North Wales Coast West League

Premier Division

Thursday 22nd May 2025

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 18.52!

C.P.D. Pentraeth 5 C.P.D. Gwalchmai 3, attendance 97

3’ 1-0

9’ 1-1

28’ 2-1

45’ + 1, 3-1 (pen)

57’ 4-1

62’ 5-1

66’ 5-2

79’ 5-3

@ Bryniau Field

B5109

Pentraeth

LL75 8AZ

£3 Admission

No Programme.

Having stayed overnight in Rhyl, tonight was an opportunity to make a trip over to Ynys Mon, for an Anglesey derby, where 2nd bottom (already relegated) were hosting 2nd from top (guaranteed runners up). Despite nothing to play for, this was an excellent game and a warm sunny evening saw a crowd just short of one hundred turn out for this, probably helped by the fact that one of their youth teams was being presented with a cup that they’d recently won, which took place on the pitch during the halftime break.

Photographs don’t really do the ground justice. The pitch is fully railed, although the touchline running alongside the road is out of bounds, due to the lack of room behind the barrier and perimeter wall. There are two sides of hard standing and a pair of brick dugouts. Raised banking gives an elevated view from the far side, whilst the changing rooms/tea bar are behind the goal nearest the entrance. Car parking was organised brilliantly too, with three helpers already directing traffic well over an hour before kick off and no chance of the usual late arrivals turning up and selfishly blocking everyone else in, which is normally the case at non league level. Great backdrop too. Then there’s the pitch….it slopes from end to end, side to side and has a few undulations, just for good measure.

Pentraeth kicked downhill in the first half and were ahead after just three minutes. Quite a few missed the goal though, caught out by the game kicking off eight minutes earlier than advertised, when a ball pulled back from the left was finished with a low shot at the near post, which the ‘keeper should probably have saved. Some may have missed the equaliser too, as Gwalchmai made it 1-1 before we’d even had ten minutes, finishing with an angled shot from just inside the box. Just before the half hour Pentraeth were back in front, powering in a header from a corner. Gwalchmai saw a header hit the post and Pentraeth had a looping header clip the top of the crossbar, as both teams created good chances, before the hosts made it 3-1 in first half stoppage time, converting a penalty that was awarded for a handball.

Twelve minutes into the second half it was 4-1, breaking clear after intercepting a defensive throw in and minutes later Pentraeth made it 5-1, when a ball over the top was coolly put away in a one on one against the ‘keeper. Gwalchmai quickly replied with a low shot into the corner and with eleven minutes left pulled it back to 5-3, nicking the ball past the ‘keeper from a long clearance and clinically finding the bottom corner from the angle of the 18 yard box. They kept going right to the end, but had left themselves too much to do.

It was a very pleasant drive heading back towards the mainland, with Snowdonia in full sunshine and back at my hotel in about twelve minutes.