kick which, much to the visitors’ relief crashed away off the cross bar. 

Gary Haman then launched a counter attack with his long punt down field taken on the turn by Brian Burke in impressive style before he set up Barrie Gunstone for a shot well saved by Idzi.  This prefaced a series of corners from Taff’s Well, which Bridgend, with Idzi again prominent, somehow survived.  A brilliant burst by Gunstone set up Paul Michaels for a shot but he was foiled.  Moments later a foul gave Gunstone another chance from a free kick but, uncharacteristically, he shot wide.

A Bridgend counter-attack following a Taff’s Well corner allowed Callum McKenzie, just as against Maesteg in the previous game, to show his value to the team by chasing back to tackle an attacker on the edge of his own area with Taff’s Well players outnumbered.  One of Taff’s Well’s outstanding performers on the night in which many played well, McKenzie’s appetite for a tackle and work rate in midfield is exemplary.  His alertness nearly led to another goal when he took a quick free kick just outside the Bridgend penalty box but Gunstone unfortunately shot over the bar.

Nathan Johnson then gave way to his moment of madness when, frustrated at a series of fouls committed on him, he found his legs trapped by Lee Pratt’s tackle and stamped a foot in outrage at the Bridgend man.  The referee brandished his Christmas red card and one of Taff’s Well’s “nice guys” trudged off to the dressing room muttering imprecations.

Seventy-five minutes gone and a man down with Bridgend eager to pull at least one goal back: things were not looking good in the fog.

A heavy challenge on McKenzie saw him require prolonged treatment before he returned to action leaving substitute, Steve Arthur, stripped for action and warmed-up as much as was possible on such a night, thwarted.  He was even more disappointed when Barrie Gunstone was forced off with a groin strain after 87 minutes and Ashley Gittings entered the action to use his electrifying pace on the break.

The game ended at a pitch of intensity with a Bridgend player sent off in the 88th minute and Taff’s Well counter-attacking in search of a clincher. Denner, Seymour, McKenzie and Gunstone were all outstanding at various times in the game but special mention must go to Rhodri Thomas who has struggled to regain fitness and form in the club’s reserve side but made an outstanding return to first team action in the circumstances.

And so Taff’s Well ended 2006 misty-eyed with a deserved victory against opponents who gave everything and who have, so often, proved too strong but on this occasion ended pointless.

As Bridgend (or was it Brigadoon after all?) disappeared into the fog it was not, we hope, for another hundred years but only until next year’s fixture, assuming both teams survive in the First Division.  Who knows what 2007 will hold?

Nadolig Llawen.

Taff’s Well: Haman; Evans; Denner; Thomas; Seymour; Johnson; Marks; McKenzie; Hammett; Gunstone; Michaels. Subs: Gittings; B Burke; Arthur.

Saturday 16 December 2006

Maesteg Park 2 - 1 Taff’s Well