Pontypridd’s poor away form this season continued with a heavy defeat at TERV League D1 champions-elect Caerphilly Athletic 2nds. On a gloriously sunny day, Ponty were left to toil and suffer under the unusual spring heat at Morgan Jones Park in Caerphilly; not helped by early individual errors that left them with a mountain to climb inside the first 10 minutes.
With last week’s draw at Caerphilly Argyle effectively ending the glimmer of a promotion hope this season, there was some experimentation in personnel and system against a side that have dropped just four points in the league so far this season. However, a tough task was made impossible after gifting the hosts two very soft goals early on.
Finding themselves 2-0 down after a little over 10 minutes was all the more frustrating after quite a positive start with Pontypridd playing in good areas and forcing a few attacking set plays. However, with Caerphilly’s first meaningful attack of the game, Piotr Tolak fumbled a tame Caerphilly shot from the edge of the box over the line. It was the sort of gift you can’t afford to give a side like Caerphilly Athletic. The charity was doubled shortly after when Tolak allowed another shot he’d expect to save under his body after a diagonal from left to right had cut Ponty open too easily.
There was a further blow when top scorer Joe Vellam was forced off due to illness inside the first quarter of an hour, but his replacement Josh Husband did bring some energy and endeavour. Ponty’s best period came after the second goal, having quite a few waves of attack without carving out many clear cut opportunities. Husband forced a save from a 25 yard free kick, Dan Outing – on another day – might have scored a spectacular volley from a Husband corner and Hywel Patterson’s aerial strength was giving Ponty a platform from which to try and build attacks.
However, Ponty couldn’t reduce the deficit and the first half’s best passage of quality play effectively killed the game on the half hour. Good interplay around the edge of the box set up a shooting chance for Caerphilly’s centre forward and he fired an accurate shot into the bottom corner.
Ponty kept going and Tom Slater wasn’t too far away with a looping half volley from 20 yards, while a bit of fortune at the other end meant Ponty didn’t go in to the break four goals down when a header hit the underside of the crossbar and stayed out. Still, on the balance of play there wasn’t a three-goal difference between the sides in the first half but the home side took their chances (and luck) when it came.
HALF-TIME | Caerphilly Athletic 2nds 3-0 Pontypridd
With nothing to lose, a half-time change saw Huw Ward replace Tom Slater and a switch to a front three. However, it was Caerphilly started the second-half more assertively. Tolak had already made one fine close range stop before The As added their fourth goal of the match. A fine volleyed finish by their number 9 after Tolak had saved the first attempt from a left wing cross.
A raft of substitutions from both sides and the certainty of the result of the match meant the second-half passed in a competitive if largely uneventful and disjointed fashion. There were occasional chances at both ends and although a spectacular 30 yard half-volley from Lewis Roberts gave Pontypridd a consolation, a stirring comeback never really looked on the cards.
Kieron Cook’s looping effort from long range almost embarrassed the home goal keeper, but when he scrambled back to just about keep the ball out, it was evident a fairly comfortable win and the points were going to Caerphilly Athletic 2nds as they returned to the top of the league.
FULL-TIME | Caerphilly Athletic 2nds 4-1 Pontypridd
Pontypridd FC: Piotr Tolak (GK), Artur Cegielka (George Archer 70), Daniel Perry (c), Dan Outing, Gareth Kear (Fifolu Akinyemi 63), Hywel Patterson, Kieron Cook, Tom Slater (Huw Ward 46), Joe Vellam (Josh Husband 13), Lewis Roberts, Liam Griffiths (Ceri Williams 57)
Goal: L. Roberts (75)
Man of the Match: Daniel Perry
Referee: S. Waters
