Witts hat-trick sends Ponty into the next round
Barry, WALES - 13 March, 2022: Alana Murphy of Pontypridd Town celebrates scoring her sides first goa Pontypridd Town v Cardiff Metropolitan University in the FAW Welsh Women's Cup Semi Final at Jenner Park on the 13th March 2022. (Pic by Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
A hat-trick from Alison Witts helped Pontypridd United win 5-0 against Barry Town United in the second round of the FAW Women’s Cup.
The forward was impressive throughout, as she scored all three of her goals in the first half. Liv Francis and Ellie Gunney scored another two in the second half to cap off a wonderful display.
The game started pretty evenly. Barry doing well keeping possession, while Ponty were set up to play on the break.
The Town certainly created early chances. Corners from Lauren Harris seemed to be causing problems for the visiting defence, but the hosts couldn’t force the ball into the net.
The missed chances seemed to breathe life into Ponty, and they had a great chance to score on the 15-minute mark.
A poor clearance from Erin Brennan fell to the feet of Jasmine Turner, who tried to curl it into the empty net, but Brennan recovered well and pulled out a tremendous diving save to keep the scores level.
However, they only remained level for another two minutes, as Ponty took the lead.
A cross from Carys Bufton found the head of Alison Witts. It looped over the oncoming Brennan but landed to a Barry defender on the line. As she tried to clear, Witts came running in to block the clearance, and the defender fired it against her, with the ball landing in the top corner.
Barry didn’t let the goal shake their mindset and they continued to press. Taite Trivett won the ball back expertly in the midfield before sliding it into Mackenzie Olden. But the striker rushed her chipped effort, which sailed over the bar.
The game was still hanging in the balance going over the half hour mark, but the Dragons began to turn the screw and were rewarded for it.
Firstly, a free kick on the edge of the area was taken by Turner, and she chipped it into the far post to find Witts, who rose well and guided the ball into the far corner to double the lead.
Three minutes later, Witts completed her hat-trick. Some great link up play down the right between Ellie Gunney and Turner resulted in Turner’s cross finding Witts in the six-yard box, and she bundled it over the line, to the delight of the travelling fans.
Barry had been comeback queens in the Adran Premier this season, but they went into the break with a mountain to climb.
There were signs that Barry could do something. Olden had two half chances, but one ended in the side netting, while one went straight into the arms of Maisie Jones.
At the other end, Witts had a chance to bag her fourth, but her header flashed past the post.
More Ponty dominance followed, penning their opponents in their own half, and as result, frustration began to boil over from the Barry bench.
What wouldn’t have helped those frustrations was a fourth Ponty goal, and that came in the 69th minute. Liv Francis collected the ball wonderfully from a Gunney pass, before running into the box, rounding the keeper, and passing it into an empty net.
To make matters worse for Barry, keeper Erin Brennan was forced off with a serious looking leg injury nine minutes from time. Captain Harris went in goal for the remainder of the game.
Harris couldn’t prevent a Ponty fifth a minute from time, however. Anais Trinci found the head of Gunney from a corner, and she guided it past the makeshift keeper.
It was a thoroughly professional display from Ponty today. For Barry, I’m sure they’ll bounce back in their next game.
Player of the Match: Alison Witts
Well, who else could it be? In all seriousness it was a wondeful display all-round by the visitors, but Witts was special today. Not only scoring well taken goals but also dropping back and helping defensively when required
Barry Town United
Erin Brennan (GK) (Lorna Thomas, 81’), Lauren Harris ©, Delia Ebbin, Taite Trivett (Grace McDonald, 69’), Mackenzie Olden, Manon Pearce, Hazel Lockwood-Jones (Ruby Hamed-Jones, 46’), Faith Mulenga (Emily Nicholson, 46’), Maisy Fahey-Pennell, Chloe Jones, Rhian Thomas (Anna Houghton, 46’)
Yellow Cards: Mackenzie Olden (61’)
Pontypridd United
Maisie Jones (GK), Shannon Greenway, Holly Broad ©, Emily Bayliss (Renee Day, 71’), Ellie Gunney, Kirstie Pervin-Davies, Alison Witts (Millie Jones, 71’), Liv Francis, Carys Bufton, Paige Ward (Clare Daley, 53’), Jasmine Turner (Anais Trinci, 60’)
Unused Sub: Eleanor Brook (GK)
Goals: Alison Witts (16’, 34’, 37’), Liv Franics (69’), Ellie Gunney (89’)
