Cymru South League
Friday 17th January 2020
Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.29
Pontypridd Town 6 Taffs Well 0, attendance 196
11’ 1-0
35’ 2-0
53’ 3-0
59’ 4-0
61’ 5-0
85’ 6-0
@ University South Wales Sport Park, Stadium 3G Pitch
Treforest Industrial Estate
Main Avenue (A4054)
Upper Boat
Pontypridd
CF37 5UP
£5 Admission
£1 Programme, 28 pages.
This season has seen a restructuring of the Welsh Pyramid. At level two there are now two divisions called Cymru North and Cymru South. The former is basically the Cymru Alliance League under a new name, whilst in the south, the new division replaces what was Division 1 of the Welsh League (this reduces from three divisions to two).
I have been to see matches at the University South Wales Sport Park twice before. The first time was on 22nd February 2003, when the ground was known by its former name, University of Glamorgan Playing Fields. I saw Cardiff City U19 draw 2-2 with West Bromwich Albion U19 in a Football League Youth Alliance Merit Division match, on a grass pitch that was beyond, but running parallel to the synthetic hockey pitch that is next to the car park. The second time I came here was for a Welsh League Division 1 match, on 26th May 2009, when I saw Bridgend Town beat Cwmbran Town 1-0. That game was played on a pitch in the near right hand corner of the complex, which was railed off and had dugouts and a small stand. It was a ground that Pontypridd Town have also played at, amongst various ground shares, since they left their former town centre ground Ynysangharad Park, which could not be brought up to the required ground grading standards due to it being in a public park.
I knew that Pontypridd Town had returned to play at USW Sport Park, but assumed it was back on the ground they used previously. Rumours of them using a 3G pitch here led me to believe that the grass pitch was now replaced by plastic. It turns out that they actually play on the brand new ‘Stadium 3G Pitch’, (complete with two seated stands of around 100 seats each) which is in the far left corner of the complex (end on to the grass pitch I have seen Cardiff City U19 use) running parallel to a full size indoor 3G Pitch. This was their third home game here and the first time they have played a midweek game here.
Despite this being 12th versus 14th (out of 16), the fact that it was a local derby, added to the novelty value of the first match here under lights, meant there was a very healthy crowd of close on two hundred here to see The Dragons coast to a very comfortable 6-0 win. The opening goal came courtesy of a good save by the Taffs Well ‘keeper, but as the ball hit the pitch, it went spinning backwards over the goal line as he desperately tried to claw it away. Rather harshly, some of the crowd were saying it was an own goal! He was unlucky with the second goal as well, when a shot was deflected past him to give the hosts a 2-0 lead at the break. It certainly didn’t look to be his night, when he was beaten at his near post for the third goal, then miss kicked a clearance which resulted in him being lobbed from 25 yards for the fourth. He certainly couldn’t be blamed for the last two goals, a near post header and a side footed finish from 6 yards.
