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RHYDYMWYN 1 BLAENAU AMATEURS 4.
No it isn't a misprint as the Amateurs provided the shock of the day and maybe of the season as they beat the Design2Print Welsh Alliance League leaders on their own patch and in doing so inflicted the Clwyd Side's first home defeat of the campaign. After beating the second place club Barmouth on their ground two weeks ago one felt going into this match that this would be a tougher encounter for the visitors who were up against a very physical Rhydymwyn side that have high hopes of moving into the Cymru Alliance next season. In the end the Quarrymen deserved their win and if only they can produce that sort of football every week they too could be much higher in the league. The home side's tactics was to launch high balls into the Amateurs penalty area all game which did cause some problems early on as they looked for an early breakthrough but it was the visitors who went ahead on 7 minutes when Gareth Roberts was fouled ass he burst through on goal for a free kick on the edge of the penalty box. Roberts got up and duly dispatched a delightful free kick into the top corner of the net with the home keeper Danny Stanton well beaten. The home side had more of the ball but the visitors defence held firm and when breached Geraint Hughes in goal dealt well with every effort that came his way. After some 25 minutes of play Blaenau were forced to make a change as Ceri Roberts who hadn't been feeling well from the start made way for young Karl Kavanagh and his first real touch was to lay a pass on for John O'Donovan to score with a shot which Stanton got a hand to but could only help into the net to make it 2-0 just before the half hour mark. There was some fine neat touches from the visitors and a better last telling pass might easily have made it worse for the home side who themselves had a penalty appeals for a handball turned down as the interval came with no further addition to the scoreline. One felt that if the home side had any chance of coming back into the match they would have to score early in the second period and they very nearly did just that as Chris Geary shot looked destined for the top corner of the net but Geraint Hughes made a fabulous save by tipping the ball over for a corner kick that came to nothing. The home side were getting more and more desperate as the half progressed and they were leaving more space at the back as they chased an opportunity to come into the game. The Amateurs Tom Woolway from his right back position made a 50 yard run and his final pass just failed to find a teammate but in doing so he injured his ankle and was replaced by another youngster in Bryn Humphreys who had to play in defence against some towering home forwards but still he coped well and he and his team were to celebrate when Karl Kavanagh skinned the home defence before placing the ball neatly past the advancing Stanton into an empty net half way through the half.
The visitors defenders without naming any individual were having a great match but they had no chance when Geary scored from close range to make it 3-1 and the home side nearly had another when Geraint Hughes was beten but Gary Hughes headed the ball off the line. Still Blaenau looked dangerous on the break and any chance the league leaders had a salvaging anything from the match were dashed 5 minutes from time when a sloppy back pass by Dafydd Griffiths to his keeper was latched onto by Keiron Ellis who dispossed the keeper and rolled the ball into the net. In the very last minutes Blaenau's Steve Jones was sent off for his second yellow card offence which was a disappointing end for one of the team who had performed so well throughout and it was a victory that will last for a long time in the memory of those who were so lucky to have witnessed it. No doubt it was a set back for the Clwyd side who have some capable players such as Tom McElmem and Jay Hughes who showed some nice touches but their dependency on the high crosses in this game didn't work out for the team who will no doubt be there or thereabouts in the final reckoning at the end of the season. For the Amateurs their next fixture is home to Amlwch on Saturday and having already beaten the Anglesey side twice this season the Quarrymen look favourites to win that one as Rhydymwyn were on Saturday and we know now what happened there.
Meirion Ellis