Church Village 0-3 Fairwater: Ryan Hocking inspires Water to promotion
Ryan Hocking of Fairwater celebrates scoring his dies third goal. Church Village v Fairwater in the SWFA Playoffs at Bryntirion Park on the 21st May 2022. Credit: Lewis Mitchell
Fairwater were promoted to the South Wales Alliance League as they swept aside Church Village 3-0 in Bridgend.
Ryan Hocking scored a brace with a goal in either half after Conor Jones had given the Wart an early lead.
It’s third time lucky for Casey Warren and Matt Boyd-Anderson’s men after the Cardiff Combination League winners had suffered play-off heartache three years ago and were also denied promotion on a points-per-game basis in 2020.
Fairwater also take their place in a league they haven’t played in eight years after folding during the 2013/14 season after twice winning the title but failing to go up.
Fairwater started on the front foot from kick-off and Village captain Gareth Davenport needed to make a block to take away Jones’ attempt.
That early warning sign turned into an early goal for the men from Cardiff. Ben Matthews dinked the ball over to Jones to take a touch before lacing it home.
There was a response after falling behind from the Taff Ely outfit with Jake Peterson’s speculative 25-yard shot having to be palmed away by Deryn Tobutt.
Peterson was the man that was trying to inspire a comeback and his corner-kick also caused problems but Aaron Illsley couldn’t direct his header on target.
Despite falling behind, they were the team that had control of the ball and were taking the game to the side that had the lead, and in another scoring opportunity, Torbutt preserved the one-goal advantage after a one-on-one with Nathan Came.
The crossbar was then rattled as Matthew Mantay’s speculative effort from 30-yards almost caught out Tobutt for an equaliser.
After enduring Church Village pressure, Fairwater scored their second against the run of play. A ball over the top found Hocking in space and he looped the ball over the helpless Lewis.
Minutes later, the Church Village keeper kept him aside in it. Conor Cusack put the ball into the path of Hocking but twice he was denied as he tried to scuff the ball home.
Before the half drew to a close, Peterson’s free-kick fell on the head of George Jones but the Village striker couldn’t direct his header on target, entering the break trailing by two goals.
Emerging from the second half, the Taff Ely champions spurned a chance to pull one back with Ryan Murunga shooting just past the post from a narrow-angle.
Murunga’s missed chance came as a blow to Village as they seemed to lose motivation as the game became a scrappy affair. Keen to keep the deficit to two, Lewis made a great save to deny Coles after a driven effort.
Frustrations continued after Murunga was denied on the line and then Fairwater put the game beyond doubt with their third goal. Jones headed the ball through to Hocking to jostle Illsley off the ball and he let fly with a powerful half-volley to secure his brace.
Substitutions then made the game slightly disjointed with chances for both. George Jones swept his shot wide in search of a consolation goal before Hocking was denied his hat-trick after dancing past the full-backs.
The game would finish with Fairwater convincingly beating Church Village with jubilant scenes at the final whistle.
Church Village: Angus Lewis, Owen Davies (Sion Hinksman, 53), Joshua Meredith, Aaron Illsley (Tyrone Phillips, 74), Gareth Davenport (C), Matthew Mantay, Owain James (Jordan Prescott, 59), Jake Peterson, George Jones, Nathan Came, Ryan Murunga.
Yellow Cards: Joshua Meredith 42, Jordan Prescott 64’
Fairwater: Deryn Tobutt, Benjamin Mathews (Lewis Bratcher, 69), Dylan Shepheard, Brian James, Conor Cusack, Nike Benson (Kile Blagden, 81), Ryan Hocking, Aidan Crimmins (Sam Norman, 89), Conor Jones, Jonathan Jefferys (Sam Kitchen, 86), Jac Coles (James Fish, 83),
Goals: Conor Jones 8, Ryan Hocking 38, 74’
