Gwent Premier League

Division 1

Monday 26th August 2019

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.03

Pentwynmawr Athletic 3 Lucas Cwmbran 2, attendance 237

8’ 1-0

15’ 1-1 (pen)

31’ 2-1

37’ 3-1

41’ 3-2

@ The Welfare Ground

Fox Avenue

Pentwynmawr

NP11 4HP

£4 Admission, including raffle ticket

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop U.K.

The second part of my double today was again part of the organised hop. Despite only being in Division 1, this was the most expensive match of the weekend, although they tried to mask how much you were being ripped off by including a raffle ticket in the price! They even had the cheek to charge £2 for the programme on top of this, but they will have been told that some hoppers are so obsessed with ‘getting a piece of paper’ that they can basically charge what they like. I wouldn’t have had one even if they were giving them away free.

Of the four grounds I have done on the organised hop this weekend, this was by far the best ground and also the best match, especially the first half, although Coed Eva pushed it close as far as the entertainment on the pitch was concerned. The ground reminded me very much of the type so often found in the Provincial leagues in Belgium and it had a little bit of character, unlike the ‘railed off pitch in the middle of a big field’ type of ground that is more prevalent in the Gwent Premier League.

The hop would be rounded off with an evening match at Newport Civil Service, which I had visited for a Welsh League Division 3 match on 20th May 2010, when they beat Pentwyn Dynamos 5-1, so like many others, I would be heading off home and giving this match a miss. There had been a rumour started at the morning match that this game was in fact being played on a 3G Pitch and not the proper grass pitch. Of course, it wasn’t true, it was just a pathetic attempt in trying to con extra punters into turning up at the match.

The traffic on the homeward journey was very quiet. Even with a brief stop at Membury Services on the M4, I was home for 18.45.

Gwent Premier League

Premier Division

Monday 26th August 2019

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.01

Abertillery Excelsiors 2 Villa Dino Christchurch 0, attendance 236

18’ 1-0

53’ 2-0 (pen)

@ Jim Owen Field

Brookside Row

Cwmtillery

NP13 1LW

£3 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop U.K.

So, for the first match of the day of the hop schedule , it was into the Premier Division. Excelsiors are the early league leaders, having only just been promoted and it didn’t require much for them to add another three points. It was a pretty poor match. When Excelsiors went 2-0 up early in the second half, courtesy of a penalty, it was job done as far as winning the match went. Villa Dino did have a chance to reduce the deficit with a penalty of their own, but the spot kick was well saved by the home ‘keeper.

As with most grounds in this league, it was fairly basic, but with a few advert boards, dugouts, and the fact there were also floodlights, meant it had the feel of a ‘proper’ ground.