HIGH STAKES AND HUGE PRIDE

Ceredigion teams set to do battle in the J.Emrys Morgan cup this afternoon.

High stakes and huge pride on the line this afternoon as five Ceredigion teams fight it out for a place in the semi final of the J.Emrys Morgan Cup and all the matches look very tough to call with little to choose between the sides. Writes Andrew Clarke.

This most prestigious competition is the one every junior club dreams of winning and most clubs can only dream as the archives will show that it is usually a once in a career opportunity for the fortunate ones as not many clubs or players win this cup more than once. The days of when the first teams from the likes of Waterloo Rovers,Llanfair, Llansantffraid,Vale of Arrow and Builth Wells played in this competition are well past but make no mistake this is still a very tough tournament to win.

Llandysul reached the final last season when they were beaten by Llanfair Reserves after battering them for 80 minutes and this defeat was very tough to take as the Teifi valley team played very well and should have won comfortably. Swallows manager Chris ‘Coco’ Davies wants this trophy badly and he will be gutted if his team don’t get through this afternoon at the expense of Crannog. They were forced to pull out all the stops to get past Pencader in the last round and those who question whether this competition is as hard to win these days should have been there to witness a full blooded affair that could have gone either way.

Battles between Llandysul and Crannog are always tough and this encounter will be no different with the team that keeps their discipline when things get a bit nervy, the likely winner of this one. The midfield will be key as they are well matched. When Crannog lost to Cardigan in the final two years ago, this area was their Achilles heel as apart from the performance of Huw Reed they were bullied and faded badly.

This won’t happen today as they are a much better team with Reed having brothers Dylan and Rhys Davies alongside him and they are very fit with a knack of scoring crucial goals. The Swallows are also well blessed in this area with Ian Barret, Terry Maynard, Ben Thomas and Lewis Jones all good players and the ones who have the guts to get that ball down early and play to feet will surely come through for a place in the last four.

Dewi Stars who won this trophy back in season 1992-93 with the likes of Bedwyr Lloyd, Aled Green and Eurig Pugh face Berriew Reserves and they have an excellent chance of getting to the last four for the second year in succession under manager John Jones who will surely be awarded the freedom of Llanddewi Brefi if he brings the trophy home this season and beats his former team Bont on the way! But don’t bet against this very young but skilfull side as they can play a bit.

There will be little love lost just a few miles away at Pontrydfendigaid where near neighbours Tregaron Turfs are the visitors and this promises to be one hell of a battle with local pride very important and even though the Tangerines who are the current league leaders, will be favourites to get through it will be no big surprise if the green army come out on top.

Bont have yet to lose in the league and apart from a hiccup at Newcastle Emlyn in the Cwpan Dai Dynamo they are going well and are scoring plenty of goals through the likes of Fergus Morris,Dion Davies and Lee Jones. The Turfs though have plenty of goal scoring options in the form of Rhun Garner,Ifan Jones,Dylan Davies and Llyr Davies. Tregaron have been inconsistent in the league this term but this will count for nothing today and they almost sneaked a win when the two teams drew 2-2 back in October so expect another tight tussle this afternoon.

The date for the quarter final between Guilsfield and Llanfyllin has yet to be set.

Quarter finals.

Dewi Stars v Berriew Reserves

Llandysul v Crannog

Bont v Tregaron Turfs

Guilsfield v Llanfyllin (tba)