Flashback – 20 years ago: Porthmadog eliminate Amlwch Town from the Challenge Cup

North Wales Coast FA Challenge Cup – JANUARY 12, 2002

Porthmadog 2 (Dave Farr 33, Dafydd Evans 77)
Amlwch Town 0

North Wales Coast Challenge Cup ties on a Saturday?

Twenty years ago the competition was still afforded enough respect to merit weekend fixtures before later in the decade being reduced to a peripheral midweek event where the bigger clubs fielded weakened sides.

After 2013-14 the tournament was scrapped and is yet to return, although a comeback was pledged by the NWCFA last year, but the plan was disrupted by the pandemic.

Anyhow, on this date 20 years back – Saturday, January 12, 2002 – Porthmadog of the second tier Cymru Alliance entertained Amlwch Town, who were on their way to the tier three Welsh Alliance title.

Anglesey side Town were unbeaten in their league and were expected to give Port a good battle – which they did.

The early exchanges were fairly even but after 15 minutes the home side should have opened the scoring when a low cross by Steve Pugh created the simplest of chances for Steve Fisher, who failed to take advantage.

Port could have paid for this wasted opportunity when former Traeth regular Mike Davies played a fine ball across the home box and, after good initial work, Emrys Jones placed his shot narrowly wide.

There were further opportunities at both ends but then after 33 minutes Port’s Mike Foster hoisted a high cross-field pass from the right which opened up the visitors defence and allowed Fisher to head back across the goal for Dave Farr to force home past Tony Roberts.

Roberts was soon in action again, this time saving well from a threatening Fisher strike.

In the second period Port introduced striker Carl Owen, who was returning having been sidelined with injury for over a month.

The home side were now enjoying the lion’s share of the possession. A fine Dafydd Evans pass put Pugh through on the right but the winger delayed his shot and keeper Roberts made the stop.

Pugh and Owen were now prominent with breaks on the right.

Farr headed over one cross from Owen and then Pugh broke along the right, reaching the byline before cutting back for the advancing Evans, who placed his low shot into the corner of the net on 77 minutes, making it 2-0.

During this period Amlwch were mainly on the defensive with the experienced Simon Flower prominent, but they did come close on one occasion when a Stuart Williams shot went just wide following Kevin Wallis’ short free-kick.

At the end it was Pugh and Owen in tandem again with the latter bringing another good save from Roberts following a pinpoint delivery from the former.

Port: Dylan Pritchard, Neil Roberts, Patrick Johnston, Danny Hughes, Michael Foster (capt), Dafydd Evans, Lee Webber, Gareth Caughter, Steve Fisher (Carl Owen), Steve Pugh, David Farr. Subs not used: Neil Fisher, Martin Jones.

Amlwch: Tony Roberts, Ben Jones, Stuart Williams, Peter O’Neill, Simon Flower, Tony Jackson, Adrian Jones, Andrew Roberts, Mike Davies, Emrys Jones, Kevin Wallis. Subs: Steve Owen, Gareth Pritchard, Darren Thomas, Carl Jones.

Report: Gareth Williams (Porthmadog FC website)