Pontypridd Town 1-1 Swansea University: Johnson rescues point for Dragons
George Sellick of Swansea Uni celebrates scoring his sides first goal. Pontypridd Town v Swansea University in the JD Cymru South at USW Sports Park on the 29th January 2022. Credit: Lewis Mitchell
Pontypridd Town’s title charge suffered another blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Swansea University.
Jonathan Jones’ side had to come from behind with Sam Johnson equalising after the Students took the lead through George Sellick.
Pontypridd had an abudnance of chances in the second half, but a combination of poor finishing and some great goalkeeping from Luke Martin meant they had to settle for a point.
After today’s result, both sides are now without a win in three games. Pontypridd have slipped down to second in the table, ahead of a massive fixture against league leaders Llantwit Major in two weeks’ time. Swansea University, meanwhile, remains seventh in the table.
The opening half-hour was a drab affair, with neither side offering much of a spark. The best chance of this early period came to Swansea Uni’s John Roberts, who did well to keep his balance despite pressure from the Ponty defence, but his effort was straight at Steve Cann in the Ponty goal.
At the half-hour mark, however, the game suddenly burst into life. A tame effort by Elliot Jones took a deflection and nearly caught Cann out, but Ponty’s new goalkeeper managed to get down to parry it wide. Ponty immediately hit Swansea Uni on the counter, and the ball was played through to another new arrival in Lewis Iles, but the striker blasted his shot well over the bar in a one-on-one situation.
Just minutes before halftime, Iles got another opportunity, as he fired a curling shot from the edge of the box, but he was denied by a superb save by Luke Martin, who tipped it wide.
Pontypridd started the second half the way the finished the first, showing an intensity that had been lacking in the early stages. Having scored ten goals for Cwmbran Celtic in the first half of the season, Iles had plenty of opportunities to add to his personal tally, but he failed to hit the target. In the early seconds of the half, the striker met a free-kick with his head, but it was narrowly wide of the target. Minutes later, Ian Traylor played a beautiful cross into the box, but Iles failed to connect with it, milimetres away from a certain goal.
Despite the home side’s pressure, it was the away side who broke the deadlock. The students hit Ponty with a rapid counter, and Sellick got onto the end of a lovely through ball before firing it past Cann.
Desperate to find an equaliser, Pontypridd stepped the intensity up another level. A powerful strike from Jenkins stung the palms of Luke Martin, who was called into action again shortly after to deny Ian Traylor, after the forward tried to drill the ball into the bottom corner. Dave Vincent also had a great chance from a corner, but his header fizzed over the bar.
Eventually, Pontypridd made their pressure count, and it was Sam Johnson who was on hand to score his fifteenth goal of the season, leaping high to head home from Baldock’s corner.
The final quarter lacked the fire of the previous one, although both sides had their share of chances. Baldock played a cross towards substitute Gavin Beddard, who somehow headed over the bar from inside the six-yard box.
Swansea Uni had one of the final opportunities of the game as they were awarded a free kick just outside the box, and it nearly went in having missed everyone in the box, but Cann was on hand to tip it wide.
Player of the Match
Luke Martin – Swansea University
The goalkeeper was one of the main reasons his side returned to Swansea with a point today, having pulled off a number of fine saves to deny Pontypridd. His fingertip save to deny Lewis Iles late in the first half was one of the highlights of the game, whilst he continued to look comfortable in goal despite an onslaught from Pontypridd.
Pontypridd Town: Steve Cann, Paul Morgan (Vaughan Fowler 77′), Dave Vincent (Lee Baldock 66′), Jordan Knott, Aidan Lewis, James Bloom (C) (Christian Davies 60′), Lewis Iles (Jarrad Welch 77′), Ian Traylor, Sam Johnson, Oli Dalton, Corey Jenkins (Gavin Beddard 66′)
Goal: Sam Johnson 68′
Yellow cards: Oli Dalton 89, Ian Traylor 90+4′
Swansea University: Luke Martin, Elliot Jones, Wyn Thomas, Adam Orme (C), John Roberts (Tim Hicks 74′), Cam Langan (Bruno Osorio 34′), Jordan Hughes, Nathan Townsend, Harry Huddart, Warren Hudson, George Sellick (Harry Hodgson 90+1′)
Unused substitutes: Ben Edwards, Jack Rosser
Goal: George Sellick 57′
Yellow card: Harry Huddart 25′
