Perfformiad y Penwythnos/Performance of the Weekend: CPD Llannefydd 4 Porthmadog 0
ARDAL NORTH WEST – SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14
CPD LLANNEFYDD 4 (S Jones 16, Morris 45+1, T Jones 88, E Williams 90+2)
PORTHMADOG 0
You would have got very long odds before kick-off on a 4-0 Llannefydd victory over league leaders Porthmadog on Saturday.
Yet that is the stunning result Gwyndaf Pritchard’s side produced at home against a visiting team which had lost just one of their previous 13 in the league.
Llannefydd delivered a sublime performance.
This victory builds on Llan’s growing reputation as a formidable force at home, following their earlier triumph over Holyhead Hotspur, who also suffered their sole ANW defeat of the season at Cae Llan.
So, what was the key to Llannefydd’s success on Saturday? Quite simply, determination. Gwyndaf Pritchard’s men showed they wanted it more, and their victory was fully deserved.
The match began with Llannefydd asserting themselves right away. By the sixth minute, Sam Jones had already tested Porthmadog’s keeper, Oliver Farebrother, with a solid effort from distance that was safely held.
Despite Porthmadog’s possession, they struggled to produce anything truly threatening, leaving Llannefydd goalkeeper Dylan Jones with little to do in the opening stages.
Llannefydd’s persistence paid off in the 16th minute, though the goal came in unusual fashion. A wayward back pass put Farebrother in trouble, and as he tried to recover, he lost his footing. Sam Jones pounced on the error, calmly slotting the ball into an open net, much to the delight of the home fans.
Porthmadog worked hard to respond, aiming to make use of their width. Sion Wyn Williams came close with a glancing header that drifted just wide, and a succession of corners kept Llannefydd’s backline occupied.
Their closest moment came shortly before half time when Ashley Owen’s header found the back of the net, only for the linesman to disallow it for offside.
Llannefydd capitalized on the visitors’ frustrations just before the break. In stoppage time, as Porthmadog pushed forward, the home side launched a lightning-quick counter-attack.
Llion Morris surged from his own half, maintained his composure, and tucked the ball past Farebrother, using the inside of the post to double Llannefydd’s advantage just before the whistle.
Both sides made changes at half time as Llannefydd looked to build on their lead and Porthmadog made substitutions to try and claw their way back into the game, but the home defence, led superbly by captain Elgan Roberts, was impenetrable.
The visitors managed to piece together some promising moves, but clear-cut chances were few and far between. Dylan Jones in the Llannefydd goal dealt with everything thrown his way with ease.
On the counter, Llannefydd remained a constant threat. Farebrother was forced into action to punch away a dangerous cross
Despite their persistence, Port just couldn’t find a way through the well-drilled Llannefydd defence.
As the clock ticked toward full time, Llannefydd delivered another blow. Following neat build-up play in midfield, Tom Jones latched onto a chance and slotted home to make it 3-0.
The home side weren’t done yet, and deep into injury time, 16 year-old substitute Emyr Williams added a fourth with a clinical finish from a tight angle, capping off a sensational afternoon for Llannefydd.
A day to remember for the home side.
CPD LLANNEFYDD
Dylan Jones
Guto Owen (Tom Jones 46)
Iwan Davies (Morgan Owen 90+1)
Mathew Evans (Emyr Williams 90+1)
Elgan Roberts
Ciran Jones
Lewys Turner
Ed Jones
Llion Morris (Dafydd Roberts 86)
Sam Jones (Michael Guest 61)
Mathew Jones