Pontypridd suffered a club record defeat after a bruising thrashing away to Taff Ely Rhymney Valley division one leaders Cefn Hengoed. This heavy defeat follows a club record win the weekend before but there could be no complaints as the unbeaten hosts thoroughly outplayed and steamrolled Pontypridd to have the win effectively sown up in the first half-hour.
After drubbing division one champions Caerphilly Athletic 2nds a week before, manager Ryan Wheeler only made changes that were essential because of player availability. Wingers Aron Barnes and Ryan Jones were absent after picking up knocks last week, giving opportunities to Artur Cegielka and Lewis Taylor; Owain Lewis started at left back instead of Gareth Kear. Club captain Kieron Cook started on the bench, which meant Aled Evans captained the side for the first time.
If continuity was the reward for an excellent display previously, it wasn’t taken here with the starting XI challenged to keep the shirt they were in possession of. A sluggish start was punished by a sloppy goal in the sixth minute, a loose ball tapped in from close range by Cefn Hengoed’s Callum Paget. This would be a marker for the first half with Cefn Hengoed showing more desire to win 50/50s, playing with more pace, confidence, aggression and efficacy in attack.
Within five minutes, the homesters doubled their lead. Paget completing a brace by ghosting in for a free header at the back post off Bolter’s corner.
Pontypridd began to work their way back into the game. Gareth Davies saw a sighter flash past the post and the deficit should have been halved when Lewis Taylor’s free kick was spilled by home custodian Heggarty. The rebound fell kindly for Hywel Patterson inside the six-yard box and it looked like all he had to do was guide the ball into the goal. However, last week’s hat-trick hero snatched at the chance and his tame effort was easily saved. To make matters worse it was punished within two minutes. Another set-play caught out the Pontypridd defence and after Tolak saved the first effort, again Cefn Hengoed attackers were more alert than their visitors and a simple tap-in made it 3-0 inside 20 minutes.
There were further chances for the home team as they threatened to register a cricket score in the first-half, only poor finishing kept the score down but a fourth goal was added on the half-hour when Cefn Hengoed were allowed the freedom of Caerphilly County to build quckly from back to front, the move finished in the middle despite Tolak’s best efforts at turning the ball around the post.
HALF-TIME | Cefn Hengoed 4-0 Pontypridd
If the four first-half goals were all avoidable, the fifth just after half-time was a total shambles. With 9 defenders inside the penalty area against three Cefn Hengoed attackers, Pontypridd had several opportunities to clear their lines but the scramble ended with Cefn Hengoed scoring from close range. There was a further blow when Gareth Davies pulled up with a hamstring injury and was unable to continue.
The final half hour was a merely a procession towards the final whistle and the inevitability of a deflating defeat. That the incursion along the sideline of a local on a motorbike was the biggest talking point says plenty. Liam Griffiths had the two best opportunities to reduce the arrears and Lewis Taylor’s dribbling created a few promising opportunities but there was never any threat of a comeback and had Cefn Hengoed continued at the intensity of the first half, they might well have racked up double figures and it wouldn’t have flattered them at all.
FULL-TIME | Cefn Hengoed 5-0 Pontypridd
Pontypridd FC: Piotr Tolak [gk], Bradley Harris, Daniel Perry, Dan Outing, Owain Lewis (Gareth Kear 56), Aled Evans [c], Huw Morgan (Kieron Cook 56), Artur Cegielka (Josh Husband 56), Lewis Taylor, Hywel Patterson (Lewis Roberts 64), Gareth Davies (Liam Griffiths 58)
Man of the Match: Lewis Taylor
Referee: David Humphreys
