11:00pm Sunday 29th November 2009
ATTACK – attack. Goal twins Gareth Cullimore and Jason Thorn netted again as free-scoring Caldicot Town flashed a clear message they are genuine Division One title contenders with a 3-2 success over Bridgend-based strugglers Bettws On a rain-soaked day when only one other local club – Division Two outfit Cwmbran Town – managed to get in any action, Cullimore and Thorn took their league and cup totals to 16 and 13 respectively.
The trio of goals takes Caldicot’s campaign total to 40 from just 13 outings – the highest in the entire 54-strong MacWhirter Welsh League.
Dominic Connor also netted to move on to four for the season as Caldicot went above Barry Town into third place.
They now trail leaders Goytre United by nine points, but have two matches in hand over the Port Talbot club, who they next entertain at Jubilee Way on Saturday – kick-off 2pm.
“It was a very tight game and we were twice forced to come from behind after they led 1-0 and then 2-1,” revealed joint Caldicot manager Simon Wetter, who shares the dugout duties with Jason Pritchard.
“But I believe we did enough to justify the victory and we are delighted at the way the squad has responded to a couple of home cup defeats.”
Following Welsh and Nathaniel League Cup exits against Port Talbot Town and Llangeinor, Caldicot have bounced back in fine style to defeat Swansea-based West End 7-1 and now Bettws.
Cwmbran, on the other hand, passed over the chance to elevate themselves no fewer than eight places to fifth after visitors UWIC ran out 2-0 victors.
That was the margin of victory required beforehand by the Crows to climb above the capital-based students, and they certainly made a good enough start to have set themselves up for such a success.
However, despite UWIC having to play the final 69 minutes with only 10 men following a straight red card for striker Adnan Hiroli for use of an elbow, the Crows fell woefully short in front of goal.
The closest they came was nine minutes from time, when they struck the frame of the goal twice in the same move.
Diminutive winger Aaron Thomas’ low draw came back off the far post, and when the ball was returned into the danger area, substitute Kristian Powell’s header bounced off the top of the crossbar.
The defeat was the home side’s sixth in 13 league games, and on this evidence it’s now clear why they recently unsuccessfully tried to sign the county’s top scorer, Aberbargoed Buds’ 17-goal striker Ross Fowler.
Another matter abundantly made clear afterwards was the message to Cwmbran’s players from manager Barrie Hughes, who declared: “We play well for 20 minutes, then switch off and maybe some of our players aren’t quite good enough for this level and I need to be more ruthless.”
The Crows were playing for the first time since October 31 and Hughes said he experienced pre-match nerves over how his team would react to such inactivity.
“I was a bit nervous beforehand because we hadn’t played for a month and I was thinking, ‘what is going to turn up?’ “Will it be a stale side which hadn’t played and hadn’t a lot of game time recently? but no, it wasn’t, because we made a good start.
“But you have to put away your chances when they arrive and we simply didn’t do that, I’m afraid to say.”
After their promising start petered out and their goalkeeper Ryan Griffiths had made a couple of fine saves, Cwmbran fell behind in the final minute of the first period when Matthew Hawkins broke from midfield to score.
And when central defender Keith Cowan rose highest to head home a 78th-minute corner, UWIC had done enough to cement third position.
The Crows will now prepare for Saturday’s away local derby against Newport YMCA at Mendalgief Road, where the scheduled home fixture with county rivals Cwmbran Celtic was called off only 40 minutes before kick- off because of a waterlogged pitch.
Matches postponed. Division One – Caerleon v Bridgend Town. Division Two – Caerau (Ely) v Tredegar Town; Croesyceiliog v AFC Porth; Llanwern v Penrhiwceiber Rangers; Newport YMCA v Cwmbran Celtic. Division Three – Aberbargoed Buds v Cwmaman Institute; Abertillery Bluebirds v Monmouth Town; Risca United v Briton Ferry Llansawel. There are no mid-week fixtures involving Gwent clubs.
Hot shots: 17 – Ross Fowler (Aberbargoed Buds). 16 – Gareth Cullimore (Caldicot Town). 14 – Phil Tranter (Monmouth Town). 13 – Jody Jenkins (Croesyceiliog); Scott Lanyon (Cwmbran Celtic); Jason Thorn (Caldicot Town). 11 – Marcus Power (Llanwern). 10 – Owen Goodenough (Abertillery Bluebirds). 9 – Graham Mason (Goytre). 7 – Owen Llewellyn (Cwmbran Celtic); Chris Watkins (Goytre). 6 – Matthew Bowen (Monmouth Town); Lewis Clark (Abertillery Bluebirds); Brendan Scott (Newport YMCA, 6 for Risca United) Richard Sharratt (Caldicot Town); Shane Williamson (Cwmbran Celtic). 5 – Daniel Bailey (Newport Civil Service); Daniel Edwards (Newport YMCA); Elliot Ford (Monmouth Town); Liam Havard (Risca United); Craig Jolliffe (Goytre); Matthew Lawrence (Newport Civil Service); Kristian Powell (Cwmbran Town); Benny Preece (Aberbargoed Buds); Luke Sallis (Cwmbran Celtic). 4 – Michael Aviss (Llanwern); Adam Bishop (Abertillery Bluebirds); Dominic Connor (Caldicot Town); Luke Lewis (Abertillery Bluebirds); David Lloyd (Caldicot Town); Sean Matthews (Cwmbran Celtic); Mark Williams (Caldicot Town).
Clean sheets: 6 – Aberbargoed Buds. 4 – Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran Celtic, Newport Civil Service. 3 – Llanwern, Newport YMCA. 2 – Abertillery Bluebirds; Caerleon, Caldicot Town, Goytre, Tredegar Town. 1 – Cwmbran Town, Monmouth Town, Risca United.
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