Welsh League Division Two
The Murch, Dinas Powys
Admission: £4.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 25 (estimate)
Match Rating: 3
Having booked another bargain £4.00 Megabus return coach ticket from London to Cardiff a few months ago for today, it was far from certain that I would indeed catch a game in South Wales today. I had my work Christmas party last night, but still surprisingly managed to wake up relatively easily when my alarm went off at 5.30 am. En route, a long diversion away from a section of the M4 due to bridge repair works between Theale and Chieveley raised the stress levels of arriving in Cardiff in time for a game, as did the ever-increasing postponements being announced in south-east Wales on Twitter due to frosty or snow covered pitches. Happily, the closest I came to snow was seeing the covered hills to the north of the M4, and although that put paid to potential games there (even 3G "all-weather" pitches did not survive there today, Dinas Powys confirmed at 12.10 that their game would go ahead, and so I decided to make the 15 minute train journey south from Cardiff.
The Murch is a short, less than 10 minute walk from Dinas Powys train station via a couple of footpaths, and spectators walk past a Community Centre and enter the ground behind one goal. Facilities here are rather basic. Hard standing is only available from the goal by the entrance, around the corner by the entrance, where the changing rooms are located which back onto the community centre, and apparently today, if anyone required a toilet, they would have to ask permission and be accompanied through the home changing rooms. The hard standing path continues past a green container unit, where refreshments are for sale inside, and leads to a stand, which is quite attractively decorated in club colours of red and black stripes covering a couple of steps. No floodlights, clubhouse nor pitchside seating is available, and while it is possible to walk around the remainder of the ground, the grass is fairly overgrown and probably not intended to be accessed. The ground has a peaceful, rustic setting, closely surrounded by trees, and would presumably be a really pleasant venue to watch football at on a brighter, sunnier and warmer day than today. The 24 page programme had an attractive, hardened cover, with a welcome message, presentations of the home and away clubs, and the predicted line-ups, but lacked fixtures/results and league table, and over half of the pages were advertising.
This game was between two teams struggling towards the bottom of the division, particularly the home side, who were second bottom, having won one and drawn three of their 13 league games. Perhaps it is fortunate for them that the bottom club, AFC Porth, are pointless after ten games. Croesyceiliog were in 12th place in the 16 team division, having won four and lost the other eight league games they have played. They came into this game in terrible form, losing their last five games.
On a grey, overcast, chilly and increasingly dank afternoon, I only arrived about ten minutes ahead of the 2pm kick-off, and the first half was an even affair, mainly a midfield battle. On 7 minutes, the visitors played a corner into the near post and a couple of deflections sent the ball goalwards before the keeper did a little juggling on the line before pushing the ball away. On 39 minutes, Dinas Powys had two good chances in quick succession, and on the stroke of half time, the visitors saw a header from a corner deflected wide.
The second half continued in the same even fashion, but on 54 minutes the visitors were awarded a penalty on the advice of the linesman for a silly foul tackle on a forward as he was heading out of the area. The home players were very unhappy with the decision, but Daniel Prichard drilled the ball low and under the keeper's dive to give the visitors the lead. Croesyceiliog really started to dominate the game, coming close to scoring on several occasions and forcing some good saved, and they doubled their lead on 75 minutes. A good aerial cross from the left found their forward in plenty of space, and ran into the box and although his low shot appeared to be heading wide of the far post, a defender stuck out a leg to divert the ball just inside the near post. That actually seemed to wake up the home side, and they pulled a goal back on 81 minutes, a low ball to a central position in the area was turned into the net. Dinas Powys finished the game strongly, although they lacked the quality to look likely to grab an equaliser. The closest they came was with virtually the last touch of the game, a diagonal ball over the top found their forward in plenty of space by the outer corner of the penalty area, but his shot was well parried by the keeper.
So an important three points for the visitors, which they probably just about deserved, to put an end to their poor run of form, whilst Dinas Powys will need an upturn in form sooner rather than later if they are to avoid occupying one of the two relegation berths to intermediate football, and are now six points adrift of safety having played two games more. They may well end up hoping for a reprieve.
The second half continued in the same even fashion, but on 54 minutes the visitors were awarded a penalty on the advice of the linesman for a silly foul tackle on a forward as he was heading out of the area. The home players were very unhappy with the decision, but Daniel Prichard drilled the ball low and under the keeper's dive to give the visitors the lead. Croesyceiliog really started to dominate the game, coming close to scoring on several occasions and forcing some good saved, and they doubled their lead on 75 minutes. A good aerial cross from the left found their forward in plenty of space, and ran into the box and although his low shot appeared to be heading wide of the far post, a defender stuck out a leg to divert the ball just inside the near post. That actually seemed to wake up the home side, and they pulled a goal back on 81 minutes, a low ball to a central position in the area was turned into the net. Dinas Powys finished the game strongly, although they lacked the quality to look likely to grab an equaliser. The closest they came was with virtually the last touch of the game, a diagonal ball over the top found their forward in plenty of space by the outer corner of the penalty area, but his shot was well parried by the keeper.
So an important three points for the visitors, which they probably just about deserved, to put an end to their poor run of form, whilst Dinas Powys will need an upturn in form sooner rather than later if they are to avoid occupying one of the two relegation berths to intermediate football, and are now six points adrift of safety having played two games more. They may well end up hoping for a reprieve.
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