Goytre Utd bounced back to form in the first division with a 3-0 victory over Dinas Powys at the Murch Field. Having leaked nine goals in losing their last two matches, an improved defensive display led to Goytre completing the double over the Cardiff village side.

Michael Waters put Goytre ahead in the 25th minute, and just before the break Kevin Bartley rounded off a sweeping move by heading home at the far post. Goytre signed off with a 70th-minute goal from Darren Lyons after good play from Paul Lenihan and Johnny Walkley.

The derby clash between Skewen and Neath at Tennant Park finished all square on 1-1.

It looked as if it was going to be Skewen's day when straight from the kick-off they strung together some telling passes, ending in Andy Hill knocking in his 20th goal of the season.

Steven Pockett and Steve Evans then went close to doubling the lead, but then Skewen fell apart.

It was only a question of time before Neath equalised, and it came in the 67th minute with a superb individual goal by Adam James.

However, it seems the team to avoid in the top flight at the moment are Maesteg Park, who won 1-0 at Taffs Well. This was not only their fourth successive away win, but they also managed to keep a fifth straight clean sheet.

However, controversy surrounded their 88th-minute winner, with an assistant referee adjudging that a shot from Lee O'Brien had crossed the goal line.

One of the surprise results of the day unfolded at Old Road where Briton Ferry went down 3-1 to relegation- threatened Ely Rangers.

Defensive blunders resulted in Ely leading 3-0 at the break, and although Richard South pulled a goal back, it was too late.

A 12th goal of the season from Ben Bannon secured Bridgend a 1-1 home draw against Caerleon, while a Richard Llewellyn strike earned Betws a 1-0 win over Garw in the Ogmore Valley derby.

In the second division, despite having their three main strikers suspended, leaders Pontardawe Town still swept to a 5-0 victory over Tillery.

All the goals came in the first half, scored by Jamie Rickard (two), Aled Rees, Steve Stone and Ian Morgan.

And with Bryntirion losing 3-2 against Penrhiwceiber at the Glassbrook, Pontardawe increased their lead at the top to a massive 13 points.

Richard Jago gave Bryntirion the lead, with Penrhiwceiber going ahead on the back of early second-half goals from Andy Workman and Nathan King.

Jago dragged the Bridgend side back on terms, only for Penrhiwceiber to score straight from the kick-off via Chris Keepings.

Ammanford's improving form almost secured them a deserved point at promotion-seeking Pontypridd .

In the end the Rice Roaders lost 3-2, ex-Swan Jonathan Keaveny knocking in a 94th-minute winner.

Ceri Harding gave Ponty the lead, while a Paul Hughes penalty saw the sides go in at 1-1.

Ten minutes into the second half a 16th goal of the season from Hughes left Ammanford in the driving seat, but they failed to defend the lead and Dean Morris equalised in the 70th minute.

Garden Village returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Cardiff Corries at the Riverside.

An explosive free kick from Jamie Evans shot Village in front, but it was 1-1 at the break.

Corries then belied their lowly standing and it took a superb individual goal from top scorer Ben Brown, his 13th of the season, to break the deadlock.

But there was further disappointment for Morriston, who lost 1-0 against Aberaman at the Dingle, while Seven Sisters were held to 2-2 home draw by Llanwern.

Seven twice came from behind to collect a point, Andrew Collins netting in the first half and Richard Herdman near the end.

Porthcawl Town took points off promotion-chasing Newport YMCA at Lock's Lane in a 2-2 draw.

Alan Morgan and Steve Atkinson scored for the Seasiders in the first half, with Kristian Avarie keeping the Gwent side in touch.

However, YMCA got stronger as the game progressed and substitute Chris Egitto got a 70th-minute equaliser.

In the third division, a late equaliser robbed Cwmaman of maximum points against Chepstow at Grenig Park.

It finished 2-2 after Cwmaman had led through a Steven Williams penalty and a well-taken 48th-minute effort by Gary Davies.

And Ystradgynlais looked to be in a good position when holding Blaenrhondda to 0-0 at half-time having played up the slope.

That seemed to be confirmed when Craig Hopkins gave them the lead from the penalty spot with his 25th goal of the season.

But a defensive lapse dished up Blaenrhondda a point in a 1-1 outcome.

TONY POOLE
 

Skewen Athletic meet Neath at Tennant Park tomorrow against the background of a possible merger. At the turn of the year two Port Talbot clubs, Afan Lido and Port Talbot Town, raised the possibility of the Welsh Premiership clubs pooling resources.

Neither Skewen nor Neath wished to go on record over any link-up, but several meetings have been held and it appears as if Llandarcy Park would form the base for any new entity.

However, if the move is to go ahead for next season then an announcement would have to be made soon in order to clarify the relegation situation in the top flight.

Skewen, meanwhile, have agreed to let striker Nigel Rogers rejoin struggling Gwynfi, and are still without Andrew Fairbairn.

But Steve Evans comes back into the squad as fourth-placed Skewen look to build on Saturday's 3-0 success at Caerleon.

Neath have Billy Timothy and Paul Wiseman back in their squad, but Chris Thomas and Paul Harvey are unavailable while Mark Jones is doubtful.

Goytre United head for Dinas Powys with managers Craig Duggan and Andrew Radford looking for a big improvement.

The Port Talbot village side followed up a 4-0 setback against Bridgend Town with a 5-0 home defeat against Grange Quins.

Errors at the back proved costly in each case, and the hope now in the Goytre camp is that the return of Thomas Meuring and John Meacock will plug gaps.

Briton Ferry will be without striker Rob Cann for the home encounter with relegation-threatened Ely Rangers.

Cann was dismissed in last Saturday's 3-1 home win over Taffs Well and, with Carl Harris ruled out, it might be a case of coach Morrys Scott returning to the side.

Maesteg Park will be bidding for a fourth successive away win when they challenge Taffs Well at Rhiw Ddar.

Back-to-back victories on the road against Caerleon, Neath and Gwynfi have left the Llynfi Valley side in a comfortable mid-table position.

Dean Vokes, who made a club debut at Gwynfi, is available again, along with former Betws colleague David Lewis.

Front-runner Lewis signed from Betws this week.

Ton Pentre replaced AFC Llwydcoed at the top of the first division, following a 5-0 midweek win over Barry Town in Treforest, while Bridgend Town beat Uwic at Coychurch Road, 4-0, to go fifth.

In the second division, leaders Pontardawe Town will have five key players missing for their home fixture with Tillery.

While Jamie Bowen, Simon Davies and Layton Thomas are all out of the picture because of suspensions, injury complaints rule out both Paul Davey and Phil Davidson.

However, lowly Tillery will hardly arrive in a buoyant mood, having suffered a demoralising 11-2 hammering in the FAW Trophy at Pic-Up Spares Swansea Senior League leaders West End on Saturday.

Seven Sisters are involved in a relegation battle with Llanwern in the Dulais Valley, and Morriston will be looking to put one over Aberaman at the Dingle.

Morriston boss Michael Ellery has Leon Dennis back from suspension and Jonny Casey has recovered from a groin strain.

However, there is a doubt regarding the fitness of goalkeeper Jonny Martin, and Michael Shultz is on standby.

Ammanford, fresh from a 2-2 home draw with leaders Pontardawe, travel to another of the promotion candidates - Pontypridd Town.

The Rice Road side have Robert Griffiths suspended, but Jamie Harris has completed a three-match ban.

Ammanford have made a habit this season of performing better against the top sides and managers Wyn Jones and Neil Rees hope the trend continues at Ynysangharad Park.

Garden Village boss Robert Lloyd is set to shuffle his pack for the clash with struggling Cardiff Corries at the Riverside.

Lloyd was unhappy with the way his side surrendered 4-0 at Pontypridd last Saturday - and with it went a seasonal unbeaten away record in the league. One definite change in his squad sees the return of Stuart Morgan.

In the third division, Ystradgynlais face Blaenrhondda for a third time this season.

Although Ystrad bowed out of the Welsh Cup in Blaenrhondda losing 3-2, they battled back and took the home league meeting 2-0.

For the latest encounter, manager Andrew Hopkins has added Ioan King and Daniel Jenkins to his squad.

Cwmaman welcome Chepstow to Grenig Park.

TONY POOLE
 

Skewen Athletic returned to winning ways in the first division with a 3-0 victory over Caerleon at Cold Bath Road. Although the fourth-placed Tennant Park club were held to 0-0 at the break, they utilised extra numbers during the second half after the home side were reduced to nine men.

An Andy Hill penalty in the 55th minute sent Skewen on their way, and soon after Hill's 19th goal of the season doubled the lead.

Steve Evans finished Caerleon off with a fourth goal for the club since switching from Garden Village last summer.

Briton Ferry also got back on track courtesy of a 3-1 home win over Taffs Well.

In a game in which yellow cards were handed out like confetti, Ferry striker Rob Cann received two and was dismissed after the scoring was completed.

Though Ferry went a goal down after 15 minutes, a Sam Brown penalty restored parity at half-time.

Early in the second half a Richard South corner deceived experienced goalkeeper Marty Ellacott, and Cann capitalised on incisive approach work from David Brown and Andrew Bonomi to wrap things up.

Maesteg Park heaped more misery on hapless Gwynfi Utd in triumphing 8-0 at the Cape.

The Llynfi Valley side's in-form marksman Rob Walters struck four times, with Lee O'Brien bagging a brace.

Maesteg, who were two goals up at the break, also had Ian Shepherd and Matthew Rea on target.

But it wasn't a good day for either Goytre Utd or Neath, who suffered 5-0 defeats against Grange Quins and UWIC respectively.

Goytre's latest setback at Glenhafod Park to championship-chasing Quins came after a 4-0 home defeat by Bridgend Town a fortnight earlier.

Mattie Davies knocked in a hat-trick in the opening half, and further goals from Dale Raven and Phil Allen completed the rout.

Neath suffered in Cyncoed after having Chris Thomas dismissed early on, and the game was all over by half-time with the students 3-0 up.

Jamie Bradford shot them ahead and Thomas Billings netted twice in the run up to half-time.

Neath were on a damage limitation footing throughout the second half, but Billings completed a halt-trick and Ryan Jenkins struck near the end.

Garw caused one of the upsets of the day in accounting for Dinas Powys 2-0 at Blandy.

Gareth Hughes made a triumphant return from Devon to send Garw ahead, while flying wing Matthew Parrott finished the Cardiff side off.

In the second division, leaders Pontardawe dropped points for only the third time this season with a 2-2 draw at Ammanford.

But while the Rice Roaders were delighted to come out of the game with a point, it should have been more.

Ponty had top scorer Jamie Bowen and Simon Davies both sent off during an eventful second half and trailed 2-1 until late on.

An 18th goal of the season from Bowen put Ponty in front, with Ammanford squaring matters with a Paul Hughes penalty.

Two minutes into the second half Tristan Lewis sent Ammanford ahead, but nine-man Ponty finished stronger and levelled via Paul Davey.

Second-placed Bryntirion closed the gap to 11 points with a 3-1 home victory over Llanwern, Richard Jago registering a hat-trick.

Morriston and Seven Sisters played out a 1-1 draw at the Dingle that helped neither side in their battles to avoid relegation.

A sixth goal of the season from assistant manager Dean Beniamous gave the Dingle men the lead, only for centre-back Carl James to slice a free kick into his own net.

Garden Village surrendered a seasonal unbeaten away record in timid fashion, losing 4-0 against promotion rivals Pontypridd at Ynysangharad Park.

Some charitable defending made life easy for the home side, who scored twice in each half.

Porthcawl Town gained a slender 1-0 victory over Merthyr Saints at Locks Lane via a 65th-minute own goal from Simon Lewis.

In the third division, high-scoring Ystradgynlais defeated Risca & Gelli 5-3 at Ynyscedwyn Road, with top marksman Craig Hopkins moving his seasonal goal tally on to 24.

Hopkins, who collected his fourth hat-trick of the season, saw his two first-half goals cancelled out by the hour mark.

However, he went on to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot, making it 3-2, while further goals from Matthew Nottingham and Andrew Miller set up a sixth league win of the season.

Despite having Nathan Davies sent off for a second bookable offence, Cwmaman came from 2-1 down to pip table-topping Treharris Athletic 3-2 at Grenig Park.

Gary Davies opened the scoring for the home side, with Craig Reddy making it 1-1 at the break.

Justin Clarkson then nudged Treharris ahead, only for Cwmaman to mount a driving finish, goals from Roy Tomlinson and a beauty from Steven Williams setting up victory.

TONY POOLE
 

Skewen Athletic will be looking to get their first division campaign back on track when they take on Caerleon at Cold Bath Road tomorrow. Back-to-back defeats against the championship-chasing duo of AFC Llwydcoed and Ton Pentre have left the Tennant Park club in fourth spot.

Missing from the Skewen line-up will be Andrew Fairbairn and Steve Evans which means Craig Maloney and Nigel Rogers look set to return.

Goytre United entertain third-placed Grange Quins and managers Craig Duggan and Andrew Radford have declared a fit squad.

The Port Talbot village side, who sat out last Saturday's league programme, will be looking to bounce back from a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Bridgend Town.

Neath head for Cyncoed to take on UWIC, and the game has added significance attached to it as Neath had three points docked by the league management committee last Monday evening.

They called off last month's home game with Garw - without notifying a top-grade referee - and therefore suffered similar punishment to second division Penrhiwceiber earlier in the season.

Maesteg Park hope to have Garw import Mark Sage back for their encounter with Gwynfi United at the Cape.

Briton Ferry could have a three-strong Brown contingent at their disposal to meet the challenge of Taffs Well at Old Road.

David and Sam Brown are set to return while Lee Brown is again included in their squad.

In the second division, leaders Pontardawe Town hope to bring a three-week spell on the sidelines to an end against Ammanford at Rice Road.

Ponty's last league game was on January 15 and their only other outing since then was the 2-1 home win over Garden Village in the league cup.

The Swansea Valley club will be without suspended Layton Thomas, while Phil Davidson is still struggling with a knee injury.

The Rice Roaders have already ruled out Jamie Harris and Mark Smolka while there are question marks against the names of top scorer Paul Hughes and skipper Terrance Ward.

However, Ammanford hope to welcome back Steven Francis and Rob Griffiths and back in the squad are Michael Donne, Mark James and Matthew Thomas.

Vital survival points will be on the table at the Dingle when Morriston go head-to-head with bottom-placed Seven Sisters.

The Dingle men will be without Leon Dennis, Jonny Casey and Gregory Williams, but manager Michael Ellery has Dean Rosselli and Mark James both back in the fold.

Garden Village meet Pontypridd Town at Ynysangharad Park, and the Gorseinon-based side have goalkeeper Rob Thomas fit again following a bout of mumps.

Cwmaman have a fit squad to choose from for their home game with third-division pacemakers Treharris Athletic.

Finally, Ystradgynlais will be keen to build on a first away win of the season at AFC Porth when they welcome Risca & Gelli to Ynyscedwyn Road.

TONY POOLE
 

Goytre United have been paired away with first division rivals Betws in the Shamrock Travel Cup quarter-finals. Their meeting on March 12 comes a week after the pair clash at Glenhafod Park in the league.

In similar circumstances, Pontardawe will visit Bryntirion on successive Saturdays in league and cup.

Holders Briton Ferry face a third cup showdown within the space of 18 months at second division Newport YMCA.

Draw: Betws v Goytre Utd, Bryntirion v Pontardawe, Newport YMCA v Briton Ferry, Uwic v Goytre (Gwent).

Ties to be played on or before March 12.

TONY POOLE
 

Skewen Athletic saw their first division title hopes take another turn for the worse after losing 2-1 against new leaders Ton Pentre. Having lost last time at former pacesetters AFC Llwydcoed, the feeling ahead of kick-off was that Skewen had to beat Ton.

But the Bulldogs made good use of a strong wind in the opening half and opened up a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Nathan Prygodzicz and Lyndon Williams.

Skewen had a couple of penalty calls turned down, while Carl Mainwaring saw a shot cannon against a post.

On the resumption, ex-Garden Village player Steve Evans had a goal ruled out for offside, but Skewen did pull a goal back in the 67th minute via Mainwaring.

In the closing stages, Skewen pressed hard for an equaliser but an accomplished Ton side sat tight to take the spoils.

That means Ton head Llwydcoed on goal difference - both clubs have 50 points - three ahead of Grange Quins, who have a game in hand over both of them.

Grange eventually hammered hapless Garw, 7-0 at Leckwith Stadium, having taken 43 minutes to break them down.

Mattie Davies went on to score a hat-trick, while their other goals were supplied by Gareth Evans (two), Danny Kinsey and Mike Regan.

Briton Ferry's poor run continued at Betws, the Old Road side losing 4-0.

Once more a suspect defence let them down, although they didn't play the wintry conditions and slope as well as an improving home side.

Ferry had the wind on their backs and went down the Betws Park slope in the first half but couldn't muster a goal.

And Betws struck a killer blow right on half-time when Paul Evans broke from halfway and fashioned a goal for Jonathan Wile.

Paul Penniket made it 2-0 in the 50th minute, but Ferry goalkeeper Steven Mabe then kept out a dubious penalty award from Dean Simons on the hour.

But there was no stopping the Bridgend village side, who signed off with further goals from Dale Smith and another for Wile.

Maesteg Park stretched an unbeaten record over Neath to nine matches with a 2-0 success at Llandarcy Park.

The Llynfi Valley side last lost to Neath in December 2000, and two goals from in-form Rob Walters did the trick on Saturday.

Although Nigel Rees nearly gave Neath the lead on two occasions, Walters headed in a Daniel Platt corner in the 28th minute.

Ben Davies then missed two good chances to drag the home side back on terms, and Maesteg sealed victory in the 67th minute with an individual strike from Walters.

Just two matches went ahead in the second division, with relegation-threatened Ammanford gaining an outstanding 2-1 victory over Penrhiwceiber at the Glassbrook.

Although the Cynon Valley side's winning streak came to an end at Garden Village the week before, this was their first home defeat since September.

Despite being without seven first-team regulars the Rice Roaders built momentum with two early goals from leading scorer Paul Hughes.

Hughes gave them the lead after 17 minutes, and soon after he collected his 13th goal of the season after Nathan Jones had won an important header in the box.

Just before the break the complexion of the game changed when Anthony Workman pulled a goal back.

That encouraged the Cynon Valley side, but with John Garland making a triumphant return following an absence of 18 months with a knee injury, Ammanford clung on to gain a morale-boosting victory.

The demise of Aberaman, who lost 5-1 at promotion-seeking Newport YMCA in the day's only other second division game, also improved the chances of Ammanford avoiding the drop.

In the third division, it was celebration time for Ystradgynlais, who won 3-1 at AFC Porth to register their first away win in the league.

The Swansea Valley side broke their duck at the 11th time of asking, the league's top marksman, Craig Hopkins, getting two more goals to hoist his tally to 21 for the season.

Hopkins shot Ystrad ahead after quarter of an hour, with Craig Cook dishing up a 28th-minute equaliser.

And just when it looked as if the game was petering out into a 1-1 stalemate, up popped Jamie Williams in the 80th minute to score on the end of a Liam Soroka pass.

Five minutes on, Ystrad's man of the match Matthew Nottingham sent Hopkins through and his second goal wrapped things up.

TONY POOLE
 

Skewen Athletic have declared a fit squad ahead of tomorrow's vital home Motaquote Insurance Welsh League first division match with Ton Pentre. With the return of Steven Pockett, manager Andrew Dyer has all 16 players available for selection as fourth-placed Skewen look to maintain contact with championship-chasing rivals AFC Llwydcoed, Ton Pentre and Grange Quins.

It's a must-win situation for the Tennant Park club, who lost the reverse fixture 3-2 back in September.

Neath will be bidding for a first win over Maesteg Park in four seasons when the sides meet in Llandarcy Park.

A 4-2 home victory in December 2000 is the last time Neath triumphed over a Llynfi Valley side that has steadily improved since Andrew Rickard took over managerial duties in two months ago.

Neath have Paul Carpenter back from a skiing trip but Keith Phillips has broken an ankle, and is likely to miss the remainder of the season.

However, Ryan Penny and Dan McGrath are back in the selection mix while Maesteg will have to find a replacement for Gareth Phillips, who has emigrated to Australia with his family.

Briton Ferry will be looking to put last Saturday's 4-1 home defeat against Dinas Powys behind them at Betws.

David Brown, who made a debut appearance against Dinas Powys, is again available along with another recent recruit Mark Parry.

Steven Cox is hoping to shake off a groin strain, and Martyn James is back in training following a strained ankle.

In the second division, Pontardawe entertain Garden Village in the day's top fixture.

The clubs have met twice already this season with Ponty winning both league and cup meetings 2-1.

However, their treble bid has been hit by striker Layton Thomas's ban while Phil Davidson suffered a knee injury during last week's 3-2 win at Taffs Well in a friendly.

Pontardawe have strengthened their squad with the arrival of midfielder Rob Folland from Maesteg Park.

Garden Village boss Robert Lloyd has declared an unchanged squad, following an exciting 4-3 home win over Penrhiwceiber last weekend.

Ammanford have a lengthy injury-list ahead of their encounter with Penrhiwceiber.

The Rice Roaders have five players ruled out - Steven Francis, Matthew Thomas, Jamie Harris, Mark James and Talfan Davies - while the chances of Paul Jones playing are rated only 50-50.

But on a positive note, Michael Donne is back from suspension and top scorer Paul Hughes is set to return.

Managers Neil Rees and Wyn Jones are also considering the possibility of bringing back centre-back John Garland.

He has been out of action for almost two years, but has made four appearances in the reserves.

Morriston will be hoping to build on a morale-boosting 1-0 home win over Newport YMCA when they take on Pontyclun at Ivor Park.

Dingle boss Michael Ellery is hoping to welcome back Neil Simon, Carl James and Jonny Casey while back in the fold is Dean Rosselli.

Seven Sisters manager Paul Evans will be without the suspended duo of Owen Llewellyn and Nigel Westall at home against second-placed Bryntirion.

To make matters worse, Leon Thomas is still recovering from injury, and manager Evans is hoping to freshen things up with a few signings.

In the third division, Ystradgynlais will be at full strength against AFC Porth while unpredictable Cwmaman visit Albion Rovers in search of the double.

TONY POOLE
 

Goytre Utd saw a seven-match unbeaten run in the first division grind to a halt against Bridgend Town at Glenhafod Park. The Port Talbot village side went under 4-0 and could have no complaints.

Bridgend possessed more in the way of pace and commitment but missed several chances before Philip Clark put them ahead in first-half injury time when his arcing corner eluded a clutch of players and crept in at the far post.

And it came as no surprise when Bridgend doubled the lead in the 55th minute when Matthew Williams was brought down in the box, and Neil Williams converted the penalty.

Further goals from Nana Baah and Scott Lanyon rounded off a comprehensive victory.

There was also disappointment for Skewen Athletic, who lost 1-0 to AFC Llwydcoed for the second time this season.

Skewen made a poor start in the Cynon Valley and only some fine goalkeeping from Mark Snell kept them in the game.

However, Richard Ryan missed a good chance to give them the lead, and soon after Matthew Doherty got the goal that separated these old second division rivals.

Skewen did perk up in the second half, without threatening to equalise, and this has now placed even more emphasis on Saturday's home game with second-placed Ton Pentre.

The win took AFC Llwydcoed back to the top, three points in front of Ton, as the championship race begins to hot up.

But Briton Ferry lost 4-1 to Dinas Powys at Old Road, and all they had to reflect on was a Kurt Tracey strike.

This was a second consecutive league setback for Ferry, who had lost by an identical scoreline last time out in Bridgend.

Maesteg Park improved their league standing with a 1-0 win over Caerleon at Cold Bath Road.

The Llynfi Valley side introduced Gareth Sage from Garw, and they created more in the way of chances during a goalless first half.

The winning goal came in the 75th minute; Matthew Rae and Joel Daniels were the instigators, with Paul Jones heading past Richard Lancaster in the home goal.

In the second division, leaders Pontardawe Town and nearest challengers Bryntirion saw their games called off in Gwent against Tredegar Town and Tillery respectively.

This allowed some of the others to make up lost ground, most notably Garden Village, who were involved in a seven-goal thriller with Penrhiwceiber at Stafford Common.

Within four minutes the Cynon Valley side had shot into a two-goal lead thanks to Andy Workman and Rob Richards.

However, Village struck back through Ben Brown and Mark Lloyd, making it 2-2 at the turnaround.

Penrhiwceiber retook the lead when Chris Keepings exploited a static defence from a 50th-minute corner, but the home side rallied late on, with Craig Blake levelling in the 75th minute and soon afterwards substitute Owen Williams getting the winner to complete the 4-3 success.

The biggest upset of the day unfolded at the Dingle where Morriston Town beat promotion-seeking Newport YMCA 1-0.

Though Morriston boss Michael Ellery was forced to make late changes to his side, it didn't show as they enjoyed more in the way of possession.

The only goal came in the 67th minute when Dean Beniamous held up the ball intelligently for Paul Edwards to drill home his fifth goal of the campaign.

Another side in the promotion mix, Pontypridd, could only manage a goalless home draw with Porthcawl.

The Seasiders matched fire with fire and would have won had ex-Garw star Del James accepted a couple of chances.

Ammanford secured a deserved share of the spoils in a 1-1 outcome with Llanwern at Spytty Park.

The omens looked none too promising for the Rice Roaders, who fell a goal behind in the 75th minute.

But they kept on plugging away and five minutes later Terrance Ward diverted a Gary Davies free kick into the path of Gavin Morris, who restored parity.

But there was further disappointment for bottom-placed Seven Sisters, who lost 3-0 against Pontyclun at Ivor Park.

Inspired goalkeeping from the home side's ex-Milford Utd goalkeeper Mark Poole frustrated Seven's outstanding performer Chris Herdman.

Adrift 2-0 at the break, the game was all up for the Dulais Valley club once they had Nigel Westall dismissed in the 68th minute.

In the third division, Cwmaman bounced back to form with a 3-0 victory over Llantwit Fardre at Grenig Park.

A 10th goal of the season by striker Steven Williams provided them with early momentum, and they led 1-0 at the break.

The visitors were fortunate not to have their goalkeeper sent off in the 65th minute after he handled outside the area.

However, Nathan Davies scored direct from the ensuing free kick, and Cwmaman signed off with a late goal from Paul Pugh.

The game between Ystradgynlais and Monmouthshire side Goytre was called off owing to the waterlogged state of the pitch at Ynyscedwyn Road.

TONY POOLE

News that the MacWhirter National Youth League is under threat is causing a major worry for many clubs. The league has been hailed a great success, with many players using it as a stepping stone into both the Welsh League and Welsh Premiership.

But the Football Association of Wales recently placed the league under direct control of the South Wales FA, and both politics and personalities have entered the equation.

Secretary Arnie Gibson has tendered his resignation and without his support sponsors MacWhirter will pull the plug on their financial backing.

Other league officials are expected to stand down at the end of the season and the league is in serious danger of folding.

With the crisis growing, clubs last month held an emergency meeting and took a unanimous decision not to continue if control remained with the SWFA.

They feel the decision by the Welsh Football Association to lower status to an area association is derogatory.

But last week an appeal to the FAW to reverse the decision was thrown out on the grounds that the Mid Wales Youth League also comes under control of an area association.

Something that has been around even longer, Cardiff Corries Football Club, might also be missing come the start of next season.

Last week the club appealed for new administrators to come forward, otherwise the 107-year old Radyr-based club will fold.

It appears as if they will see the season out, but long term their future is under threat.

Like many clubs on the Welsh League scene, it is a case of too few people taking on too many tasks at the Riverside.

Corries aren't alone and most people connected with the league can relate to one dedicated club official who organises matches, is responsible for kit, marks the pitch and makes the half-time refreshments.

Meanwhile, the third round of the league's Shamrock Travel Cup went very much to form last Saturday, with the South West Wales trio of holders Briton Ferry, Goytre Utd and Pontardawe Town joining Betws, Bryntirion Athletic, Uwic, Newport YMCA and Gwent side Goytre in the quarter-finals.

The draw will be made a week on Monday.

Ammanford were disappointed at missing out on a place in the next round after giving high-flying rivals Bryntirion a run for their money.

The Rice Roaders were miffed at having Jamie Harris sent off for retaliation in the 33rd minute.

Harris reacted to a high challenge from former Bridgend and Port Talbot front-runner Ian Gearie.

Gearie received a fifth yellow card that kept him out of the team at Tillery this afternoon, while Harris now faces a much longer ban.

At that stage the scoreline was blank, and although Bryntirion went on to open the scoring in the 47th minute via Brandon Walters, Ammanford equalised on the back of an 11th goal of the season from Paul Hughes.

But nearing the end, Bryntirion carved out a winner, Richard Jago their marksman.

"Outsiders would have found it difficult to work out which side was a man short as we played that well," said Ammanford manager Neil Rees.

He added: "The boys were gutted to have lost to one of the best teams in the division, and they took a lot of consoling.

"Without doubt the red carding of Jamie Harris cost us the tie, but on a positive note we can take great heart out of our display.''

Ammanford gained a surprise 3-1 win over Bryntirion at Rice Road in the league in August, and things are delicately poised for their third meeting at Bryntirion Park later in the season.

"Our supporters cannot believe that Ammanford are only one place off the bottom, and we will have to play well when they return in the league," said Bryntirion secretary Victor Carpenter.

Goytre Utd are playing things down as regards their chances of lifting the cup for the first time.

Of the survivors they look best equipped, but as in any cup tournament a lot depends on the draw.

The Port Talbot village side were at their best last Saturday towards the end of the opening half, scoring twice in a 2-0 home win over second division Tredegar Town.

A wonder goal from John Meacock, who hit the target from wide on the right 45 metres from goal, put them on a victory footing.

And they rounded things off with a Kevin Bartley goal, fashioned by Paul Lenihan's weaving run.

"It's all very nice that the media make us favourites to lift the cup, but we are playing things down as we still feel there is some mileage left in our league campaign," said Goytre Utd assistant manager Andrew Radford.

The possibility, of course, still exists for the two Goytre clubs - the other plays in the third division and is located in the Monmouthsire countryside - to meet for the first time.

The tie at the Recreation Ground also threw up a red card, with Pontardawe Town striker Layton Thomas dismissed in the 40th minute against Garden Village.

However, on this occasion the 10 men prevailed, Pontardawe taking the spoils 2-1.

Ponty hot-shot Jamie Bowen had given his side the lead before Thomas got involved in an off-the-ball incident with Dave Rimmer.

Ben Brown levelled on half-time, but the 17th goal of the season from Bowen saw Ponty make progress.

"We had to rely on two great saves from Neil Frederickson in the second half,'' said Pontardawe's general manager Jonathan Wilsher. "Village played well, but full credit to our lads. That's the second time we've been down to 10 men this season and still won.

"We showed great character against Tredegar earlier in the season and we did the same thing again when we could have gone out. But in the end, two quality saves and two quality goals saw us through."

Meanwhile, Briton Ferry are giving their supporters some grey hairs.

The holders of both the Shamrock Travel and West Wales Senior Cups were last week involved in two titanic cup battles with teams from the lower divisions.

They found themselves 2-0 down and reduced to 10 men with the dismissal of Rob Cann against Cwmaman in the West Wales Cup.

They required extra-time before emerging with a 5-4 win and a place in the semi-finals, and more of the same unfolded last Saturday against Cardiff Corries in the Shamrock tournament. In the end, Ferry once more came out of a tight situation, having triumphed 4-3.

On this occasion they came back thanks to goals from Richard South, new centre-back Mark Parry, Derek Jenkins and Steven Griffiths.

"We are normally tight at the back, but in both cup ties some uncharacteristic goals were leaked," said Briton Ferry coach Morrys Scott.

"To reach the closing stages of both competitions is great for the club, and it would be even better if we could retain both.''

Away from the cup, Neath's 2-1 win over Taffs Well at Rhiw Ddar provided one of the day's surprise results.

Although Taffs Well have lost half a team to Llanelli, they can still hold their own.

But this game also turned on a sending off, with much-travelled midfield operator Adam Moore seeing red after half an hour.

Paul Harvey put Neath ahead, with Samuel Small making it 1-1 at half-time.

Both sides had chances to wrap things up, but it was the Llandarcy Park side who did so with Richard Howell mustering yet another winner.

Howell had previously come up trumps for Neath with winning goals against AFC Llwydcoed, Skewen Athletic and Haverfordwest County in the West Wales Senior Cup quarter-finals.

Briton Ferry and Neath were joined by Carmarthen Town and Swansea League side Ragged School in the West Wales Cup semi-finals.

"Our performance against Taffs Well was exceptional, and hopefully it will boost confidence ahead of the clash next Saturday with bogey team Maesteg Park," said Neath spokesman Dave Maddock.

Maesteg gained a welcome point in a goalless draw with league leaders Ton Pentre at Tudor Park.

The Bulldogs failed to produce their usual bite and Maesteg were left to reflect on what might have been.

"Neither side created any clear-cut chances, but we kept our shape and deserved to pick up a point," said Maesteg Park secretary David Griffiths.

But there was general disappointment in the Dulais Valley where bottom-placed Seven Sisters lost 2-1 against fellow second division strugglers Tillery.

This was yet another where the dismissal of a player - Seven's Owen Llewellyn - had a major bearing on the outcome.

Having overcome Ammanford 3-1 the week before, new manager Paul Evans was banking on another home win.

"It seemed as if a different side turned out from the one that faced Ammanford the week before," said Evans, who took over at the Welfare Ground helm over Christmas.

"Even though we fielded an unchanged team, our attitude left a lot to be desired.''

It has made it harder for Seven to avoid an immediate return to the third division.

He continued: "We were hoping to go into our next game at Pontyclun on something of a high. Now the pressure is on us to get three points.''

The future of former Seven player-manager Paul Sullivan is still up in the air.

He watched last Saturday's defeat at the hands of Tillery, but taking his position into account, it might be difficult for him to return.

In the third division, after taking Briton Ferry so close in the West Wales Senior Cup three days earlier, Cwmaman headed for lowly Blaenrhondda with their tails up.

But they returned with their tails between their legs, having lost 2-1 against a side just two places off the bottom.

"Last week summed up our season - brilliant against Briton Ferry and mediocre at Blaenrhondda," said secretary Alun Rees.

TONY POOLE
 

Fourth-placed Skewen Athletic face up to a phase of the season that will make or break their first year back in the top flight of the Motaquote Insurance Welsh League. Tomorrow they travel to the Cynon Valley to take on second-placed AFC Llwydcoed and, a week later, they host table-topping Ton Pentre.

Having been without a game since defeating Ely Rangers 3-1 on January 22, Skewen warmed up for these big challenges with a fixture against the Swansea Senior League on Wednesday and ran out 2-1 winners at Cwrt Herbert.

The Tennant Park club will be without Steven Pockett for the clash with Llwydcoed, but otherwise report a clean bill of health.

Skewen manager Andrew Dyer will be looking to his side to overturn a 1-0 home defeat against them in September.

Goytre United, who extended an unbeaten run to seven games with a 2-1 midweek win over Barry Town at Treforest, welcome Bridgend Town to Glenhafod Park.

Bridgend beat the Port Talbot village side 2-1 at Coychurch Road in September.

The only Goytre absentee will be ex-Maesteg Park forward Mark Dunford, who has a hamstring injury.

Maesteg Park are set to sign utility player Gareth Sage from Garw ahead of their encounter with Caerleon at Cold Bath Road.

But Sage has been sidelined since November with a leg injury, and it is doubtful whether he will start against the Gwent side.

Maesteg boss Andrew Rickard is likely to field the same team that gained a morale-boosting point against Ton Pentre.

Briton Ferry will be hoping to reproduce cup form in the league when they host lowly Dinas Powys.

Last week the Old Road club made progress towards retaining both the Shamrock Travel and West Wales Senior cups.

In the second division fifth-placed Tredegar Town are home to leaders Pontardawe Town.

Pontardawe, who head Bryntirion by 13 points, will be without suspended striker Layton Thomas.

Thomas received his marching orders during last Saturday's 2-1 cup success over Garden Village.

Ponty add new signing Marc Otten (Barry Town) and Ian Morgan to their squad.

Bryntirion, in second place, go to Tillery, while Garden Village host Penrhiwceiber.

Seven Sisters, who take on Pontyclun at Ivor Park, will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing home set-back against Tillery.

The Dulais Valley side will be without Stuart Coope, while there are question marks against the fitness of Simon Isaac and Lee Sullivan.

But manager Paul Evans is hoping to have Leon Thomas back from a hamstring pull, while Paul Kelly made a successful return from injury against Tillery.

Morriston throw down the gauntlet to third-placed Newport YMCA at the Dingle without defender Gregory Williams.

Williams is undergoing a hernia operation, but ex-Haverfordwest utility player Phil Evans is on board while centre-back Carl James hopes to resume at Pontyclun a week tomorrow.

Ammanford are set to introduce former Barry defender Gary Davies in their line-up against Llanwern at Spytty Park.

But the Rice Road side will be without suspended Jamie Harris for three games.

Ruled out with injury problems are Matthew Thomas and Mark James.

In the third division, Cwmaman entertain Llantwit Fardre and will be looking to overturn a 3-1 defeat suffered at Central Park on August 28.

Ystradgynlais boss Andrew Hopkins is set to send out a full-strength side against Gwent side Goytre at Ynyscedwyn Road.

When the sides last met in August, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.