Cup Final Tickets

NotBert wrote:Three clubs on 35, Aber at home next week in the shadow of the Welsh Cup Final, a win guarantees survival unless GCQ put 25 past Afan and even then Port Talbot would also need to find 3 points from their two games.  Couldn't be tighter...

Bala deservedly guaranteed 8th when PTT didn't win.  Would go there for a Euro playoff in May at a pinch if they get a game at home

PTT 2-1 Bala   
PTFC 0-1 Aberystwyth    
Afan 1-8 GCQ    

Afan take a twatting that is their worst ever shellacking in the WPL (and their second 8 in a month or so after PTT did them 2- and the eighth meant they conceded exactly 100 in the 32 games.  Sad to see them in that state, I hope they get themselves sorted.  They were the only WPL licence loser not to appeal the decision because there was no point.

PTFC edged it on possession and industry but Sean Hessey did a knee in the first half and they had to reshuffle.  They had a makeshift front two (full back Chris Davies deputising) which makes you wonder what they intend to do with Chris Hartland (prolific scorer, bought out of the Afan fire sale) who couldn't even make the subs and then both central midfield and centre backs needed reshuffling after about a half hour.  Couple of very good chances late on after the sucker punch of a well taken goal with 11 minutes left when they'd been sound at the back, reminiscent of the start of the season - Dave Hayes won everything in the air and it was good to see his confidence back after a clutch of red cards this season. Aber were at pretty much full strength bar an injured keeper. His deputy had a bloody good game.

Don't know what happened to Bala - they needed the win (they only make playoffs from eighth if Aber win the Welsh Cup next week) but were never in front and as such the only way PTFC would have finished above PTT and/or GCQ was to win.

HOWEVER
(This is a big however)
Haverfordwest County lost yesterday, their second loss in a week, and are now on 52 points in the Welsh League.  The top 2 are on 59.  Haverfordwest have one to play and cannot make either of the slots that would get them promoted.  They are the only side in the Welsh League with a domestic licence for the WPL next season (Cefn as you recall have a licence and have won the Cymru Alliance, so are up) and as such, there will be no promotion from the Welsh League this season.  In short, Prestatyn stay up.  For the season they had (I can find comfortably more than 3 points of decision fuckups this season - the disallowed goal at home to GCQ early season is enough on its own) it would have been a travesty to go down so despite default not being the best way to stay up, there's an element of justice in it.

Roll on next season.  May go a European tie if they pepper Rhyl and Wrexham with the games - which is a nap for Airbus and they aren't a difficult side to give a shout to.

Welsh Cup Final yesterday

Aber 2 - 3 TNS
HT 2-0, Att 1273 (we had more fans than you, we had more fans than you)

Two goals in the first quarter hour (one a pen) from Chris Venables, midfielder but Golden Boot winner with 24 this season (both sides have scored for fun). Stayed like that until into the last 20 and then TNS pulled one back and then got the other two in the last ten.

Playoffs for Euro place now doesn't include Bala. Next Saturday will see

Carmarthen (3rd) v Rhyl (6th)
Bangor (4th) v Newtown (5th)

Bangor managed to give 3rd a miss by taking a 1-9 twatting at home to TNS and then watching Carmarthen beat TNS 1-0 in cup final week. A nine goal turnaround meant Carmarthen finished third by 6 goals. It'd have been a bloodbath against Rhyl, mind - one of the bad blood North Coast fixtures and Bangor fans are a shower of cunts. They're on Saturday

 

And... we're back



The bogey side who kept getting every slice of luck and gift and wasted second last season were fixture 1 of the season - gap Connah's Quay.

Needless to say GCQ were gifted the opener again. PTFC came back on the half hour with a simple but effective corner and went in 1-1 with the wind at their backs for the second half. Thirty seconds in, GCQ score a fucking wonderstrike and PTFC have to come back. Michael Parker bundles one in and it's 2-2. Time ticks away and we get to three minutes of injury time. Seasiders have hit the bar twice and fuck me, in minute 92, they hit the post. As it happens, Parky is there to slot in the rebound and the kids and I went wild - 3-2, seconds to play and that's how it stayed.

Massively changed lineup - keeper and stopgap centreback are ex-Wrexham youth now on their first pro contracts and are in loan to Seasiders. Sean Hessey is off the books, it seems - the no. 5 has gone to Tosh Holmes who was also missing tonight (so that's two centre backs). Hunty wasn't to be seen (but he does still have a shirt), Dunty has left, Chris Davies is at Aberystwyth and Ben Maher is in his place. New face up front is a nippy, but on the light side, Michael Pritchard. Alongside Parky, they'll have speed to burn up front. Dave Hayes put in his usual shift again at the back and for a younger, less experienced line up, they put a performance together that you could only be pleased with. Greg Stones might have a huge say in how the season develops - useful feet for a big fella.

Huge celebrations from me and the shavers culminated in a McDs in Flint on the way home and two snoozing bairns when we rolled in gone midnight. Boffo. A good one.

Bala tomorrow. Tone, if you look in - no bet. Both sides tend to stick each other for goals, though, so looking forward to it

NotBert wrote:Bala tomorrow.  Tone, if you look in - no bet.  Both sides tend to stick each other for goals, though

And so they did. Three apiece ( ) and the PTFC that went on a European sojourn last year are barely recognisable this. Both keepers have gone. The right back has gone. Two of the centre backs appear to have gone. Gibbo is making himself less and less available. We've yet to see Carl Murray or Gareth Wilson (who are still with the club) and as for introductions last season, Chris Hartland never fitted in and is back down south at Carmarthen now, while Robbie Hughes, picked up from Rhyl and on the books and training until the transfer window reopened, was a revelation when promoted to the WPL and at that point Rhyl came back for him, the fucking cunts.

A couple of recruits on loan for first team experience from Wrexham, a full back from Tranmere and the promotion of a few kids and the side looks young, maybe even on the slight side, and that showed a touch today.

They kicked the wrong way for starters. Kicking towards Pontins in the first half is the reverse of what we're used to. They took the lead after 11 minutes when Michael Parker made a bit of space for himself from a throw-in near the right corner, the ball broke to Ross Stephens who slotted comfortably. Bala looked dangerous up their left which would have been marshalled by Greg Stones usually but he was unavailable today and the new pairing of Maher (ex TRFC) and Stead (ex Rhyl) struggled with them. We got to halfway still 1-0 but tbh, it all looked a bit aimless at worst or disjointed at best. Midfield was being largely bypassed and as a line, Pritchard, Stead, Parker and Stephens does look slight on the right - Michael Pritchard is industrious and fast as fuck but at the same time, he has the build of a 19-year-old Michael Owen. James Stead looks like he could do with a bag of chips or two as well.

Second half, a soft giveaway on the right led to a pretty much free header from a cross from the left and we were 1-1. The response was to win one of precious few corners which Steady, despite having a mare elsewhere, showed how tidy he is with a dead ball by putting it over at diving header height about eight yards out which Jack Lewis met and barreled in clipping the underside of the crossbar as it did. An absolute fucking screamer, he rightly went nuts and was high-fiving the crowd in celebration. Ten minutes on, with twenty minutes left, they brought on a full back to go five across the back and shore up the areas where Bala had been dangerous. It didn't quite work as with 7 to go, Bala did the opposite to the first - cross in from their left and pretty much free header and we were back to 2-2.

Now it's Bala, and Parky does well against them, so with five to go, Hunty makes a nuisance of himself again, Parky runs on to his knock on and in a one-on-one, he has nerves of steel. 3-2. The two lads up front had put a full fucking shift in again and deserved that, chasing an awful lot of lost causes, little held up, lot of chasing hopeful ball. The game should peter out then but on 88, the ref gives a free kick 25 yards out against the sub full back for winning the ball fairly and cleanly. Up steps Mark Connolly and twats it around the wall and high to the point that it was in as soon as he'd hit it. They should have won it too - they had a corner and queued up unmarked to nod it in and completely gubbed it. But 3-3 it was. Not the best show and a bit shit to be leading three times yet not win but the free kick at the death was bitter.

Point's a point, though.

They're a team to watch this season. Not in the "watch out for them" sense, but in the "fucking hell, they're involved in a lot of goals."

GCQ 3-2, PTT 0-3, Bala 3-3, Newtown 3-4, Airbus 0-2 (went that game, penalty and a corner and they are a fucking bruising side, standard Airbus fare) and Bangor 3-3.

Between the Bala draw and the Newtown game they beat Caernarvon 6-5 AET (3-3 in normal) in the league cup and the first round they won 4-2 as well against Conwy.

50 goals at each end in 8 games and a bit of extra. And it's 7 quid to get in...

So to update - Tosh Holmes is no longer in the WPL, Sean Hessey is on loan to Marine (which suggests he's trying to make his way home in easy stages - he's from Prescot) until January 1, Carl Murray has gone to the Alliance and Gibbo is growing a beard/moustache combo that I think he's putting together to try and make him unrecognisable to referee Nick Pratt, who is likely to send you off if you're wearing a t-shirt carrying his face.

It could be a struggle this season - the squad looks thin on experience. There's a lot of reliance on Hayes, Lewis, Stones, Parker, Stephens, Parkinson and Hunt to play week in week out and more than half of them are advanced of 30 and have a suspect joint or two.

Either way, from what I've seen, they can still hold their own with Bala; they are a better side than GCQ; Cefn, despite a win at Airbus (FFS), don't look particularly strong (yet to meet); Rhyl are having a torrid time (Christmas/New Year double header); and Bangor are struggling. TNS, Airbus and Aberystwyth are looking very much like the top 3 at this early stage and Newtown could be anything on the day but I fancy they don't travel well. Carmarthen and Port Talbot look tough nuts either way and there could be value in following the latter this season - they were at or around the bottom all last season but they're putting clear water between themselves and their opponents in some games, particularly the northern sides.

The Rhyl games might be the linchpins of the season already even at this early stage.

I went the Cefn game at home. I really don't want to talk about it. But I will. Just not today...

The Cefn game.

Town played five across the back, including two makeshift centre halves (Parker, Stones) who can nevertheless do a job there. Midfield looked as if it had a day ahead of it - one of the newly-elevated twins was in with Ross Stephens and Gaz Wilson, which meant the bloke in the middle was all of 18 and right in the thick of it. Hunty and another young 'un (Jordan Lewis) up front. Again, youth and slightness seemed to be the impression.

Neither side dominated, after half an hour the wind was winning when a long ball hit Michael Parker on the arm. Ref gives a penalty and decides a through ball is somehow DOGSO and sends him off. There's the five across the back fucked. They converted and then scored four minutes later while they were still obviously completely out of shape. Got to HT 0-2, chips were excellent as ever but the curry was only at about 90%.

Second half, Town threw the fucking lot at them with the wind. Turned into a lot of long ball the further along the game went and then Ben Maher Gerrarded himself in his own half and that was 0-3. 0-4 came from another breakaway when the game had essentially petered out. Score was a bit false, but the game was over when he threw that red out for what was accidental handball.

They went to TNS last week and had an average age on the park of 19.8. They lost 6-0. This season could get awkward - Gibbo should be shoring up midfield by dusting off his boots, IMO. Otherwise, the spectre of relegation could be more than a shade.

Absolute bedlam Saturday.

Carmarthen were in town and the game had more than its fair share of incident. All appears not to be well in the Town camp as a couple of big names were fit and available and standing by the clubhouse, not even on the bench.

Anyway, the potted version is that Carmarthen won 3-1 with a penalty, a corner and a free kick. They had a hatful of attempts but they were pretty woeful in the main. Town defended on the ground really well but in the "that was another amazing last ditch tackle" kind of way. The story though, was the ref. I played low grade football with lower grade refs but the nobber today outstripped the fucking lot for incompetence. He showed 10, yes, 10 yellow cards to Town today, six in the first half while Carmarthen were shown 2, both in the second. Michael Pritchard, who is nine stone wringing wet, was sent off for two striker's tackles, mistimed, clumsy, awkward but no malice. Even in some sort of totting up process he'd have been surprised at getting one yellow. He was gone inside 35 minutes. Dave Hayes meanwhile was sent off for putting a ball out for a corner and querying why the ref gave it when the striker he's just intercepted followed through. He booked him and then went for his second thirty seconds later. The ref was on card nine or so at that point and still found time to pull out a tenth for one of the subs. He had no fucking control over a game that needed little control and he was getting fucking everything wrong. When you can't call a simple fucking throw-in right, you shouldn't be doing it.

The crowd was 208. Most of them were at the player's "tunnel" at the end of the game and giving the most fearful stick to him. I saw some poor quality reffing last year as you'll see on these boards but this bellend was not fit to run a whelk stall.

Bottom 2. Off to Cefn next week on Hallowe'en, hoping for less horror.

There are a couple of reports on Carmarthen last week that mirror mine - footballspoon.net is particularly fair and a cracking read, also tweets as @footballspoon.

Meanwhile, Cefn.  Cefn play at The Rock, which alongside Bastion Gardens means the Welsh Premier currently has two of the greatest names for grounds in the world.  As for settings, well, it isn't called The Rock for nothing.



Yes, that is what appears to be a quarry wall.  Better again



I'd put it second only to Bala as a fantastic seting for football and when you consider the WPL has Bala, Cefn, Prestatyn (practically on the sea front), Airbus (on an airfield and with retractable lights) and Bangor (Nantporth overlooking Menai), it's a unique league in which to watch football, and that's just the grounds I know...

Anyway, we got there early and our faces dropped as soon as we got in the ground.  Stood before us is Dave Hayes, suspended after last week's farrago, with Greg Stones and Lee Hunt, neither of whom were in kit.  The first thing that went through my head was "has he got enough of a squad left to put out a side?" followed by "we'll have fuck all at the back tonight".  They put together the five across the back including Michael Parker captaining as makeshift centre back, Jack Lewis at left back and three kids.  You could call that "experimental" but I'd call it "suicidal".  The front line was Parky and Jordan Davies which meant no real target man.  Meanwhile there are two extremely experienced lads on the sidelines, not in kit who play at centre back and battering ram centre forward.

So, 7.30 kick off, Halloween.  Aberystwyth were kicking off at Park Avenue against Newtown at 7.45.  They still had five minutes warming up to go at Aber and Prestatyn were 3-0 down.  9 minutes gone, striker has a hat-trick starting after 2 minutes and completing it apparently exactly 380 seconds later.  Straight down the middle, two assists from Dave Roberts, the ex-Prestatyn keeper that were just allowed to run.

That's that game over, then.  They were lucky to get away with three.  After a half hour, Gibbo (who'd put himself on the bench, presumably to keep the other lads off it) took a centre back off and shuffled the pack.  Hayesy, Hunty and Gregor (to get personal) were sat in the stands right in front of us and Deano (subbed) joined them for the second half.  My brother (older) consequently annoyed them all fucking game.  Talk about insult to non-injury.  Turns out Lee Hunt remembers him, they've worked on sites together, and if you've ever met him, you don't forget our kid.  FFS.

They picked up as the game went on and even started playing some nice football which considering the absolute bumfucking they were getting for the first twenty, was a welcome change of pace.  There was no end product, no target man and against a better side, they'd have shipped more - a basic for a centre back is to keep goal side and Ross Weaver was repeatedly caught wrong-sided.  He'll learn, but this is a relegation dogfight, there isn't time to play school.  The kids are hugely promising but they don't have the weight, the savvy or the presence to carry a side.

Parky scored in the ninety-fifth minute in a second half that had had no stoppages while looking clearly offside from a through ball from another in an offside position.  It lent a degree of respectability to a scoreline that you could have scripted from the off, though.  There was a fair bit to enthuse about but in cricketing parlance, a spin bowler might enjoy seeing the ball turn but it'll be short and over the ropes for 6 - "did you see the turn?"  "Aye, and I saw where he hit it too" - and much as it shows craft and ability, it's a results business too.

Connahs Quay on Remembrance Sunday, live on S4C, a must-win at a ground that remains a bogey still.  Intended going but doubt I'll get away from the Remembrance service to get there.  Will have to check up.

Fantastic thread Bert.....don't think it goes unread.
I love it.

I watched the Sunday game recorded, as live, and frankly, they'll go down this year.

Hunty has gone back to Bala on loan, permanent deal in January. They have no battering ram, target man centre forward and watching every goal kick come out, be gathered up by GCQ all but unchallenged and then returned made the last half hour look like a game of attack v defence. 0-1 turned to 3-1. They have an 18 year old "running" centre midfield and he is simply too young for it. He was subbed on 88 yesterday and that was twice as long as he should have got.

GCQ play Bangor on Wednesday. Bangor are bigger than 2/1 and discount league positions, that is huge. It looks like two of the north coast sides are going down this year. Not good.

Not a great few days. Lost at Bala in the League Cup semi, went back there on Friday night the same week, 0-2 up after 11 minutes, 2-2 after fifteen and 4-2 at half time. Stayed like that. Hunty, left to go to Bala on loan until a permanent deal in January, got the second and the fourth...

Greg Stones has gone to Rhyl. Boxing Day and New Year's Day he faces his old club.

No league game this week, third round of the Welsh Cup. They drew the students of Cardiff Met Uni in Cardiff. An awful long way to come home after the only shock of the round, a 4-1 kicking.

Newtown on Saturday. Every game is must win for the foreseeable (Bangor, Rhyl and Rhyl in ten days over Christmas is fucking immense) but I can't for the life of me see where it will come from...

A four figure crowd at Rhyl on belated Boxing Day for a 2-2 draw, 30th biggest crowd in WPL history but wasn't in a shape to go, and the return fixture is tomorrow night and promises to be a big number again and again I won't be going - I am simply not up to it.

Went the Bangor game on the 21st, though. I'll relay that soon enough...

I've backed Bala to win today Bert.
Will they?

They were an absolute shoo-in, Tone. Lee Hunt has gone back there and is scoring for fun again, Bangor are piss poor and had two men suspended, one of whom was the only real outlet up front. The 3-0 it ended up seems about fair.

NotBert wrote:A four figure crowd at Rhyl on belated Boxing Day for a 2-2 draw, 30th biggest crowd in WPL history but wasn't in a shape to go, and the return fixture is tomorrow night and promises to be a big number again and again I won't be going - I am simply not up to it.

Went the Bangor game on the 21st, though.  I'll relay that soon enough...

31st now. The Prestatyn return outdid it by eleven hardy souls.

And they'll play twice again before the season's out.

Bala did for Bangor again last night at Rhyl (Maes Tegid is underwater) 3-0.

The bottom half sides have been busy in the transfer window with the clear exception of Prestatyn . Bangor's results may take an upswing having taken Lee Healey out of Cefn. The mid-season split takes place next week (game 22) and there's an awful lot to play for - there's little between the bottom six and the top six has a hell of a fight going on for second and automatic Europe (TNS still unbeaten at the top and won't be caught).

Rhyl tonight. Can't go again, bit miffed, expecting a big crowd and a loss will put Prestatyn all but down (9 adrift of safety with ten to play).

It does not look good. They haven't bought, they have, however, sold and losing Ross Stephens is fucking disastrous. There is little enough weight in midfield without shedding a further substantial lump of it.

Led late on and still lost at Rhyl. Ten points away from any semblance of safety. Alliance beckons.

Looked at the Bala programme, first game of last season last night. Fourteen of the 25 in the squad have gone and one doesn't play any more outside that. Only kids have come in. You can't maintain continuity with unblooded kids and cheap loans.

Late draw against Carmarthen today which is actually a decent result. Bangor twatted Cefn and Cefn go to Prestatyn next Friday and if Town win, the bottom which looked a foregone a couple of weeks back will be blown wide open. Bangor are now five away from safety and they've bought. 8 games to go.

"If Town win". That's a very big "if" at the minute

Went the Cefn game and they break your heart, they really do. They were the better side throughout but just after half time a rash tackle 25 yards out dead in front of goal on a bloke facing the wrong fucking way and going nowhere ended in a free kick in a perfect position which of course Cefn converted.

Ten minutes later it was one-one and with 20 to go and taking the game to them already, Cefn had a man sent off for a two-footed lunge. The game at that point turned from a pressing effort to a game of attack v defence. A couple of glaring chances missed and the last kick of the game beat the keeper and hit the covering full back on his trailing heel. 1-1 it ended.

Bangor also drew at Connahs Quay so Cefn got away with it a bit over the weekend (at 1-1 late on Bangor hit the bar off the outstretched hand of a Connahs Quay defender - no penalty given) and the gap stays at 5 points instead of what would have been a merited "one".

Chips were tidy as ever, tea bar was however closed on the outside, open inside (causing surprising queues for a Friday night) as there is damage to the outside hatch doors. Apparently there was trouble, Welsh-style at the Rhyl game and this damage may have been sustained during it.

Talking of trouble, the bloke who was sent off, when walking through the fans behind the goal, whipped a cup of coffee off a fan and threw it at the fans. Cantona, Welsh-style...

Bangor tomorrow. Veritable six-pointer