Neath & District League
Premier Division
Saturday 13th September 2025
Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58
Clydach Sports 2 Glynneath Town 8, attendance 23
7’ 1-0
10’ 1-1
23’ 1-2 (pen)
38’ 2-2
39’ 2-3
49’ 2-4
62’ 2-5
71’ 2-6
79’ 2-7
90’ + 3, 2-8
@ Coed Gwilym Park, Pitch 2
Pontardawe Road
Clydach
SA6 5NS
No Admission or Programme.
I’d originally planned to do Ardal League club Clydach this afternoon, until it was hijacked to be part of the Groundhop U.K. schedule as this afternoon’s match, so it was a case of hunting for an alternative. The Clydach Sports game fitted the bill perfectly, as they play on the adjacent pitch to Clydach and at least it guaranteed they’d be on the second pitch here. Contact with the home club last night confirmed this to be the case, although the game was in doubt due to the pitch suffering from the heavy rain and more was forecast overnight. I received a text message about ten o’clock, stating that there was a pitch inspection taking place an hour later and heard nothing more. If it was off, I’d have to do the game on the main pitch, but thankfully, I arrived to see the teams warming up and all was good. The main pitch runs lengthways, immediately behind the buildings, with Pitch 2 to the left, running parallel, but offset by around half a pitch length and separated by about 10 yards, with a length of tape acting as a divider.
The match was 4th versus 1st in the league table and was an excellent advert for the league. I’d been impressed when I’d seen Glynneath in the Welsh F.A. Cup a few weeks back and they certainly did nothing other than enhance that view today. Glynneath had a goal disallowed in the opening minutes, before a seventh minute diving header put Clydach Sports ahead. Three minutes later Glynneath levelled the scores. They had a shot that hit the post, before a penalty saw them go 1-2 ahead midway through the half. Clydach Sports missed the chance to level things up again, when a penalty hit the crossbar, but did come up with an equaliser a minute later, when a striker nipped in front of the ‘keeper to head in a diagonal cross from the left. Straight from the restart Glynneath made it 2-3, which remained the halftime score. The killer fourth goal for the visitors came just four minutes into the second half, courtesy of a cracking 25 yard free kick and it was then a case of how many more they’d get, as the visitors rarely threatened after this. Clydach Sports had a man sin binned with twenty minutes left, conceding another two goals while down to ten, before another free kick, this time from a good 30 yards out, rounded off the scoring for Glynneath in stoppage time. The win maintains their 100% winning start to the season, with the hosts dropping down to twelfth place.
Another clear run on the return journey and home just after seven, which rounded off an excellent day. A visit back here to see a game on the main pitch awaits and it will be on a day without the circus of the Groundhop U.K. bandwagon being in town. All the better for that!
