Pontypridd AFC suffered a fourth loss in five games this season as Vale of Glamorgan League outfit Vale Madrid ended any hopes of the Black Sheep enjoying a Hugh James South Wales FA Senior Cup run at the first hurdle.
With Liam Barter deputising in goal for the suspended Dylan Greedy, Ponty got off to a flying start through Tom Frowen’s first goal for the club, stroking the ball over the Vale Madrid custodian from distance.
A positive start for the hosts fizzled out though and the visitors’ resilience paid off by turning the game around with two first-half goals of their own.
Both teams toiled in the second-half in tough conditions brought on by this week’s mini-heatwave and there were chances at both ends. However, the decisive chance was taken by the visitors and they clinched their victory with four minutes of normal time left to play.
RESULT
PONTYPRIDD AFC 1 T. Frowen (5)
VALE MADRID 3 T. Knight (15), N. Good (42), J. Cummings (86)
Pontypridd AFC: Liam Barter [gk], Dylan Porter (Joao Leal 71), Nathan Eratne (Devon Keep 58), Liam Ormson [c], Elis Hughes, Jack Foxley, Hywel Patterson (Lewis Taylor 58), Tom Frowen, Geraint Lewis (Alfie Berrett 80), Lewis Roberts (Piotr Tolak 71), Ashley Moyle
Yellow cards: L. Ormson, L. Taylor
Referee: M. Griffiths
