TAFF'S WELL (Rhiw Dda'r)

WELSH LEAGUE DIVISION ONE, TAFF'S WELL 6-0 AFAN LIDO,
ATTENDANCE: 121 (h/c)

"Friday night and the lights are low, looking for a place to go" as the famous Swedish popsters Abba once sang. A few Friday options were available but for my place to go I headed to the South of the Principality for a Welsh League division One encounter between Taff's Well and Afan Lido.

Continuing the theme of the week, this was another step up the Welsh pyramid as this league feeds directly into the Welsh Premier League. This is Afan Lido's second season at this level after relegation in 2014. The closest Taff's Well have come to the Premier League in recent times was in 2012 when they were Division One runners up behind Cambrian & Clydach Vale.

The name Taff's Well comes from the fact that the village is situated alongside the River Taff and that it is also the site of a natural hot spring that has been used since Roman times. Taff's Well is the only natural thermal spa in Wales.

The roads behaved themselves as I travelled South, so I had time to revisit one of my favourite pubs in Wales, for a quick half, namely the Otley Arms in Trefforest, where they have on sale beers from the excellent Otley Brewing Company. This pub became a firm favourite of mine when the nearby University was used as a base for the original South Wales Amateur League Groundhop in the mid noughties. 

After a close opening period, Shane Davies scored with a superb hit to give the home side the lead at the interval. Davies then went one better with an even greater strike from distance moments after the restart. That well and truly opened the floodgates as the Afan Lido defence caved in and conceded a further four goals. Sam Small (2) Jason Bertorelli and Marcus Jones ensured a comfortable victory for the Wellmen.