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Blaenau Amateurs 3 Rhydymwyn 6

Blaenau Amateurs welcomed Ryhydymwyn to Cae Clyd for their opening game of the 2009/10 season. It was also their first game in the Welsh Alliance League, having been promoted from the Gwynedd League as Champions last season.
The opening encounters were evenly contested with both sides working had and cancelling each other out. Then on 15 minutes the visitors were awarded a corner and some poor marking allowed Sam Jones space in the penalty area and his strike found the home net to put the visitors ahead. The home side responded well and were denied a goal on 20 miutes when Ceri Roberts was adjudged offside. Minutes later a fierce Kieron Ellis free kick produced an excellent save from the visitors goalkeeper Danny Stanton. Then on 30 minutes Blaenau will feel aggrieved when kieron Ellis appeared to be fouled near his own penalty area, the ball broke free to Sam Jones who rounded the home goalkeeper and shot into the empty net. Blaenau continued to press forward, but on 40 minutes the visitors counter attacked and Jay Hughes dispatched a neat finish into the home net. Within minutes and just before the interval the home side were dealt another blow when they once again failed to deal with a cross into the penalty area and Dean Hughes rose unmarked and his header gave the visitor a 4-0 half time lead.
The home side started the second half brightly and were on top dominating the early stages, and they were rewarded when on 55 minutes good work by Terry Hughes and Guy Roberts set up Kieron Ellis whose excellent strike from 20 yards found the corner of the net. Minutes lates the visitors goalkeeper produced an excellent save to deny John O'Donovan. However on 60 minutes the home side again failed to deal with a cross into their penalty area and were punished when Dean Hughes drifted in unmarked from a seemingly offside position to slide the ball home. Five minutes later from a similar situation the visitors captain John Hazeldine was allowed to rise unchallenged and head the visitors sixth goal. Things could have got even got even worse for the home side when the visitors were awarded a penalty, however, Peter Jones produced a fine save to deny John Hazeldine from the spot.
To their credit the home side took the game to the visitors and gained some reward for their fine football when the excellent John O'Donovan glanced home a Ceri Roberts strike for their second goal. Minutes later more fine work by John O'Donovan and Ceri Roberts set up Guy Roberts for an excellent finish, to bring some respectability to the final score.
The defeat will be hard to swallow, as for long periods in this game Blaenau more than matched their opponents who it has to be said were a a good, strong well organised side. They will reflect on the fact that they played some excellent football but were at crucial times rather naive and sloppy defensively.

pp Meirion Ellis