Ardal League South East

Sunday 17th November 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Canton 1 Croesyceilliog 0, attendance 68

74’ 1-0

@ Cardiff International Sports Campus, SSI Pitch

Leckwith Road

Cardiff

CF11 8AZ

£5 Admission

No Programme.

Canton (Canton Liberal until last year) play at the Cardiff International Sports Campus, where they use the SSI pitch (whatever that is?). I’d seen Canton Liberal beat Grange Albion back in 2018, on a pitch that was to the right of the driveway as you enter off Leckwith Road, but that is now gone. Nine years before that I’d seen Grange Harlequins beat Garw S.B.G.W. 5-3 in a Welsh League Division 3 match, which was on the Athletics Stadium, to the left as you enter the complex. Canton’s ground is further along on the left hand side, running lengthways away from the main stand. Despite being in a cage, surprisingly it is not a 3G pitch, although it may be some type of hybrid grass/synthetic surface and is also lacking floodlights. There are two seated stands on the near side and spectator access is on all bar the far side, where the dugouts are situated. The only facilities available were toilets. There is also a car parking charge, but it was only £1, which covered you for four hours and could be payable with cash at a machine, rather than using the car parking app.

Canton have got at least half a dozen Sunday games scheduled. The first was last week, which finished 4-4. Unfortunately, nothing to match that from a neutral point of view, with today’s game being very dull and lucky it produced a goal at all. It was really poor at times. Canton played the ball sideways and backwards at every opportunity, whilst Croesyceilliog lacked any real quality going forward. The only goal came sixteen minutes from the end, when the ball was cut back from the right and powered in with a header from just inside the six yard box. The win sees Canton climb to second place in the league table, three points adrift of leaders Treowen Stars, but having played a game more. Croesyceilliog remain seventh.

Nice to have a reasonably clear run in both directions and the only rain encountered was during the first half and that was little more than drizzle. It leaves me with just N.F.A. in Ardal NW and Clydach in Ardal SW to complete the top three levels in Wales.