BRIDGEND TOWN  3 - 1  GARDEN VILLAGE

FAW Welsh Cup First Round
Saturday September 15, 2007

Football returned last week after the international break as 72 teams throughout Wales took to the field to compete in the first round of the 120-year-old FAW Welsh Cup.

Garden Village travelled to Porthcawl to face a Bridgend side who had yet to win a game this season. It was also the third time that both sides had met in the competition with Bridgend coming out in the previous two encounters, including a 5-2 mauling of Village last term.

The former Southern League side made it a hat-trick of Village scalps with a 3-1 victory on Saturday in a game where the visitors were second best for a large proportion of the game.

Bridgend demonstrated their attacking prowess as early as 30 seconds into the game when Mike Hartley shot over but two quick goals before the quarter hour mark made this an uphill task for Village.

Dale Raven opened the scoring form close range on 9 minutes while a defence-splitting defence put Ryan Jenkins through to double their lead four minutes later.

Ashley Richards had a good chance for Village on 16 minutes but less than 60 second later Cameron Hopkins was through with only the ‘keeper to beat but the youngster took too long before pulling the trigger and saw his shot saved by former Afan Lido stopper Brendan Copley.

The game was all but over as a contest eight minutes before the intervel when a defensive mix-up allowed Jenkins to stab the pall past Stuart Lloyd for his second and Bridgend’s third of the afternoon.

It could have been more if not for Stuart Lloyd who made two very good saves.

This was a typical game of two halves as Village looked far more superior than Bridgend for periods of the second period.

Player/coach Anthony Wright unleashed a shot which flew wide of the target on the hour and it was the former Wales U-21 international who got the ball rolling as Village attempted to stage a dramatic late fightback.

His pin-point cross-pitch pass found Craig Connor on the left channel and the youngster beat Jason Davies to cross for youngster Richard Jones, a 56th minute replacement for Gavin Guy, who in turn placed a well struck shot into the bottom corner 17 minutes from time.

The Canaries had the momentum as the players continued their assault on the hosts’ box and as the game drew to a close Ashley Richards had two excellent chances in order to reduce the arrears.

With eight minutes left on the clock Richard Jones put Richards through on goal but he could only drag his effort wide and barely a minute later Anthony Wright’s ball into the box was knocked down to the feet of Village’s top-scorer but his shot was well saved by Copley.

VILLAGE: Stuart Lloyd; Josh Medwin, Gary Davies, David Evans (David Rimmer, 69'); Gavin Guy (Richard Jones, 56'), Paul Bromage, Anthony Wright, Sam Brown (Ryan McCarley, 69'), Craig Connor; Cameron Hopkins, Ashley Richards.

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