THREE OUT OF THREE AIN’T BAD!

A brace from prolific striker Richie Jeremiah earned P.I.L.C.S. their second successive 2-1 away victory and maintained their 100% start to the season.

The visitors began the game very positively and were denied twice inside the opening 10 minutes. First winger Darren Haines was picked out by a cross field free kick into the box and had the keeper beaten with his shot, but the hosts were saved by a clearance off the line from the last defender. This was followed by a very good save at close range, keeping midfielder Luke Harris at bay. In contrast the home side were struggling for any passage of play and only managed to hit a dangerous looking free kick over the bar.

P.I.L.C.S. were forced to switch to a 3-5-2 formation after 20 minutes, bringing on Matthew James in midfield following an injury to centre back Luke King. The substitute almost had an immediate impact, when he got on the end of a corner at the near post, but saw his glancing header clip off the top of the cross bar.

The visitors deservedly took the lead on 25 minutes, when Harris showed great feet in midfield and slotted a through ball down the middle, which Jeremiah latched onto, beating the keeper with a first time effort into the bottom corner. P.I.L.C.S. continued to look dangerous and had two opportunities to extend their lead before half time. Both of them fell to Jeremiah, volleying a first time effort over the bar and then being unable to convert past the keeper, following a poor clearance straight to him on the edge of the area.

As half time approached the visitors should have had the game won, but allowed Pentwynmawr to equalise on 40 minutes, after poor marking on a corner, saw them convert a close range header into the back of the net.

HALF TIME 1-1

P.I.L.C.S. restored their advantage 5 minutes into the second half, after a great run from midfield by Ryan Hillier and a good ball into Daniel Morrison on the edge of the area. The striker then beat his marker with an excellent turn and saw his deflected shot parried by the keeper straight to Jeremiah, who tapped in from five yards out.

The visitors began to look shaky with the score remaining poised at 2-1 and an equaliser looked far more likely, as the game turned into a scrappy affair. Pentwynmawr were hitting the ball up in the air wherever possible and were first to every header.They looked to capitalise on this and caused the P.I.L.C.S. defence problems on numerous occasions from crosses into the box.

The first opportunity to level things up came on the hour mark, when a good effort off a corner went wide of the far post. This was followed minutes later with a deep free kick from the left resulting in a scramble, but again the ball went wide of the far post. The hosts squandered their final opportunity to equalise following their best move of the match. Some good passing in midfield and a cross from the left culminated in their striker heading over from a few yards out.

After weathering the storm for some 25 minutes of the second half P.I.L.C.S. regained their stranglehold in the final fifteen and had three chances to put the game safe. Haines put in an excellent challenge on the right wing to dispossess a defender, but his dangerous ball into the box saw no-one able to get on the end of it. Substitute James Ronan was then denied by the keeper after being put through one on one and the final chance fell to Jeremiah, after beating a defender on the by-line his shot from an acute angle was saved by the keeper at close range.

FULL TIME 2-1

P.I.L.C.S. are without a game this coming Saturday after being handed a bye in the 1st Round of the Gwent County Motors Cup. They return to action on Saturday September 11th, welcoming Abertillery Excelsiors to New Road.