Ceredigion Costcutter League round up.
Division One
St Dogmaels took the honours in the local derby match at the King George and deservedly so but they had to battle hard against a Cardigan Town side that played for the last forty minutes with ten men.
The saints though would have been out of sight well before the end if they had taken their chances as they dominated for long periods in the second half with none better for them than midfielder Rhys Jones who was outstanding.
Goal scoring chances were very scarce in the opening half with the action largely contained in the centre of the field but front runner Peter Almond went close with a header as did skipper Jason Williams. The latter had his hands full whenever speedy Town right winger Llion Williams ran at him but the greens central defender used all his guile and experience to snuff him out.
The deadlock was eventually broken after the break when Almond was teed up just inside the penalty box by Jones and his rocket shot flew into the net although impressive young keeper Steff Marsden managed to get a hand to his powerful effort.
The loss of influential midfielder Ben Davies for an accumulation of yellow cards knocked the stuffing out of the Magpies and their opponents dominated proceedings after this and midfielder Adam Williams saw a curling shot well saved and Chris Morgan, midfielder Jones and substitute Ioan Owen went very close to scoring. A goal though finally arrived although it was a weird one as a shot back across the box from Jones struck Jack Thomas on the shin and looped up over keeper Marsden who had no chance of saving the deflection. Cardigan hit back with a freakish goal of their own late on when a long punt from the right wing deceived keeper Casey Walters and ended up in the net.
The final minutes produced a few nervy moments for the Saints and their manager as they gave the ball away needlessly but they hung on for the win they deserved and they are looking in good shape heading towards their crucial J.Emrys Morgan Cup tie away at Llanymynech this weekend. The greens wasted a few chances with experienced players taking pot shots from long range rather than putting a colleague away into space but they will tighten up for this mid Wales encounter, and one which represents a real test of how good they actually are. It will certainly take a decent side to beat them.
Crannog kept tabs on the leaders following a 3-1 success over Lampeter Town and remain level on points but St Dogmaels have four games in hand. As expected there was little to choose between the teams at the break with Lampeter playing the better football but there were few chances created.
However Crannog were much improved after the break and George Colven fired the hosts into the lead when he was first to react to a loose ball in the six yard box. Midfielder Rhys Davies added the second with a well placed shot from just inside the penalty box before Lampeter pulled one back with a long range effort. Terry Witts and his team pushed hard for an equaliser and they went close on a couple of occasions but they were eventually caught out on the break as they puished up and Gary Davies netted from a very tight angle to put his team two goals ahead.
Newcastle Emlyn bounced back following a run of defeats to beat local rivals Llandysul by 4-1. The reds took a 2-0 lead in the opening half with goals from Dion Davies and Robbie Jenkins and they could have bagged a couple more.
Llandysul, who were missing several key players, played very well after the break and created a couple of decent chances but some good defending and goalkeeping by Dawid Rutkowski kept them out and it was Emlyn who scored next when against the run of play Dion Davies fired home his second with a super finish at the back post.
The Swallows finally hit the net with a cross cum shot before Davies added his third when he ran on to a Steffan Evans free kick to nod the ball home for a perfect hat trick
Ffostrasol consolidated their mid table position with a narrow win over Felinfach at Parc Troedrhiw but it took a late penalty from Gethin Edwards to secure the three points. The milkmen went a goal down when Sion Evans struck from well outside the box but they managed to level matters after the hosts were guilty of missing several sitters.
The game appeared to be heading for a draw until Edwards was called into action and he calmly slotted the ball home from the spot for a 2-1 win despite a late rally by the visitors.
The relegation battle between Bargod Rangers and Aberaeron Reserves ended at 1-1 with Cefin Edwards on target for Rangers.
Division Two
With their main rivals Aberporth and Maesglas sharing the spoils following a 1-1 draw, Dewi Stars increased their lead at the top of division two, but they will be glad to have secured maximum points from this tough, physical encounter against more experienced opponents.
With a few of the Stars more experienced players away on a skiing holiday, eight youth players started with another three on the bench and many had to grow up fast before the 90 minutes were over.
The Stars were still in the dressing room, when Newcastle Emlyn took the lead straight from the kick off without the home team touching the ball. Three passes and Wayne Hand netted with confidence after just ten seconds. Before the home youngsters hardly had a chance to settle,16-year-old striker Guto Green had to make an early exit with a nasty injury following a tackle.
The Stars eventually grew into the game and started to get their passing game together and they equalised after 20 minutes when Siencyn Jones drilled in a low shot passed Tom Blueth from the edge of the box after good work from Oscar Cayo Evans.
The Stars secured what proved to be the winner on the half hour when Siencyn Jones curled in a corner under the crossbar which eluded Blueth and the unfortunate Johnny Buck kneed the ball into his own net as he tried to clear.
The Stars superior fitness told after the break, but they could not add to their slender lead despite efforts from Rhodri Edwards and Tomos Jones and testing free kicks from Daniel Williams and Siencyn Jones, which saw Blueth make some excellent saves. The visitors were always dangerous on the break with Tom Hamilton and Ashley Stevens a constant threat.
The Stars were relieved to hear the final whistle as they hung on to secure three vital points and despite their youthful team it was 49 year old Andrew Jones who shone like a beacon with an outstanding performance at the heart of the defence.
There was also a very welcome win for New Quay who overcame the challenge of St Dogmaels Reserves by 2-1 with goals from Oliver Evans and veteran Jonion Evans and a comfortable win for Ffostrasol Reserves who defeated their Llandysul counterparts by 6-0.
Pics by Gary Evans and Julie John.
