Gwent Premier League

League Cup Group B

Wednesday 30th March 2022

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 17.58

Ponthir 4 Rhymney 1, attendance 19

15’ 1-0

28’ 2-0 (pen)

44’ 2-1

64’ 3-1

90’+ 1, 4-1

@ Ponthir Sports & Community Club

School Close

Ponthir

NP18 1GA

No Admission or Programme.

So much for British Summer Time. It started raining around 5 o’clock and absolutely hammered it down, with the temperature dropping to 6 degrees. Parts of the pitch had standing water on it, but it never affected the game and it started to soak in as the match went on, although it rained for the entirety.

As far as league positions go, it was 5th in Division 2 versus 11th (bottom) in Division 1. Ponthir started the better of the two, going ahead after fifteen minutes when a shot beat the ’keeper at his near post, before doubling their lead with a penalty just before the half hour mark. Rhymney argued every decision that went against them, with the Referee facing a constant barrage of abuse from their ’bench’ as well as the majority of their players. It was a shame, because when they concentrated on their football, they made a real game of it. Their spirits were lifted when they pulled it back to 2-1 a minute before the break, when a looping header over the ’keeper found the far corner. Midway through the second half, Ponthir curled in a shot from the edge of the box to make it 3-1, with the final goal coming in stoppage time.

The Referee had sensibly got the game underway a couple of minutes early, with a brief halftime, so we were done and dusted by 19.33. It certainly did me a favour on the homeward journey, as I beat the M4 closure at Junction 11 by a matter of minutes.