Margam Youth Centre 0-2 Penygraig United: Hathaway and Daye send Graig up
Penygraig United will play in the South Wales Alliance League next season after defeating Margam Youth Centre 2-0 at the SDM Glass Stadium.
Mitchel Hathaway gave the Rhondda champions a seventh-minute lead before substitute Tam Daye ensured the victory after replacing the first goalscorer just minutes after coming on.
Graig were the final team to be promoted to the Alliance league after Fairwater and Tongwynlais were promoted earlier in the day at Bridgend.
Penygraig started on the front foot with the men from the Rhondda putting pressure early on.
From their first meaningful opportunity, they found the back of the net. Ashley Langford played a through ball to Hadaway for him to beat two players and slide it underneath goalkeeper Lloyd Jones.
Credit to Alex Wright however on one of Margam’s flanks as he was the one player that posed any real threat to Penygraig’s defence.
The Port Talbot champions began to grow into the game and the outfield Lloyd Jones hit the side netting after being played down the line by Nathan Bowen.
Then the in goals Jones had to make a save in a one-on-one as he blocked with his leg to deny Tai Watts from slotting a low shot past him.
After shading the first half, Penygraig came out with more about them after the half-time interval and had a number of chances to double their tally. The best being from Ethan Davies who after the ball was rolled to him struck the post with a placed shot.
Margam’s wing men Wright and Bowen were the two players that were testing the Graig defence and just before the hour, Bowen headed just wide as he sought an equaliser.
Their defence was still open however and Josh Phillips spurned the chance to double the advantage as he laced a shot over the bar.
A second goal did come however with Daye making the perfect impact after replacing goalscorer Hadaway. Another through ball undone Margam and the forward drilled home a shot into the low corner of the goal.
A raft of substitutions from both sides meant that the game faltered out but as he tried to mount a late comeback, Lloyd Jones thundered a free-kick against the post, summing up what was a frustrating day in front of goal.
Penygraig were keen to preserve their clean sheet and made sure of it when Owen Midwinter’s first-time shot was blocked on the line. They had to do the last few minutes without Phillips however as he was shown a second yellow card for a cheap foul.
In the last action of the match, Wright from a testing cross headed at goal but Bailey pulled off an outstanding save, tipping over the point-blank header, before hearing the relieving sound of the full-time whistle.
Margam YC: Lloyd Jones, Jay Evans, Jamie Viner (Jason Heycock, 46), Oliver Probert © (Bradley Lane, 70), Tyrrell Maloney, Josh Heycock (Matt Rowley, 60), Nathan Bowen, Rhys Heycock, Lloyd Jones, Alex Wright, Ryan Dhillon (Owen Midwinter, 55).
Yellow Card: Matt Rowley 76, Alex Wright 87, Jason Heycock 90+4
Penygraig United: James Bailey, Declan Simkiss (Shaun Tanner, 67), Ian Smith, Bradley Cooke, Josh Phillips, Ashley Langford (Adam Gould, 78), Mitchel Hathaway (Tam Daye, 61), Rhys Thomas (Lewis Pritchard, 83), Ethan Davies, Sebastian Roles, Tai Watts (Joel Lewis, 88)
Goals: Mitchel Hathaway 7, Tam Daye 65’
Yellow Cards: Joshua Phillips 61, 97′
Red Card: Joshua Phillips 97′
