Bryntirion Athletic last night lifted themselves into third spot in the Motaquote Welsh League division two on the back of a slender 1-0 success over Pontypridd. The Bridgend village side set up victory in the 68th minute. Martin Dando and Jonathan Cuss opened up the home defence, allowing Brian Burke to side-foot past goalkeeper Neil Collins.

Bryntirion replaced Garden Village in the final promotion position, but they trail leaders Pontardawe by a massive 16 points.
 

Skewen Athletic won 1-0 at Betws to remain in touch with leaders Ton Pentre going into the three-week Christmas break. The winning goal came midway through the first half with top scorer Andy Hill heading home a Richard Ryan cross.

During the second half the Bridgend village side came more into the game and only a superb save near the end from Gareth Snell denied Dave Lewis.

Fourth-placed Skewen are level on points with both AFC Llwydcoed and Grange Quins with the trio three points behind Ton Pentre.

Many local clubs were unhappy that the league allowed Barry Town to switch their home game with Grange Quins to Port Talbot, owing to financial problems.

It resulted in a surprise 2-0 win for the Dragons thanks to goals from Marc Otten and promising Barry academy player Sean Nash.

Two players from each side were dismissed late on after a fight.

The derby encounter at Llandarcy Park ended in a 3-2 victory for Goytre Utd over Neath.

All the goals came in the first half with Neath taking the lead through an Ashley Stevenson header.

Goytre hit back with goals from Mark Dunford and Paul Lenihan, but Neath then squared matters thanks to Ben Davies.

The winning goal came in the 35th minute when Michael Waters opened up the home defence and found Dunford.

The ex-Maesteg Park man planted a superb overhead effort past home goalkeeper Andrew Sparkes.

In a game of few chances at Cyncoed, it remained goal-less between UWIC and Briton Ferry.

The Old Road side's best chance came near the end when teenager Rob Cann headed just over.

Andrew Rickard officially took over as Maesteg Park manager and he got off to a winning start with a 2-1 home victory over Ely Rangers.

Rickard saw Lee O'Brien shoot Park ahead in the 13th minute.

Nine minutes later John-Paul Jenkins made it 2-0.

Ely got a consolation goal through Kevin Haslam and right on time Dave Pugh headed just wide.

Snooker star Ryan Day turned out for his home club Garw and knocked in an 88th-minute winner against fellow strugglers Gwynfi Utd at Blandy.

Bridgend Town stay seventh with goals from Glenn Powell, Ben Bannon and Phil Clark in a 3-1 victory over Dinas Powys.

In the second division leaders Pontardawe Town triumphed 2-0 over Pontyclun at the Recreation Ground to go 17 points clear of nearest challengers Tredegar Town.

Geza Hajgato opened the scoring in the 13th minute while a rare goal from Ian Morgan sealed victory.

Tredegar Town just managed to scrape a 1-0 victory over Ammanford at Rice Road with Nicholas Ward on target.

Garden Village lost ground in the promotion race, following a goal-less draw with bottom-placed Seven Sisters.

Meanwhile, Morriston Town battled away bravely to earn a 3-3 draw at Penrhiwceiber.

Mark Baker shot the Dingle men ahead, but midway through the half they were 2-1 in arrears.

Peter Osbourne fired Morriston back on terms just before the break and on the hour they retook the lead through Jonny Casey.

Towards the end the Cynon Valley side mustered an equaliser.

Porthcawl Town returned to form defeating Tillery 6-2 at Lock's Lane thanks to goals from Luke Bowen (2), Christian Pascoe, Alan Morgan and brothers Paul and Steve Atkinson.

In the third division, Cwmaman suffered a shock 4-2 setback at bottom-placed Newcastle Emlyn.

Gareth Jones netted twice for the Grenig Park side and it was 2-2 at the break.

But more defensive frailties then proved expensive as Cwmaman lost for a sixth time in the league.

Free-scoring Ystradgynlais were involved in another thriller, but this time they lost 6-4 against fellow newcomers Croesyceiliog after the game was switched from Gwent at late notice.

Andrew Hopkins claimed a third hat-trick of the season, moving him to the top of the local goal chart with 16 goals, while Andrew Miller got the other one.

Tony Poole
 

This afternoon's round of league fixtures to all intents and purposes marked the halfway point of the season. But unlike most Christmas periods the league will now be mothballed for three weeks.

The festive season shutdown was envisaged during the league's annual general meeting back in June when a high-ranking officer proclaimed it was down to Christmas Day this year falling on December 25!

In addition to Christmas Day and New Year's Day falling on Saturdays, Wales's World Cup qualifying matches have heightened the problem.

The final league tables this season will note formulated until mid-May, and then comes the Shamrock Travel Cup semi-finals and final.

First division newcomers Skewen were last Saturday bitterly disappointed only to come out of their home game against Dinas Powys with a point.

The game marked the return of striker Simon Dyer when entering the fray as a second-half substitute.

Dyer did manage to get the ball in the net towards the end only to have it ruled out for off side, and then missing a good opening.

"There wasn't a lot you could say about the game other than our goalkeeper Mark Snell hardly had a save to make," said Skewen boss Andrew Dyer.

"We were missing five key players, but having said that too many chances were wasted.''

The stalemate was all the more disappointing as the week before Skewen had become the first side this season to beat Grange Quins in the league.

The extra two points against Dinas Powys would have made a big difference to Skewen's league standing, leaving extra emphasis attached to a victory at Betws Park this afternoon.

Goytre brought in Ryan Frankcomb from Maesteg Park for last Saturday's encounter with Caerleon at Cold Bath Road, but this too ended in a stalemate.

Though twice ahead through goals from Jeremy Chandler and Darren Lyons, the game ended 2-2.

In many ways the match mirrored Goytre's season so far - promising much without being able to deliver.

Goalscoring on a regular basis has proved the main problem, and in this situation defensive blunders are then heightened.

Though Briton Ferry lost Gavin Guy to Welsh Premiership club Llanelli, they nevertheless won 2-1 at Maesteg Park.

Maesteg last week waved goodbye to both Atif Bashir (Afan Lido) and Ryan Frankcomb (Goytre), and went into the clash with Ferry minus Rob Folland, Lee O'Brien and Dale Gardner.

And because the reserves had a game Porthcawl, only a bare 11 players were fielded against Ferry.

That is always a recipe for disaster, and as so often happens Maesteg encountered injury problems.

Captain Dean South turned on an ankle after just quarter of an hour and as it came up like a balloon, he was forced to retire.

A patched-up Park team gave it their best shot only to come unstuck five minutes from time when Rob Cann rolled in the winner.

Park included a newcomer in Cardiff-based striker Nnamdi Iyizoba, a friend of Atif Bashir, and he almost got a debut goal just ahead of a 73rd-minute equalising penalty from Rob Walters.

Ferry had opened the scoring through Sam Brown in the 68th minute, and the win gave further evidence that the Old Road side are capable of securing a top-five finish.

Neath burst the Garw bubble before it got any bigger with a 2-0 success at Blandy.

An early Ben Davies penalty sent them on their way, and they sealed victory on the back of Paul Carpenter's fourth goal of the season.

''There was never much in it, but the game was a poor advertisement for the top flight,'' said Neath spokesman Dave Maddock.

Pontardawe, who beat one of their chief promotion rivals Newport YMCA, once more achieved the result of the day in the second division.

Ponty won the day 3-0 thanks to a two-goal blast from Geza Hajgato and a 12th of the season from Jamie Bowen.

This took the Swansea Valley side into a massive 14-point lead over Garden Village going into this afternoon's clash with Pontyclun at the Recreation Ground.

Their form is a far cry from last season when a first point was earned during the festive season at Llanwern.

''Newport YMCA were lively early on, but once the goals started to go there was only going to be one winner,'' said delighted Pontardawe general manager Jonathan Wilsher.

However, still heading in the right direction are newly promoted Bryntirion, who made it six wins on the trot with a 5-1 demolition of visiting Aberaman.

The fifth-placed Bridgend suburbanites are now handily placed to mount another promotion challenge in the New Year.

They were last beaten on October 16 when losing 3-0 at Pontardawe, but things went into overdrive after the stunning 3-0 Shamrock Travel Cup success over neighbours Bridgend Town.

Their top scorer on the 12-mark is ex-Bridgend striker Brandon Walters, who last week turned down overtures from Welsh Premiership club Llanelli.

Bryntirion were this afternoon seeking a seventh successive win at the expense of Caldicot at Bryntirion Park.

Though promotion rivals Tredegar held Garden Village to a 3-3 draw, it nevertheless carried the Gorseinon-based club into second spot.

The Village people seemed on their way to another success after two goals from Dave Rimmer (one from the penalty spot) and a 10th of the season from Ben Brown saw them 3-1 up on the hour.

But Tredegar saved the best for last, equalising during injury time, and they would have surely won the day if the game had gone on much longer.

''We've won a few games over the last month by the skin of our teeth when a winning habit often pulled us through,'' said Garden Village manager Robert Lloyd.

''But although we played well in the first half against Tredegar, we faded during the closing stages and their equalising goal was a beauty.''

Carl Howells took over in goal from Lloyd's son Stuart, who the week before underwent an emergency operation to have his spleen removed.

Stuart was due to leave hospital this week, and is confident that his ability to bounce back will enable him to return next season.

The biggest sigh of relief on the second division circuit last Saturday was heard at Rice Road where Ammanford defeated Porthcawl 2-0.

Goals from captain Terrence Ward and Nathan Jones saw the Rice Roaders home, and in the process brought a barren three-match run to an end.

Considering Ammanford's four league wins include the scalps of Tredegar and Bryntirion, they should be in a better position.

The game marked the senior debut of 18-year-old former Camford striker Jordan Morris, following a hat-trick in Ammanford's reserve team.

''We haven't been playing badly over the last month, and it was very much a case of luck deserting a team towards the bottom,'' said Ammanford joint-manager Neil Rees.

''We were obviously delighted with the result over Porthcawl, but in fairness to the boys it was only a question of time before they won again.

''Hopefully, we can kick on after Christmas because our squad is strong enough to secure a decent finish.''

But Morriston remain anchored in the bottom-three after losing 3-1 against Llanwern at Spytty Park.

Paul Edwards struck in the 70th minute for the Dingle men, making it 2-1, but Llanwern went on to complete the scoring.

"We must string together some decent results in order to avoid the rat-trap," said Morriston boss Michael Ellery.

Morriston, who travel to Garden Village on January 2, are one of the few teams involved in festive season matches.

A cluster of drawn matches was the feature of last week's third-division programme, and that included the local pairing of Cwmaman and Ystradgynlais.

While Cwmaman came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Pentwyn Dynamos at Grenig Park, it ended 1-1 between Fields Park and Ystradgynlais in Pontllanfraith.

Cwmaman introduced Roy Tomlinson, rated one of the fastest men on the third -division scene, at half time.

Tomlinson netted early in the second half, but by the 68th minute the Carmarthenshire side were 3-1 in arrears.

Nathan Davies pulled a goal back in the 85th minute, and in the third minute of injury time another headed goal from Davies earned his side a point.

There was less in the way of excitement on offer in Pontllanfraith even though Ystrad went ahead in the fourth minute via Gareth Shell.

Soon after Jamie Davies levelled, and the remainder of the game was best forgotten.

TONY POOLE
 

Maesteg Park are set to have former Afan Lido defender Andrew Rickard as their new manager for tomorrow's Motaquote Welsh League home game with Ely Rangers. Rickard is about to have his contract cancelled by Afan Lido in order for him to become the successor to Paul Evans at Tudor Park.

Rickard linked with the Seasiders during their second season in the old League of Wales back in 1993/94, and has been one of their most consistent and loyal players.

But injury problems had already ruled him out for the season, and his first task at Maesteg is team selection against Ely.

Captain Dean South is out with a continued ankle problem while Rob Folland and Dale Gardner will also miss the game.

Barry have been refused permission by Vale of Glamorgan Council to host Grange Quins after falling behind with their rent.

Skewen have signed ex-Swansea City striker Jonathan Keaveny from Haverfordwest.

Keaveny had not figured in the starting line-up for the last three games, and is looking to resurrect his career at Tennant Park.

His arrival has given Skewen manager Andrew Dyer extra options for the visit to Betws.

David D'Auria, top scorer Andy Hill, Steven Pockett and Nigel Rogers, who all missed last Saturday's 1-1 home draw against Dinas Powys, are now all available.

The derby clash of the day will unfold at Llandarcy Park where Neath welcome old rivals Goytre.

This forms the first meeting of the clubs this season and while Neath have Chris Thomas back in defence, they might be minus the services of both Billy Timothy and Richard Colwill.

Goytre have a fit squad to choose from, and will be striving for a first league win since November 6 when they beat Garw, 3-1.

Briton Ferry, looking to complete a double over Uwic at Cyncoed, have already ruled out Marcus Evans.

With Gavin Guy having gone to Llanelli, they are waiting on fitness reports surrounding Lee Brown and Derek Jenkins.

In the second division, the Seven Sisters management team of Chris Pugh and Paul Sullivan have resigned, and former managers Julian Fry and Wyn Hooper will take charge for tomorrow's home game with high-flying Garden Village.

The Dulais Valley side, who currently hold up the second division table, have, however, retained all their players while Matthew Mainwaring has returned from Cilfrew.

Seven are looking to bring in a new manager over Christmas and are hoping that Paul Sullivan will continue as a player.

Second-placed Garden Village, unbeaten in their last seven league meetings, will be at full strength.

Leaders Pontardawe are on the verge of completing a deal with midfield player Richard Smith ahead of their home game with Pontyclun.

Smith, formerly of Goytre, played a first game in midweek since breaking a leg two years ago when representing the Swansea League during a 6-2 defeat against Pontardawe.

Ponty are also strengthened by the return of free-scoring duo of Jamie Rickard and Layton Thomas.

Ammanford go into tomorrow's home encounter against promotion-seeking Tredegar Town with Paul Jones an absentee and Mark James doubtful.

However, top scorer Paul Hughes has recovered from a knee injury, and he might well return as the Rice Roaders look to build on last Saturday's home win over Porthcawl.

Morriston have Jules Parry out for their meeting against Penrhiwceiber.

In the third division, Cwmaman will be looking to complete a double over Newcastle Emlyn.
 

Skewen Athletic failed to close on the first division leaders after being held to a goalless draw by Dinas Powys at Tennant Park. An understrength Skewen side dominated for long periods and Andrew Fairbairn missed an early sitter.

But they did manage to get the ball in the net in the 70th minute via Simon Dyer, but it was ruled out for offside.

Goytre Utd paraded their latest Maesteg Park recruit, Ryan Frankcomb, against Caerleon at Cold Bath Road, but the game ended 2-2.

Jeremy Chandler headed home an Ian Turner free kick in the 25th minute, only for the Gwent side to level via Richard Taylor.

Darren Lyons registered his first goal for the club just before half-time, but Caerleon collected a point thanks to a Chris Pearce equaliser.

Briton Ferry completed a double over Maesteg Park, coming late to take the spoils 2-1 at Tudor Park.

Maesteg were down to the bare bones, and when captain Dean South turned on an ankle, committeeman Rob Davies went on.

The scoreline remained blank until the 68th minute when Sam Brown rolled the ball home, but five minutes later Maesteg won a penalty.

Rob Walters was upended in the box and went on to convert the spot kick, but Ferry went on to hit an 85th-minute winner.

Rob Cann held off a challenge from Lee Michael, whose 47-year-old father Dave also came on as a substitute, and he drilled the ball past home goalkeeper Carl Davies.

Neath gained a seventh league success of the season, winning 2-0 against Garw at Blandy.

This nipped in the bud any real chance of a Garw revival, but the game was a poor advertisement for the top flight.

One of Garw's four-strong team of caretaker managers, Anthony McEachen, held back Keith Phillips after 10 minutes and Ben Phillips made no mistake with the ensuing penalty.

It remained 1-0 until the 72nd minute, when Phillips went past two defenders and although his shot was blocked by goalkeeper Gary Wager, it left Paul Carpenter with a tap in.

A disputed penalty secured Grange Quins a 2-1 victory over Bridgend Town at Coychurch Road.

Minimal contact was believed to have brought down Grange striker Mattie Davies in the 25th minute, and new recruit Darren Ryan converted the penalty.

Damian Daniels restored parity in the 50th minute, but Quins registered what turned out to be the winner two minutes later via ex-Maesteg Park man Brian Showdry.

That kept Grange level on points with new leaders Ton Pentre, who overwhelmed AFC Llwydcoed 5-0 at Ynys Park. Superior goal difference left the Bulldogs on top thanks to goals from Lyndon Williams, Dale Price, Ian Davies, Christian Orchard and Dwayne Mardenborough.

In the second division, leaders Pontardawe Town are sitting pretty after beating one of their main promotion challengers, Newport YMCA, 3-0 at the Recreation Ground.

Geza Hajgato converted an Aled Rees cross in the 13th minute, while the same player struck again just before the break. Ponty wrapped things up with a 12th goal of the season from Jamie Bowen.

Their 14th league win left the Swansea Valley side a massive 14 points clear of Garden Village, who went second following a 3-3 home draw with promotion rivals Tredegar Town.

Village were at their best in the opening half and went in 2-0 up thanks to Dave Rimmer and Ben Brown.

A Rimmer penalty then left the score on 3-1 with half an hour to go. But Tredegar mounted a strong finish, equalising in injury time, and Garden Village were relieved to hear the final whistle.

Ammanford brought a three-match losing sequence to an end with a 2-0 home victory over Porthcawl Town.

The Rice Roaders battled hard throughout and early enterprise was rewarded with a goal by captain Terrence Ward, who headed home a Jamie Harris free kick in the 22nd minute, and they sealed victory in the 70th minute through Nathan Jones.

But there was no joy for Morriston, who lost 3-1 against Llanwern at the Steel Ground. The Dingle men competed strongly but got caught on the break three times and could only reflect on a Paul Edwards strike that made it 2-1 in the 70th minute.

Seven Sisters scored early through Leon Thomas but had to be satisfied with a 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Cardiff Corries at the Riverside.

Bryntirion's march up the table continued with a 5-1 home victory over Aberaman.

Brandon Walters, who turned down a move to Welsh Premiership club Llanelli earlier in the week, bagged a hat-trick, while Richard Jago and man-of-the-match Martin Dando were also on target.

In the third division, Cwmaman saved the best for last in gaining a 3-3 draw with Pentwyn Dynamos at Grenig Park.

Though substitute Roy Tomlinson netted early in the second half, by the 68th minute the Carmarthenshire club were 3-1 in arrears.

However, in a storming finish Nathan Davies mustered two late goals to earn Cwmaman a deserved point.

Gareth Shell gave Ystradgynlais an early lead against Fields Park, but the game in Pontllanfraith ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
 

14: Andy Hill (Skewen) 13: Craig Hopkins (Ystradgynlais)

12: Ian Jones (Goytre Utd)

11: Jamie Bowen (Pontardawe)

10: Paul Hughes (Ammanford)

9: Ben Brown (Garden Village), Brandon Walters (Bryntirion)

8: Jamie Rickard, Layton Thomas (both Pontardawe), Steven Williams (Garden Village)

7: Michael Courtney (Porthcawl), Aneurin Evans (Cwmaman), Gavin Guy (Briton Ferry), Richard Jago (Bryntirion), Carl Mainwaring (Skewen)

6: Ben Bannon (Bridgend)

5: Brian Burke (Bryntirion), Paul Davey (Pontardawe), Carl Evans (Goytre Utd), Aled Rees (Pontardawe), Dave Rimmer (Garden Village), Kurt Tracey (Briton Ferry)
 

Last Saturday's results in the top flight raised an eyebrow or two. Pride of place went to Skewen Athletic, who triumphed 2-1 over Grange Quins at Leckwith Stadium to wipe out the last remaining unbeaten record in the three divisions.

The game marked the debut of Richard Ryan, who had played for Welsh Premiership club Aberystwyth this term on dual registration from Goytre Utd.

Ryan soon struck up a formidable strike partnership with top scorer Andy Hill, and the pair were instrumental in setting up the 55th-minute winner for Carl Mainwaring.

The Tennant Park club did things the hard way because they conceded a soft goal midway through the opening half to Dave McIlroy.

But undeterred by that setback, they levelled just before half-time with a strike from Steve Evans, who was signed last summer from second division Garden Village.

"Discipline was an important factor in the victory and Grange Quins must have rued missing some early chances," said delighted Skewen manager Andrew Dyer.

"We had gone close in some other big matches this season, but it was psychologically important that one of these top-of-the-table encounters was won.

"I felt the game was won and lost early in the second half, and the goal from Carl Mainwaring gave us the platform to go on and gain a deserved win.''

Dyer singled out for praise centre-backs Ian Vaughan and Craig Hanford, who turned out to be admirable deputies for regulars Steve (Ginger) Evans and Scott Jones.

The demise of Grange brought about a three-way tie at the top, with AFC Llwydcoed shooting to the top on the back of a 7-0 success over former leaders Taffs Well at Rhiw Ddar.

The most telling comment of the weekend came from a Taffs Well spokesperson, who seemed to sum things up perfectly.

"Our 7-0 defeat against AFC Llwydcoed was one goal for every player that we lost to Llanelli," the spokesperson bemoaned.

While that comment hit the nail on the head, Neath's Paul Carpenter hammered home some vital blows during his side's 4-2 victory over Ely Rangers at Station Road.

If ever a side needed a confidence booster it was the Llandarcy side, who had lost heavily during their two previous outings.

Carpenter netted twice during the opening half, while Ben Davies getting another, and 3-0 cushion proved too much for Ely to overcome.

They did hit back via a Gareth Cummins penalty and a Chris George strike, but Neath scored again right on the final whistle through Ashley Stevenson, son of manager Nigel.

However, life wasn't so sweet last weekend for another manager's son, Stuart Lloyd, the son of Garden Village boss Robert.

During his side's 1-0 victory over Porthcawl Town at Lock's Lane, Lloyd collided with the home side's Luke Bowen midway through the second half.

However, Lloyd played on and his saves helped to protect the tenuous lead given to his side by a Dave Rimmer penalty in the 20th minute.

But on returning home Lloyd collapsed and was taken to hospital in Llanelli.

He underwent emergency surgery on Saturday evening to have his spleen removed, and his 22nd birthday celebrations last Tuesday were muted.

"The injury to Stuart made football of secondary importance, but thankfully he pulled through," said Robert Lloyd.

"My sincere thanks go out to the staff at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli as they were absolutely brilliant.

"I would also like to thank Porthcawl manager Chris Holmes for his words of comfort on Sunday morning, and to all the people who have taken the time to phone and inquire on Stuart's progress.

"We may go at each other hammer and tongs on the field, but when something like this happens football people pull together.''

Aston Villa and Wales defender Mark Delaney suffered a similar injury playing for Carmarthen Town in the old League of Wales against Briton Ferry back in the mid-1990s.

Hopefully, young Lloyd will also make a comeback, but the family were at pains to point out that no blame was attached to Luke Bowen.

That win kept Garden Village third, but leaders Pontardawe Town gained a crushing 6-1 victory at Merthyr Saints.

The highlight of the game was a Jamie Rickard hat-trick, while the other goals went to Layton Thomas, Paul Davey and substitute Aled Rees.

There was little to commend the clash at the Dingle that saw Bryntirion Athletic gain a 1-0 victory over Morriston.

The heavy state of the Dingle pitch made passing very much a lottery, and the Bridgend side were unable to get out of first gear.

But they nevertheless came out of the game smelling of roses thanks to an exceptional 72nd-minute strike from Richard Jago.

His seventh goal of the season did the trick for Bryntirion, but most neutrals felt that a goalless draw would have been more appropriate.

"We looked a little ring-rusty, which was hardly surprising as this was only our third game in nine weeks," said Morriston manager Michael Ellery.

"I felt a draw would have been a fair result, but I have no complaints as the Bryntirion winner was exceptional.''

Once again Ystradgynlais supporters had plenty to shout about following their side's impressive 4-0 home victory over fellow newcomers Penrhiwfer.

Dave Miller struck twice for the Swansea Valley side, with the other goals going against the names of top scorer Craig Hopkins and Robbie Daniels.

This result came on the back of a 5-4 home success over Chepstow Town the week before, with Craig Hopkins bagging four goals.

"It was nice to see the goals shared around and perhaps proved a point that it isn't only Craig Hopkins who is capable of scoring on a regular basis," said manager Andrew Hopkins, father of in-form striker Craig.

He added: "During the last two games we have pushed more bodies into the box and it has reaped rich dividends for us.''

Returning to the first division, Briton Ferry coach Morrys Scott sang the praises of midfield ace Michael Chaves following his side's 3-0 home victory over bottom-placed Gwynfi Utd.

"Michael is the kind of player whose qualities often go unnoticed," explained Scott, the former Cardiff City and Merthyr Tydfil front man.

"But the player is improving all the time and he ran the show for us in midfield against a battling Gwynfi team.''

Also to the fore were defenders Richard South, Lee Brown and Steven Cox as Ferry continue to go about their business in a quiet yet efficient manner.

It was celebration time at Blandy following Garw's shock 2-1 home win over Caerleon.

Few would begrudge the Pontycymer-based side a victory following the setbacks they have endured this term.

They once again included former Haverfordwest County and Carmarthen Town midfield player Rhys Griffiths, whose speed unsettled the Gwent side.

But this is likely to be Griffiths's final appearance as he is set to sign for Welsh Premiership club Port Talbot Town.

Goals from Owen Roberts and Alex Page set up the Garw victory, and they were hoping for two on the bounce at home to Neath this afternoon.

Finally, it proved a memorable weekend for young Adam Needs, son of Bridgend Town medical man Andrew, who played two seasons for Bristol Rovers.

Adam was Bridgend's mascot a week last night as the Coychurch Road side beat Barry Town 2-0 to launch the weekend of surprise results in the top tier.

This represented Bridgend's first win at Jenner Park in over 20 years, and managers Francis Ford and Cohen Griffith were looking to use their good-luck charm again in the near future.

However, young Adam, who lives in Pontllanfraith, had bigger fish to fry the following day.

He won a competition, with the first prize being Liverpool's mascot for their Barclaycard Premiership clash with Aston Villa at Villa Park.

However, Adam wasn't quite as successful for the Reds, who were held to a 1-1 draw.

To round off a perfect weekend, Adam was interviewed on Radio Wales, and came over as a young man who already knows his football.

TONY POOLE
 

Skewen are set to bring back striker Simon Dyer for tomorrow's Motaquote Welsh League home game with Dinas Powys. Dyer, brother of Skewen manager Andrew, broke a leg last January during a 1-0 home defeat against Pontypridd Town.

However, with five frontline players missing, manager Dyer is likely to turn to the youth team to fill the remaining gaps.

Top scorer Andy Hill and Steven Pockett are on one-match bans while ex-Swan David D'Auria and Nigel Rogers are unavailable.

Centre-back Scott Jones could be out for another six weeks which means Steve Evans will return sooner than anticipated.

Former Pontardawe striker Ashley Richards is added to the squad as Skewen look to build on last Saturday's deserved win at former leaders Grange Quins.

In the day's three major confrontations, joint-leaders Ton Pentre and AFC Llwydcoed meet at Ynys Park, Taffs Well host Barry while Bridgend challenge Grange Quins at Coychurch Road.

Goytre will be hoping to heap more misery on struggling Caerleon at Cold Bath Road.

The Port Talbot village side welcome back recent recruit Darren Lyons, but David Brown is ruled out with injury.

Briton Ferry will be looking for a double when they challenge Maesteg Park at Tudor Park.

Last month a lone goal from Steve Griffiths separated the sides at Old Road, and another close game is expected.

Marcus Evans is likely to be the only Ferry absentee while Maesteg have Dale Gardner missing. Steve Conaty and Dean South are both rated 50-50.

Neath, who played out a goalless draw with UWIC in midweek, head for Garw.

Manager Nigel Stevenson has already ruled out Billy Timothy and Ashley Hopkins. But on a positive note, Chris Thomas and Ashley Taylor are both available for selection.

Having broken their duck against Caerleon last weekend, Garw will look for further evidence they are capable of pulling out of trouble.

However, a player who has sparked a mini revival at Blandy, ex-Haverfordwest County and Carmarthen Town wide man Rhys Griffiths, has signed for Welsh Premiership club Port Talbot Town.

There are also some significant clashes in the second division with the top-two pairing of leaders Pontardawe Town and Newport YMCA clashing at the Recreation Ground.

And at Stafford Common, third-placed Garden Village take on promotion rivals Tredegar Town.

Ponty will be without free-scoring duo Layton Thomas and Jamie Rickard along with suspended Steve Devonald.

Aled Rees is likely to be given a start, having caught the eye from the bench, scoring five times.

Garden Village goalkeeper Stuart Lloyd, who had his spleen removed following an injury sustained at Porthcawl, is making good progress in hospital.

"Stuart has had all the tubes removed, and hopes to be out of hospital by Monday," said his father Robert Lloyd, the Garden Village manager.

Carl Howells is set to take Lloyd's place in goal as the Village people bid for a seventh straight league win since losing 2-1 at home to Pontardawe on September 25.

Ammanford welcome Porthcawl to Rice Road and have captain Terrence Ward back from a bout of flu.

Gavin Morris is also due to make a first start since the victory over Bryntirion back in August, and they might well parade new signing Lee Williams.

However, there is an injury doubt concerning top scorer Paul Hughes, the scorer of 10 of his side's 25 goals this season.

Morriston will be scrapping for survival points with Llanwern and have already ruled out Steve Sinnock.

However, Gregory Williams is set to return, and manager Michael Ellery is hoping to bring in a player.

Seven Sisters are involved in a real six-pointer against fellow strugglers Cardiff Corries at the Welfare Ground, and will have Nigel Westall missing.

Westall was sent off in last Saturday's 4-0 home defeat against Tredegar Town, and now faces a lengthy ban as he already had picked up five bookings.

In the third division, Cwmaman will be looking to revive their promotion hopes at home against Pentwyn Dynamos while improving Ystradgynlais take on Fields Park in Pontllanfraith.

Having won their last two home games Ystrad are hoping to improve on dismal away form that has only seen them pick up draws at Troedyrhiw and Gwent side Goytre.

Returning to the Swansea Valley side's squad, following a three-match suspension, is centre-back Lancelot Davies.
 

Neath were held to a goalless draw by UWIC in the Motaquote Welsh League division one last night. In a game of few chances at Llandarcy Park between two evenly matched sides, a point apiece did little to improve the league standing of either team.

Having bounced back to form with a 4-2 win at Ely Rangers on Saturday, Neath created little in the way of clear-cut chances during the opening half.

Neath's Andrew Sparkes was generally the busier of the two goalkeepers, and their best chance fell to Ashley Stevenson midway through the second period but his shot from inside the penalty area failed to break the deadlock, and the students finished the stronger unit.

Late on Neath introduced former Afan Lido defender Steve Evans but the game petered out in tame fashion.

TONY POOLE
 

Skewen Athletic achieved the result of the weekend in the first division with a 2-1 away victory over Grange Quins. The Tennant Park club's stunning success not only relieved the Cardiff side of leadership but also the league's last remaining unbeaten record.

As a result, AFC Llwydcoed shot to the top on goal difference from Ton Pentre and Grange Quins and suddenly the league looks a little more wide open.

Skewen are now up to fifth place after Barry had lost 2-0 at home to Bridgend on Friday.

The demise of former leaders Taffs Well 7-0 at the hands of AFC Llwydcoed also aided Skewen's cause.

Grange took a 25th-minute lead when a defensive error let in Dave McIlroy, but Skewen levelled just before the break when Steve Evans latched on to a ball played over the top.

Skewen then had a purple patch and a high-quality approach from new signing Richard Ryan and Andy Hill set up a magnificent seventh goal of the season for Carl Mainwaring.

A recent surge by Ton Pentre was slowed down by a 1-1 draw with Goytre Utd at Glenhafod Park. A good crowd, boosted by the absence of Afan Lido and Port Talbot Town on the Welsh Premiership scene, saw Paul Lenihan volley Goytre ahead after just eight minutes.

But in a game in which there was never that much to choose between the sides, the Bulldogs snapped back in the 75th minute with an equaliser from substitute Lee Tapper.

In a day of surprise results in the top flight, Neath's 4-2 win over Ely Rangers at Station Road fell into that category.

Having been defensively frail in their last two outings, Neath were boosted by an early goal from Paul Carpenter.

A solo effort from Ben Davies made it 2-0, and Carpenter hammered home a third after half an hour.

Just before the interval Ely responded with a Gareth Cummins penalty, and pulled back to 3-2 in the 65th minute when Chris George netted.

But Neath clung on and scored right on time via Ashley Stevenson to build confidence ahead of tomorrow's rearranged home game with UWIC.

Briton Ferry came out of their derby clash with Gwynfi Utd at Old Road with a 3-0 success.

Though Ferry, well served by Michael Chaves, dominated for long periods they were helped on their way by two own goals.

Ahead 2-0 in the 68th minute, a fine run from Rob Cann ended with him being brought down in the box, and Sam Brown converted the penalty.

Maesteg Park conceded late in their 1-0 derby loss at Betws. The incident leading up to the 89th-minute goal was disputed as Maesteg felt they should have been awarded a throw-in.

As it was, Dean Simons threw to Gavin Thomas, who crossed for Paul Penniket to squeeze an effort between goalkeeper Carl Davies and the post.

And it was celebration time in Pontycymer after Garw defeated Caerleon 2-1 at Blandy to register a first win of the season.

A third goal of the season from Owen Roberts sent Garw ahead in the 20th minute, and although the score stood on 1-1 at the break, Alex Page hit an 80th-minute winner.

That leaves bottom-placed Gwynfi as the only side yet to register a league win.

In the second division, the gloss was taken off third-placed Garden Village's 1-0 win over Porthcawl at Lock's Lane by an injury to keeper Stuart Lloyd.

Lloyd, the son of Garden Village boss Robert, collided with Porthcawl's Luke Bowen midway through the second half.

However, he played on, making some grand saves in the process, but having returned home he was rushed into hospital and underwent an emergency operation to have his spleen removed.

''The injury to Stuart made football of secondary importance, but thankfully he is out of intensive care and is pulling through,'' said his dad.

''My sincere thanks go to the staff at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli as they were absolutely brilliant.

''Ironically, Stuart was looking forward to celebrating his 22nd birthday tomorrow.''

For the record, a Dave Rimmer penalty settled the issue in the 20th minute after Martin Morgan was adjudged to have handled in the box.

That victory, extending the club's unbeaten league run to six matches, helped them maintain a promotion push.

At the top, Pontardawe marched on with a 6-1 win at Merthyr Saints, who had a man sent off after half an hour.

By then Ponty were already 2-0 up thanks to goals by Jamie Rickard and Layton Thomas.

During the rest of the half Rickard converted a penalty and Paul Davey was also on target.

Substitute Aled Rees scored before Saints opened their account, before Rickard got his hat-trick goal.

But there was no joy for strugglers Ammanford, Morriston and Seven Sisters.

Ammanford conceded three goals in the run up to half-time against Caldicot at Jubilee Way and suffered a 3-0 setback.

Morriston battled valiantly in a ding-dong battle with Bryntirion at the Dingle, only to lose 1-0 thanks to a 25-metre screamer in the 72nd minute from Richard Jago.

Seven Sisters lost 4-0 at home to Tredegar, conceding two goals in each half.

In the third division, improving Ystradgynlais remained in goal-hungry mood in accounting for fellow league newcomers Penrhiwfer 4-0 at Ynyscedwyn Road.

They were boosted by an early goal from Dave Miller, and two minutes into the second half Robbie Daniels struck. Further goals from Craig Hopkins (his 13th) and Dave Miller rounded off another impressive display.

Cwmaman picked up a hard earned point in a 1-1 draw with Troedyrhiw at the Willows.

They were fortunate to be only 1-0 behind at the interval, but they worked themselves back into the game and a long-range effort from Paul Pugh in the 55th minute secured a share of the spoils.
 

League newcomers Ystradgynlais were involved last Saturday in one of the most remarkable games of the season. The Swansea Valley side eventually accounted for Chepstow Town 5-4 in a real cliffhanger at Ynyscedwyn Road.

The Ystrad hero was their top scorer Craig Hopkins, who got four of their goals to move on to the 12 mark for the season.

Hopkins hit it off immediately with his new strike partner Gareth Shell, who arrived earlier in the week from Cwm Wanderers.

Shell got their other goal in a topsy-turvy encounter that went 1-0, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4 and 5-4.

The winner by Hopkins, on the end of a Shell pass, came three minutes from the end of normal time.

But as manger Andrew Hopkins, the father of Craig, pointed out, the referee then went and added on nine minutes of injury time.

"By the time the final whistle sounded I was a nervous wreck and needed a stiff drink to calm my nerves," he beamed.

"It was a fantastic game and it was a shame that there had to be a loser as the teams were evenly matched.

"This season we have developed a nasty habit of taking things to the wire, and it isn't doing much for our supporters either.''

The victory, only their third of the season, lifted Ystrad out of the three relegation places.

But as manager Hopkins is only too aware, they now need to starting picking up away points in order to trigger a move away from the drop area.

All they have got on their seven travels so far are draws at Troedyrhiw and Goytre, which isn't good enough.

All three wins have come at home - they had previously accounted for Blaenrhondda and Albion Rovers - and the only side to triumph at Ynyscedwyn Road are promotion-seeking AFC Porth.

This afternoon Ystrad were looking to turn the tables on fellow newcomers Penrhiwfer, having lost 4-2 in the Rhondda Valley back in September.

Their remaining fixtures before the Christmas break are both away, involving Fields Park Pontllanfraith and Croesyceiliog.

In a fortnight most clubs will be pulling down the shutters for three weeks over the festive period once they have completed their matches.

While supporters wouldn't mind an excuse to get out of the house over the Christmas break and get some fresh air into their lungs, players don't seem prepared to meet their needs.

One of the few matches to be staged during the holiday period will be at Stafford Common on January 2 (Sunday) when Garden Village take on Morriston Town.

Once again Garden Village won last Saturday without firing on anything like all cylinders.

A 20th-minute goal from Nicholas Romanello settled the issue in a 1-0 home win over Caldicot.

This was the third goal of the season for Village's senior statesman, and it broke a drought that dated back to August 17.

On that occasion Romanello netted twice during the 3-1 win over Ammanford at Rice Road that launched Garden Village's spectacular rise.

However, Garden Village boss Robert Lloyd was complimentary to Caldicot, who he felt were the best side he has seen this season.

"We've played most of the best teams in the second division, along with Barry Town in the cup, but a young Caldicot side were easily the best I have seen," he explained.

"They worked hard for each other throughout and if they had someone who could have stuck the ball in the net, then they wouldn't have left empty handed.

"But I have no doubt that if their team sticks together then they are capable of going on to better things.''

Seven Sisters are now finding that because they are at the bottom of the second division, lady luck has turned her back on them.

Last Saturday the Dulais Valley side went down to a 3-0 defeat against Pontypridd at Ynysangharad Park but, as player-manager Paul Sullivan pointed out, it could have been different.

"We conceded an early goal and were faced with catch-up, but for the next 80 minutes there was nothing to chose between the teams.

"Two late goals made it look as if Pontypridd were comfortable winners, but that wasn't necessarily the case.

"This season I haven't always been complimentary about our performances, but the boys got stick in against Pontypridd and deserved a better fate.''

Starting with the visit of Tredegar this afternoon, Seven have two more home engagements before Christmas - Cardiff Corries and Garden Village.

"Next Saturday's clash with Cardiff Corries is a real six-pointer and is a game we simply cannot afford to lose," added Sullivan.

While Seven and Corries will be scrapping for survival points next Saturday, the division's match of the day is the big showdown between Pontardawe Town and Newport YMCA at the Recreation Ground in Pontardawe.

Without setting the world on fire, Ponty have been going along nicely all season, dropping just five points from 14 starts.

Ahead of this afternoon's encounter with Merthyr Saints in Pant, the only side to have lowered Ponty's colours were Caldicot.

Ponty lost 1-0 at Jubilee Way back in August, while the other side to take points off them were Penrhiwceiber in a 3-3 draw at the Recreation Ground in October.

Newport YMCA bounced back from a surprise 4-0 home defeat against Bryntirion a fortnight today in winning 3-2 at Llanwern last Saturday.

This afternoon the YMCA were hosting Penrhiwceiber, and they will surely be up for it at Pontardawe a week today.

The Gwent side have narrowly missed the promotion boat over the past three seasons and won't want another repeat performance.

Turning to the top tier, an alarming nosedive in form at Neath has placed a huge emphasis on their re-arranged fixture with UWIC at Llandarcy Park on Tuesday evening.

Having lost 6-1 at Betws a fortnight ago, Nigel Stevenson's side then capitulated 5-0 at home against neighbours Briton Ferry last Saturday.

Neath's early season form suggested they would find goal-scoring a problem, but at least their defence was like Ebenezer Scrooge.

During their first 11 matches they conceded just 19 goals, which was acceptable, but since then they have leaked 18 in five games.

Another interesting statistic surrounding Neath is that three of their five wins this season have been in midweek under the Llandarcy floodlights.

They proved themselves real night birds in defeating AFC Llwydcoed, Skewen and Dinas Powys, while the other two victories came via a Saturday double over bottom-placed Gwynfi.

In fact, before today's round of fixtures Neath were the last side to account for AFC Llwydcoed in the league, goals from Richard Howell and Ryan Penny securing them a 2-1 win over the Cynon Valley side on August 18.

While there was gloom in the Neath camp last Saturday, that was in marked contrast to Ferry.

The Old Road side did the damage in the run up to half-time, scoring three times through Derek Jenkins (2) and Rob Cann.

Super sub Kurt Tracey then finished them off with a two-goal blast that gave him five goals from as many games for his new club.

"Having gone in with a 3-0 lead, there was a danger of us then letting Neath back into the game," said Briton Ferry coach Morrys Scott.

"But we continued to keep things tight at the back, and two well taken goals from Kurt rounded off a good day.''

Things haven't been a bed of roses for Maesteg Park this season, with the management team of Paul Evans and Brian Carpenter leaving after just two months.

Players have also been coming and going, and the latest to exit was goalkeeper Lee Williams, who went to second division leaders Pontardawe Town.

That led to Maesteg putting a seven-day order on their former goalkeeper Leon Cosker, who switched to Betws in the autumn.

However, last Saturday they brought in chairman Phil Davies's son Carl from Amateur League club Corus Steel, and he coped well as Maesteg beat Dinas Powys at home 2-1.

Goals from Steve Conaty and Rob Walters did the trick for them on the day, Liam Beddard responding for Dinas Powys, but over the last few weeks there have been significant changes in the side.

For years the Llynfi Valley side have relied on Cardiff-based men, and anyone local was a rarity.

But they now have six players from the valley in the side, including a teenage frontline comprising Gareth Phillips, Paul Jones and Rob Walters.

The other local players are Steve Conaty, Dean South and Lee O'Brien.

The win over Dinas Powys was all the more pleasing as they were without three big guns in Atif Bashir, who Bridgend have put a seven-day order on, Rob Folland and Ryan Frankcomb.

"The introduction of some local blood has led to a rise in team spirits, and we are now more hopeful of climbing the table," said Maesteg Park's long-serving secretary David Griffiths.

Whether Bridgend Town's 3-0 home victory over former leaders Taffs Well a week today was significant only time will tell.

Considering the upheaval that has gone on at Rhiw Ddar over the last fortnight following the departure of manager Nicky Tucker to Llanelli with a clutch of players, it was perhaps only a matter of time before things caught up with them on the field.

Former Gloucester City and Merthyr Tydfil player Mark Evans has taken over as manager, and is looking to carry on where Tucker left off.

However, an interesting occurrence cropped up in the 25th minute when Bridgend striker Alun Hughes was brought down in the box.

They were awarded a penalty, but with regular penalty taker Neil Williams an absentee, no Bridgend player took responsibility.

In the end a 17-year-old newcomer from the town, Shane Dawe, grabbed the ball and confidently slid it home.

Second-half goals from Ben Bannon and player-manager Francis Ford completed a comfortable home win.

TONY POOLE
 

Skewen Athletic will parade new signing Richard Ryan in tomorrow's more-or-break clash with first-division leaders Grange Quins at the Leckwith Stadium. Striker Ryan has been playing on dual registration for Aberystwyth Town in the Welsh Premiership from Goytre United, and Skewen boss Andrew Dyer is hoping he will add a new dimension to their attack.

Another player possibly on his way to Tennant Park is experienced defender Marc Otten, who joined Barry Town this season from Llanelli.

However, Dyer is resigned to be without defenders Steve Evans and Scott Jones which means Ian Vaughan comes back into the reckoning.

It's a must-win situation for sixth-place Skewen, who go into the game trailing Quins by four points from two more games played.

Goytre United will be without new signing Darren Lyons for their home clash with Ton Pentre.

Lyons, signed from Garw last week, is unavailable for one game but Paul Lenihan has now shaken off a hand injury.

Neath are likely to include Ian Duval from Afan Lido at centre-back for their clash with Ely Rangers at Station Road.

The Llandarcy Park side have leaked a worrying 11 goals in their last two games and another newcomer set to start is former Swansea City apprentice Steve Evans.

Briton Ferry will have Marcus Evans missing for their clash with Gwynfi United at Old Road.

Evans fractured an eye socket in three places during last month's goal-less draw with Caerleon and aggravated matters against Neath last Saturday.

However, Ferry have Lee Williams back from holiday while Steven Cox has completed a one-match ban.

Maesteg Park welcome back Dale Gardner for their derby clash at Betws.

However, their unsettled German midfielder Atif Bashir turned out for Afan Lido during a midweek victory over Pontardawe Town in a friendly.

Garw are expected to announce the appointment of Jonathan Wile as manager in the next few days.

Wile, formerly of Bridgend, Ton Pentre, Port Talbot and Betws, linked with Barry Town last summer, but recent upheavals at Jenner Park led to his swift departure.

In the second division, Pontardawe will be looking to extend an unbeaten league record to 12 matches at the expense of Merthyr Saints.

Steve Devonald begins a four-match suspension and Ponty are also waiting on Steve Stone, who has a groin injury.

Third-placed Garden Village, beaten just twice in 11 league starts this term, face Porthcawl.

Last month Village won 4-0 in the Shamrock Travel Cup, but manager Robert Lloyd is expecting a backlash.

Ammanford travel to Caldicot and will be without both top scorer Paul Hughes and midfield anchorman Gavin Morris.

However, the Rice Roaders have striker Nathan Jones back.

Morriston take on form side Bryntirion Athletic at the Dingle and manager Michael Ellery will be without suspended Steve Sinnock and unavailable Peter Osbourne.

To add to Ellery's problems, goalkeeper Jonny Martin is only rated 50-50 through a knee injury.

Seven Sisters player-manager Paul Sullivan misses the home game with Tredegar on medical grounds while Leighton Connor is unavailable.

Things won't be easy for the bottom-placed Dulais Valley side against John Lewis's team, but they must start picking up points if they are to avoid a relegation battle.

In the third division Cwmaman will have both Gary Davies and Lee Jenkins back for their clash with Troedyrhiw.

Finally, Ystradgynlais manager Andrew Hopkins has declared an unchanged squad for their home game with fellow newcomers Penrhiwfer.

The clubs have already met in the Rhondda this season and Ystrad will be keen to atone for a 4-2 loss back in September.