YNYSDDU WELFARE (Pontllanfraith 3G)

FAW WELSH CUP 3rd ROUND, YNYSDDU WELFARE 1-3 CEFN DRUIDS, ATTENDANCE: 280 (h/c)

When the draw for the third round of the Welsh Cup was made there were a few tasty looking ties to choose from but the lure of the lowest ranked team left in the competition against Premier League opposition was, in the words of the late Robert Palmer, simply irresistible.

Ynysddu Welfare play in the Gwent County League (which sits at step 5 in the south of Wales) and today they were hosting one of Wales oldest clubs, Cefn Druids.

Indeed this was the first time a (step 5) Gwent County League club had ever reached the third round of the Welsh Cup.

The first football club founded in the village, Ynysddu Albion, were formed in 1905, 33 years after The Ancients of Cefn Druids. The club changed its name to Ynysddu Crusaders in 1915 before being disbanded in 1939 at the outbreak of the second world war.

After the war Ynysddu Welfare were created after the merger of two ‘wartime’ clubs, Ynysddu Celtic and Cwmfelinfach Rangers and the club joined the South Wales Amateur Football League.

The club was a member of the South Wales Amateur League for 65 years before switching to the Gwent County League in 2012. The club were now back as Ynysddu Crusaders after another merger in 2008 but in 2013, after winning the Gwent County League division three at the first attempt, the club reverted back to the name Ynysddu Welfare. This year the club won the division two title and were promoted to the top division of the Gwent County League.

The day began with a train from North Wales to South Wales courtesy of the new Transport for Wales franchise. I thought Arriva were rubbish but all my experiences of this new company have so far been poor but today everything went smoothly and my mate and I were in Newport at the stated arrival time. Breakfast was taken at one of the local 'spoons (Queens Hotel) before calling into the simply wonderful Tiny Rebel tap for a couple of scoops.

The 151 bus went from the centre of town to the Pontllanfraith leisure centre where Ynysddu play their home games. There were plenty of other groundhoppers present in the ground, clearly they had the same thoughts as us!

Pontllanfraith is a couple of miles north of Ynysddu Village and is actually part of Blackwood (famously the home of the legendary Manic Street Preachers). The club set up base here in 2016 after a somewhat nomadic existence playing on various local grounds and pitches.

However recent events could see the club on move once again in the next 18 months. Caerphilly council have announced plans to close the Pontllanfraith leisure centre and bulldoze the site. There are objections to the plans and there is a campaign to try and save the facility. Whether this is successful remains to be seen. By all accounts Ynysddu will be based here until at least the end of 2019/20 season.

Save our leisure centres!

Ynysddu had beaten higher ranked opposition in the form of Croesyceilog, Taffs Well and Monmouth Town to reach the third round but today was just a step too far.

After a dominant start, The Ancients took the lead after 10 minutes when Dean Rittenberg headed home a Naim Arsan cross. An Arsan cross-shot doubled Cefn Druids advantage after 32 minutes as the visitors were in complete and utter control of the game.

Despite being two goals behind though, Ynysddu were still in the tie and when Jamie Russell bundled home after 53 minutes to half the deficit, it was game on. Druids were still the more potent attackers but at least Ynysddu were now getting out of their own half.

Unfortunately for the hosts a red card for Lewis Barnett after 83 minutes extinguished any hopes of a comeback and, as the game entered its final stages, Jordan Evans smashed an effort against the crossbar before he finally scored the Druids third with a heavily deflected free-kick in the final moments.

It was not to be for Ynysddu this afternoon but they certainly did themselves and the Gwent County League proud. Uppaddu's!!

PONTYPRIDD TOWN (University of South Wales Sports Park)

FAW WELSH CUP 4th ROUND, PONTYPRIDD TOWN 1-2 PENYDARREN BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, ATTENDANCE: 500 (est)

Hello and welcome back to my humble little blog. A belated Happy New Year and may I say a big thank all who take the time to read my words.

After a few week of misery suffering with a flu virus and also watching my beloved Everton flounder under the managerial prowess of 'Big Sam' Allardyce (no shots on target in three Premier league games) it was time to get back to watching some football where teams attempted to cross the halfway line and have shots at goal!

When the draw was made for the Welsh Cup 4th round back in December, there was actually only the one tie which jumped out at me and that was Pontypridd Town versus Penydarren BGC. The romanticism of an all non-Welsh Premier tie, thus guaranteeing a lower level side in the last eight and, from a groundhopping perspective, a lovely new ground to visit. 

Pontypridd began this season in a new home at the University of South Wales Sports Park in Treforest, which is 3 miles down the road from their spiritual home of the Ynysangharad War Memorial Park. Pontypridd Town had played at Ynysangharad Park since their formation in 1991, when Ynysybwl amalgamated with local league side Pontypridd Sports & Social Club to form Pontypridd & Ynysybwl FC, before changing their name to Pontypridd Town in 1992.

The club stated that they had been trying to upgrade facilities at Ynysangharad Park for over 10 years but with the ground being in a public memorial park, the council rejected their plans. The club did look at the possibility of a groundshare with the rugby team before setting up home at the University, which also serves as the home of Cardfiff City academy. Some fans were not happy with the move claiming it takes the football club out of the town of Pontypridd, even though Treforest itself is part of Pontypridd.

The reason for the move is the club have ambitions to return to the upper echelons of Welsh football but there is no chance they will be allowed to progress in the grounds current form. There is a small seated stand on the halfway line but the ground has no hard standing or floodlights. It is also a lengthy walk to the changing room block. Speaking, albeit briefly, to a doyen of South Wales football he said long term there are plans afoot to move to a 3G pitch within the existing facility, which will meet all the criteria for promotion. 

 Pontypridd's old ground Ynysangharad Park

I set off on my long journey earlier than I needed to in order to give myself time to go and take some photographs of Ynysangharad Park (pictured above) in daylight as the last time I visited the ground it was on a Friday night, in 2005, when Pontypridd beat Gwynfi United 4-0 in front of a crowd of 202.

Going off topic briefly, Pontypridd also has a famous musical heritage as it was the birthplace of Evan and James James, the Father and Son who, respectively, wrote the words and music to Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, the national anthem of Wales. I was unaware of this fact until I spotted the memorial statue to them (pictured below) whilst walking through Ynysangharad Park en-route to the old ground.

Pontypridd is also the birthplace of Sir Tom Jones and with the appalling conditions that had battered South Wales the previous 24 hours, leading to the vast majority of games being called off, it was a bonus to see a game played on the green, green grass of home, though after trudging through the waterlogged outfield my boots may disagree!

There was a huge crowd present at USW Park, along with the cameras from S4C, and all present were treated to a thrilling cup tie.

Penydarren BGC, of the South Wales Alliance League, which sits two divisions below the Welsh League Division Two, of which Pontypridd are currently league leaders, travelled to Treforest for what they were billing as the biggest game in their history.

The team from Merthyr Tydfil, unbeaten so far this season, are already in the last eight of the Welsh Trophy and were attempting to cause an upset and reach the last eight of the Welsh Cup, but this would be their sternest test thus far.

They passed with flying colours. Hat-trick hero of the last round (versus Llandudno Junction) Chris Colvin-Owens was once again the star man as he bagged a brace to put Penydarren in the last eight.

On a very heavy pitch, the Miners were fastest out of the blocks putting the Pontypridd defence under enormous pressure. It was no surprise when Colvin-Owens gave Penydarren the lead after 12 minutes when he steered a cross home from inside the six yard box, the ball squirming over the line via the post. The large following, and I mean large, from Merthyr went absolutely wild.

The lead did not last long as within three minutes the home side were level. A cross from James Hill was headed into his own the net by Penydarren defender Alex Lloyd.

The game was end to end but you could clearly see the players were struggling with the sodden pitch as conditions underfoot were incredibly slippy. Nonetheless there were chances in the first have, mainly for Penydarren, but it was all square at the break.

Pontypridd began the second half on the front foot and nearly took the lead when Gavin Beddard's shot from distance came back off the post but it was Penydarren who got themselves in front on the hour mark when a cross found Owens unmarked at the back post and he made no mistake in firing home.

Penydarren then had two glorious chances to put the tie to bed but failed to take them. Ben Jones was played through but Pontypridd 'keeper David Burnett made a fine save and Nathan Williams was unable to convert the rebound. Then Jones crossed to an unmarked Williams but his shot went agonisingly wide, when it was probably easier to score.

However Penydarren were not made to pay for those missed chances and as Pontypridd began to fade, The Miners were able to see them game out. A thoroughly deserved victory for Penydarren who remain the only non-Welsh Premier League side left in the competition. They will travel north to Bangor City in the Quarter Finals. Who would bet against another giant killing?

BRIDGEND STREET (The Willows)

FAW WELSH CUP 1st ROUND, BRIDGEND STREET 2-2 GOYTRE (After Extra Time, 90 Mins 1-1, Goytre won 5-4 on penalties) ATTENDANCE: 85 (h/c)

This weekend my attention turned to the Welsh Cup and a journey to the south of the country. I had pre-booked a train journey to Cardiff in the hope that the draw would give me plenty of options, and also a chance to partake in a spot of ‘Good Beer Guide’ pub ticking!

The draw ultimately gave me a choice of three ties - Ton Pentre v Abergavenny Town, Aberbargoed Buds v Barry Town or my actual choice Bridgend Street v Goytre. Upon arrival in the capital it was throwing it down, so that immediately made me a little nervous.

The obvious thing to do would have been head into the valleys to Aberbargoed as they play on a 3G pitch, but a phone call to the secretary of Bridgend gave me a little confidence that things would be ok. It was just as well really as I was in the process of downing a couple a swift halves in Zerodegrees before catching the number 11 bus in the direction of Tremorfa.

Bridgend, just to avoid any confusion, are a Cardiff based team and play in the Tremorfa area of the city, on the Willows High School playing field, in the shadow of the Celsa Steel Works.  The club though were originally from the Splott area of Cardiff, with the actual Bridgend Street demolished in 1972.

After spending most of their existence in district leagues, The Street were promoted to the South Wales Senior League in 1994 and went on to become champions a record five times (five times) before moving up to the Welsh League in 2011. The club are currently playing in Division Three.

Today they were hosting Welsh League First Division leaders Goytre, where the phrase ‘potential banana skin’ could easily be applied.  The visitors from Gwent were certainly on a hiding to nothing.

The home side were certainly up for the game and never allowed Goytre to get into any kind of rhythm. It was difficult at times to work out who the higher ranked team were. The Street deservedly went in at half time 1-0 up thanks to a beauty of a free kick from their skipper Paul Fowler.

Such was the need for a lift in the performance that their manager made a triple substitution at the break to try and change things. Goytre pushed for an equaliser but it was Bridgend Street who came closest to a goal when Fowler had an effort crash off the crossbar.

It was looking like a big upset was on the cards but in the last minutes of the game Goytre levelled when striker Lewis Sommers was given the freedom of the box to control the ball and fire into the top corner. Heartbreaking for The Street.

The momentum had now swung and within minutes of the start of extra time Goytre were in front when Jack Aladice fired home. Rather than let their heads drop Bridgend rallied and found themselves level in the second half of extra time thanks to a fine effort from Nick Thomas.

In the remaining time neither side could find a winner which meant the dreaded lottery of spot kicks. Obviously there were tired legs out there so there were a fair few missed kicks. It came down to sudden death with Goytre prevailing 5-4.

A fine advert for Welsh football and credit to both teams. Goytre will now travel to Rhayader Town in round 2.

The extra time and penalties meant I was on the 1709 bus back into the city centre where I was able to pay a visit to the excellent Hopbunker and Urban tap House before catching my train home. A grand day out in the capital.

RHOSTYLLEN (The Rec, Vicarage Hill)

FAW WELSH CUP 2nd ROUND, RHOSTYLLEN 0-2 FLINT TOWN UNITED, ATTENDANCE: 120 (est)

Today attention switched back to the Welsh Cup, as the competition reached the second round. After a visit to the island in the last round, it was a short trip up the A483 to Wrexham for today's action. When the draw was made, the only team left in the Northern section that I hadn't visited was Rhostyllen. When they were drawn at home to Flint Town United, it was a no brainer as far as I was concerned.


Rhostyllen is a former mining village, with many residents working at the nearby Bersham Colliery, which before closure in December 1986 was the last working coal mine in the Denbighshire coalfield.

There is evidence of football being played in Rhostyllen as early as 1879, which is the year displayed on the club badge. The Vicarage Hill field has been used to play football since 1955, when it was donated by Colonel Fitzhugh. The Rec ground is excellent for this level of football, with a railed off pitch and a small covered brick stand.

There have been many clubs who have taken to the field under the name of Rhostyllen (a Rhostyllen & Bersham won the Wrexham Area Division One in 1995 and a Rhostyllen MV also won Division One in 1989) with the last incarnation playing as Rhostyllen United when they folded in 2005.

 The reformed club joined the North East Wales League in 2015. Due to cup fixtures, the club have only played 5 league games and won them all, so they are, currently, well placed with games in hand.

In their debut Welsh Cup campaign this season, Rhostyllen have seen victories over AFC Brynford (6-0) Brymbo (1-0) and Berriew (2-1). The club are also through to round four of the Welsh Trophy.

Rhostyllen are the lowest ranked Northern side left in the competition so today would be their biggest test so far as they welcomed Cymru Alliance outfit Flint Town United to The Rec.

Unfortunately for the home side there would be no giant killing, as this game was a step to far, though they did make Flint work hard for their victory.

Stewart Carroll gave Flint the lead when he blasted home the ball from the edge of the area after 10 minutes. Rhostyllen worked their way back into the game and tested Flint 'keeper Ross Dalton with a few efforts. However just before half time, Carroll scored a superb free-kick to double Flint's lead (pictured below).

The Silkmen controlled most of second period and had chances they really should have taken to extended their lead and make their afternoon slightly more comfortable. However as the game moved into it's latter stages, Flint took their foot off the gas and allowed Rhostyllen chances to get themselves back into the tie, with one effort cleared off the line. However Flint held on to secure their passage to the next round and a home tie with Welsh Premier League Newtown.