Liam Griffiths’ hat-trick helped inspire Pontypridd to a comeback win over Llantwit Fardre 2nds and provided a much need boost to Ponty’s TERV League Division promotion bid following a run of poor results.
A 5-0 defeat in their last league outing away to Cefn Hengoed three weeks ago meant Pontypridd went into the fixture in 4th place and four points behind their opponents in 2nd. That club record defeat came amidst a run of four defeats in the last five matches, although three of those defeats were in cup competitions.
There were four changes to the side that lost in last weekend’s Intermediate Cup thriller against Welfare Park, including Lewis Roberts making a start in goal with Piotr Tolak and Lewis Watkins unavailable through injury. As he has done in the past though, Roberts belied his ‘makeshift’ status with a commanding and confident display between the posts. The concession of three goals came through little or no fault of his own. There was also a league debut for Lucas Hickman, while Owain Lewis and Artur Cegielka returned to the starting XI.
After some calamitous defending against Welfare Park, there was hope for some solidity at the back but the visiting in-form Llantwit Fardre side took the inside two minutes. Veteran midfielder Nicholas Beecher did well to keep the ball alive on the goal-line and his centre was deflected home by a Ponty defender.
After that early blow the home side struggled to make much impact going forward. Dan Perry had the best chance off a Barnes corner, but he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet in time to get off a shot. Aside from a few attempts from Lewis Taylor at replicating his trademark dipping free kick, Ponty struggled to create good attacking moments in the opening half-hour. In fact, they saw the visitors double the lead in the 27th minute when a clearance by Roberts was returned too easily by a Fardre head, allowing Alex Lewis to run through and convert after rounding Roberts.
The game was drifting towards a half-time deficit and shake-up when Ponty turned the game on it’s head in remarkable and surprising circumstances.
Artur Cegielka got the comeback started, getting on the end of a long ball and deflecting the ball off his shoulder past Fardre’s keeper Allen Lane. A minute later Ponty produced a stunning move of combination play, starting with keeper Roberts, involving half a dozen short passes and finished by Liam Griffiths after a superb reverse pass by Taylor. Just before the break, skipper Kieron Cook gave Ponty the lead in fortuitous circumstances when Lane fumbled his free-kick over the goal-line.
HALF-TIME | Pontypridd 3-2 Llantwit Fardre 2nds
Confidence restored, Pontypridd produced a much better start to the half, showing much more bravery with the ball by playing short more dogmatically and minimising aimless long punts up field. Ponty’s lead was doubled less than five minutes after the break when Griffiths scored his second of the game, curling home a free kick off the underside of the crossbar.
Aled Evans and Josh Husband replaced Dan Outing and Dan Perry at centre back and Husband made an instant impact. Aggression in the tackle saw him win the ball, Barnes fed Lewis Taylor with a slide-rule pass and the skillful forward continued his good form in front of goal by finishing cooly after outpacing the Fardre defence.
On the hour, Fardre threatened a comeback of their own when Tom Lynch punished sloppy play at the back by Ponty but within a minute a minute the three-goal lead was restored. Lucas Hickman elicited a handball inside the Fardre penalty area and Griffiths stepped up to emphatically convert the penalty and complete his hat-trick.
The final half-hour passed without much incident as Ponty coasted to a much-needed win, the high point being an eight-minute league debut for 16-year-old Tom Sheppeard from the bench.
FULL-TIME | Pontypridd 6-3 Llantwit Fardre 2nds
Pontypridd FC: Lewis Roberts [gk], Lucas Hickman (Adam Davies 82), Daniel Perry (Aled Evans 53), Dan Outing (Josh Husband 53), Gareth Kear (Ryan Jones 82), Owain Lewis, Kieron Cook [c], Aron Barnes, Lewis Taylor, Artur Cegielka, Liam Griffiths (Tom Sheppeard 82)
Goals: A. Cegielka (38), L. Griffiths (39, 49, 62 pen), K. Cook (43), L. Taylor (54)
Referee: Simon White
