BRYNNA 1 TREFOREST 4

Treforest in 6^th place in the 2^nd division of the South Wales Amateur league travelled to take on 2^nd place Brynna in what turned out to be a pulsating affair.

In the previous encounter at the White Tips Stadium earlier in the season Brynna had taken the 3 points with a 2-0 win so Treforest were not only looking for revenge but to keep their good run of form going and also peg back one of the leading challengers for promotion.

With the game played in bright sunshine Treforest started the quicker and after an excellent ball by Benjamin on 7 minutes Davies hit an excellent strike which thundered past Claridge in the Brynna goal to put Treforest 1 up.

Brynna then started to dictate the game playing some neat football whilst Treforest with the sun in their eyes started to play a direct game.

Brynna were getting some joy down their right flank through Brimble but on 32 minutes a throw in on their left was missed by the Treforest defence and Carpenter equalised.

The second half saw Brynna with the sun in their eyes and they reverted to a long ball game whilst Treforest got the ball down and played some excellent football whilst starting to dominate the game.

With the Brynna Centre half pairing of Harris and Williams under extreme pressure from Davies and Fulker, Tref began to turn the screw and on the hour mark Smith picked the ball up in his defensive third and after a surging run up the right wing played a through ball to Davies who ran on and scored to put Tref’s 2-1 up.

Two minutes later Fulker nearly increased Tref’s lead when he hit the post but on 65 minutes a low corner, straight off the training ground, by Bridson caught the Brynna defence napping and Fulker second from close range to increase Tref’s lead to 3-1.

Treforest were now in total control and with some of the Brynna defence losing their heads the 3 points were in the bag and the lead was further increased when a superb ball by Jones on 82 minutes saw Davies get his third and Tref’s 4^th to cap a fine win against a very good Brynna team.

Next for Treforest, Kenfig Hill at the White Tips Stadium Sat Feb 16^th 2.15pm KO.

TREFOREST 3 KENFIG HILL 0

In the 2^nd division of the South Wales Amateur league Treforest welcomed 3^rd place Kenfig Hill to the White Tips Stadium hoping to keep their good run of form going and peg back one of the leading contenders for promotion whilst also strengthen their own case for a place in the top 3.

Missing captain Lewis Thomas through suspension Treforest gave a senior debut to 16 year old Lewis Randell at right back whilst also starting with 6 other players under the age of 20 with another 3 from their under 18 team on the bench.

Tref started the brighter playing some good passing football and after a good move Davies out jumped a Kenfig defender and the goalkeeper to head home but the ref judged it to be a push and gave awarded a free kick.

On 21 minutes Fulker made a surging run into the box and was upended, the ref awarded a penalty and the same player stepped up to give Tref the lead.

Minutes after Fulker, out on the left touchline swivelled and volleyed from 25 yards but saw his effort hit the inside of the post and across the goal away to safety.

After a melee in the penalty area a shot hit the arm of a Kenfig player but the ref failed to spot it and give another penalty and waved play on.

The 2^nd half saw Tref still dictating the game and on 55 minutes good work by Fulker let in Smith to put Tref 2 up.

On the hour mark Kenfig were awarded a penalty which was superbly saved by Lewys Smith in the Tref goal but just one minute later Tref increased their lead to 3 after excellent work by Smith led to Davies heading home.

Treforest travel to Abercwmboi next Sat Feb 23^rd for a 2.15pm KO

TREFOREST 2 GRAIG 4

In a local derby form and positioning in the league goes out the window and this is exactly what happened at the White Tips Stadium in the 2^nd division of the South Wales Amateur league.

In recent weeks Treforest have wiped the floor with Brynna and Kenfig Hill both contenders for promotion however they came back to earth with a bump against Graig FC.

Graig with only 1 win in the previous 13 games must have feared the worst when inside the first 30 seconds new signing Rhys Bowler had a golden chance to put Tref in front but took an extra touch and the chance was gone.

It was Tref who dictated most of the play early on without troubling Roberts in the Graig goal however the breakthrough came when a corner by Bridson for Treforest was beaten away and Graig counter attacked at pace through Mark Lloyd on the right wing who found Fudge, who was at least 2 yards offside but was missed by the official and he ran on to put Graig 1 up.

A change at half time by Tref with Smith on for Fulker added pressure on the Graig back line but with John Mann marshalling his defence superbly and Josh Fulker cutting everything out in front of the defence chances were few and far between for Tref.

Graig increased their lead when a defensive mix up from a cross allowed Jacobs the easiest of headers into an empty net for 2-0.

Tref were going for broke and penning Graig into their own half and a cross from the right allowed Thomas to reduce the deficit by thundering a header into the net.

With Tref committing plays forward gaps were appearing at the back and this allowed substitute Staples to put Graig 3-1 up after he chased down a ball and slotted home.

The introduction of Morgan for Tref gave the Graig a lot of problems and after he outwitted the Graig defence Davies reduced the score to 3-2 however with minutes to go and calling for cool heads Tref’s discipline deserted them and they were reduced to 9 men.

Evans completed the scoring for the Graig when a cross from the left found him unmarked and he slotted home to give Graig only their 2^nd win in 14 games.

Man of match Graig FC’s Josh Fulker

Next for Treforest Kenfig Hill away Sat March 8^th KO 2.30pm

Ton & Gelli-v-Treforest : Sat.15th Dec.2007

Ton & Gelli 2 Treforest 4

Treforest travelled up the valley to take on Ton & Gelli after 3 weeks of inactivity due to poor weather. Tref. quickly showed they were eager to continue their spell of good results, and were very sharp out of the blocks. Starting brightly they played some good 1 and 2 touch football, but Ton came closest in the early stages bringing out the best of goalie Lewys Smith.

Tref. however, were not to be denied, and were soon ahead through a Deon Dewberry own goal after good Tref. pressure down the right hand side of the park. This sparked Ton. into action again and on 27 minutes they equalized with a controversial goal after Smith in the Tref. goal had gone down following a challenge which the referee deemed fair, leaving the Ton striker with a simple tap in.

Despite feeling aggrieved and a little unsettled,Tref. continued to boss the game, but with Ton quick to counter attack chances were falling to both sides. Just a minute before half time Treforest's left winger Darren Belmont restored their lead rolling the ball under the home keeper. Again Ton were quick to respond and 1 minute later a defensive lapse allowed them to get on level terms at the break.

The second half saw Tref. control the tempo of the game but with very little end product. however, after a thunderous tackle by "Rocky" Williams on 77 minutes the ball fell to Gary Bridson who played in the "old dog" Stacey Fulker who swivelled his snake hips and volleyed into the net from fully 30 yards.With time running out Tref's young striker Lian Davies who had been a constant thorn in Ton's side, got his just reward when he scored his side's 4th goal after good work by the impressive Dean Jones in mid-field.

An excellent away win for Treforest who are now 4th in the table.

Treforest-v- Cardiff Dracs.:Sat.24th Nov @07

Treforest 3 Cardiff Draconians 3

This match was played in horrendous conditions and was a tribute to both sides who somehow produced a six goal thriller and tried to play fast, entertaining football at all times.

Cardiff Dracs. started the brighter, with Tref. having to battle hard to get into the game. After the home side forced an excellent save from the Dracs keeper, Lewys Price in the home goal had to produce a superb save to keep the scores level. On 30 minutes Gary Bridson scored the opening goal for Tref, but minutes later the away team drew level after Smith could only parry the ball to the Dracs striker who calmly equalized just before lemon time.

With the weather deteriorating further the both sides were having difficulties, but after good work by Dean Jones, Lian Davies scored to take Tref. in front again. Back came the Dracs. and they drew level following a free kick on the edge of the box.

Shortly after the away team scored a very controversial third through Nippers who appeared to be at least 2 yards off side. However, the Referee unbelievably allowed the goal to stand and put the Cardiff side in front for the first time.

With time running out Treforest threw caution to the wind and introduced another striker for a defender. This move quickly paid dividends when veteran Stacey Fulker bundled the ball into the net for a share of the spoils.

This game was a tribute to both Clubs and was played in excellent spirit throughout despite the poor conditions.

Treforest 6 - Ferndale 1 : Sat.10th Nov. 07

Treforest were quick out of the traps in this entertaining game at the White Tips Stadium,taking the lead after just 52 seconds with a goal from Lian Davies. By half time the home side had increased their lead to 3-0 with both goals coming from Gary Bridson.

The second half was again dominated by Tref. and an interval substitution of Fulker for the injured Egan paid immediate dividends with veteran Fulker taking just 13 seconds to take the score to 4 nil.

After the hosts had squandered numerous chances Bridson scored again to gain a well deserved hat-trick. With time running out, Dean Jones plundered Tref's 6th of the game with an excellent goal from outside the box. In the 85th minute the valiant Ferndale team gained a well earned consolation goal after a corner from the left was whipped into the net.

Another good win for Treforest who move to 5th in the table

Treforest-v-Ynyshir Albion - Sat. 3rd Nov.07

Treforest hosted Ynyshir Albion for the second round of the South Wales Senior Cup on a good playing surface at the White Tips Stadium.

The game started at a frantic pace with both sides going all out for a win. Chances were being created by both sides and defences were stretched to their limits. After squandering three good opportunities in the first fifteen minutes, Treforest finally made the breakthrough in the 24th minute when Lian Davies scored following a 30yard free kick from Gary Bridson which the Ynyshir goalkeeper fumbled. Four minutes later, after excellent work by Jordan Smith, Davies poached his second of the day. On 35 minutes young Davies completed his second hat-trick in successive weeks, putting Treforest in a commanding lead.

However, the second half found Ynyshir in fighting spirit, and Treforest were placed under a lot of pressure, which they contained with reasonable ease.

On 80 minutes Dean Jones played a terrific ball through to Jordan Smith who put the ball away with aplomb to give Treforest an unassailable lead. Immediately following the re- start back came Ynyshir showing they would fight to the end, and Carl Pugh scored with an excellent long shot for a consolation goal.

With the game drawing to a close, a superb strike from 25 yards by Treforest's Neil Evans made the final score 5-1 to the home side. A terrific game played in good spirit by both teams.

Treforest v Abercwmboi Ath. - Sat.27th Oct. '07

Treforest 4 Abercwmboi 2

A warm welcome was extended to our friends from Abercwmboi last Saturday for what amounted to an enthralling game.

Despite making three late changes to last week's team who beat Splott Albion we were very slow off the mark and after 8 minutes were a goal down following a defensive mix up which enabled Aber to score into an empty net unchallenged. Despite more sustained pressure from Aber. we gradually got stronger and in difficult conditions young Jordan Smith bundled the ball into the back of the net for the equalizer on the half hour mark.

A minute later, our other young striker Lian Davies scored from an excellent Shaun Englehardt cross. Following this boost, we started to create chances, and a third goal followed in the 68th minute, again from Lian Davies.

Poor defending then saw Aber. obtain their second of the game from a free header in the six yard box. Fortunately the team played its way out of the doldrums and Lian Davies snatched his hat trick following an Andrew Egan long throw.

A man of the match performance from Lian Davies, who continues to shine despite attracting a lot of attention from opposing defenders. Once again the young players in the team merited their selection, and this is a tribute to Lawrence and his coaching team for all the hard work put in over the last few years. It is good to see it is bearing fruit. I hope this continues into the future so that we can aspire to move up the pyramid.

Treforest v Splott Albion : Sat.13th October '07

An excellent 6-2 win off the back of 4 straight defeats. The team is now starting to gell and unlike Cardiff City we have a couple of young match winners in Lian Davies and Jordan Smith. With continued good coaching from Lawrence and his team this augurs well for the future.

Congratulations to all the lads for helping these youngsters and the others who are stepping up from the youth team to integrate and making the transission as painless as possible. Keep up the good work.

Thanks must also go to the more senior players in the squad who have enabled the young lads to settle in and produce the goods. The next fixture against Abercwmboi will be difficult as Abercwmboi have hit a rich vein of form. All at the Club have confidence in the team and hope they can rise to the challenge that teams at this level pose.

Well done on the win over Splott.

Hirwaun 0 - Treforest 3

Hirwaun 0 Treforest 3

In the Thunder Road Motorcycles 2nd Division Amateur League Treforest travelled away to take on Hirwaun and despite the amount of rain that had fallen the pitch was in excellent condition and allowed some good football to be played.

Treforest started the game brightly with right back Temple and right wing Bull causing Hirwaun problems down the flank.

After a good move Andrew Bull ran on with the ball, cut inside and let a thunderous left foot shot go from 20 yards which saw Bond in the Hirwaun goal pull off an excellent save.

More good work on the right saw Bull unselfishly cross for Phelps to tuck away but the young strikers goal was ruled out for offside.

After 25 minutes a corner was floated over from the right by Phillips and Shoemark rose like a magestic salmon high above everyone to put Treforest 1 up.

Just 2 minutes later a mazy run by Dazzy Phillips led to the same player putting a cross in which saw Anthony Phelps increase Treforest's lead.

The second half saw Treforest playing down the slope with the wind and Hirwaun battling hard to get back in the game however the midfield duo of Lewis Thomas and Paul Benjamin were in control and Treforest playing good football.

More chances were falling Treforest's way with Bond in the Hirwaun goal keeping them at bay.

After good work by 'Veteran' player/coach Stacy Fulker, Thomas put Treforest 3 up after shooting from the edge of the box.

Treforest welcome high flying Llanharry to the White Tips Stadium on saturday 3rd March with a 2.30pm KO