Neath & District League
Division 2
Monday 30th March 2026
Kick Off 18.00 Actual 17.58
Tonna A.F.C. 4 Cimla A.F.C. 4, attendance 80
13’ 0-1
23’ 1-1
31’ 1-2
35’ 2-2
47’ 3-2 (pen)
49’ 3-3
88’ 4-3
90’ 4-4
@ Cwrt Herbert Playing Fields
Neath Sports Centre
Neath Abbey Road
Cwrt Herbert
Neath
SA10 7BR
No Admission or Programme.
I came to a midweek game here at Neath Sports Centre in January 2008, when Llansawel beat Giants Grave 3-2 in a West Wales F.A. Senior Cup Quarter Final tie, which was played on the stadium pitch. Tonight’s game was on an outside grass pitch, which is known as Cwrt Herbert Playing Fields. They still get changed in the Neath Sports Centre building and the bar there was open throughout and was also available for toilets. There’s ample free parking here too. There are three grass pitches here, with tonight’s game on the one that runs parallel to the rugby pitch that runs lengthways in front of the buildings.
The match was 3rd versus 1st in the league table and attracted a good crowd, with three quarters of them being with the visitors. Leaders Cimla, still unbeaten (W11 D1), were four points ahead of second placed Cwmaman United Reserves, who they’ve still to visit. Tonna were also four points adrift, but have played a game more than the top two, so it’s still a three way fight for both title and promotion places.
When Cimla dominated the early exchanges and went ahead after thirteen minutes, I thought this might turn into a one sided stroll for them, but it turned out to be nothing of the sort. A free kick was flicked on and finished first time into the bottom corner to make it 1-1 midway through the half, but a shot in off the post saw Cimla go back in front eight minutes later. Ten minutes before halftime the hosts levelled the scores again, courtesy of an own goal and it remained 2-2 at the break.
Two minutes into the second half a penalty saw Tonna go 3-2 up, but their lead lasted just two minutes, following a low angled shot into the far corner. It looked like Tonna had won it, beating the ‘keeper low at his near post, when they made it 4-3 with two minutes left, but right on ninety minutes Cimla grabbed an equaliser, heading in powerfully from a long throw in that dropped on the edge of the six yard box, preserving their unbeaten record in the process.
An excellent game to kick off ‘silly season’, where clubs without floodlights now try to cram in their remaining fixtures to meet league completion deadline dates. No traffic problems in either direction either and nice to still have a bit of daylight for the drive home too. We’d kicked off a couple of minutes early, with a five minute halftime, where everyone stayed on the pitch and were done and dusted for 19.33.
