Llanelli Town back on top as Pontardawe drop into Cymru South relegation zone

Llanelli Town reclaimed top spot in the Cymru South as they beat Pontardawe Town 5-0 at Stebonheath Park. 

It was a very Good Friday for the Reds who swept aside Pontardawe with five different scorers. Ethan Cann got things up and running before being followed by James Parry, Thomas Hillman and Josef Hopkins. 

Steve Berry was dismissed after being given a second yellow card and that allowed Curtis Jemmett-Hutson to get Llanelli’s fifth.

Lee John’s men are now back on top with two games remaining in their campaign with three two games to go. Pontardawe drop in to the bottom three with five matches left after Llantwit Major earned a point against Baglan Dragons.

It was the visitors who started on the front foot. Tyler Aylward skipped through the home defence but his near post effort was well saved by Scott Coughlin.

The hosts were forced into an early change with Danny Birch having to replace the injured Joe Hunt. Pontardawe tried to make the most of their good fortune but Aylward’s curling free kick went just wide.

The first goal of the match came against the run of play. A long ball from Scott Coughlin was flicked on to Ethan Cann who took it around Nathaniel Osborne with ease to tap into an empty net. 

Llanelli doubled their lead with a smart short-corner routine! James Parry tapped in a rebound from Thomas Hillman’s initial effort.

The margin was increased to three shortly after the half-hour mark. A great ball from Joshua Allen to catch out the visitors’ high line was finished smartly by Hillman to put the hosts out of reach in the first half.

In search of a response, Aylward delivered a free kick from deep which was headed just wide by Rio Booth. To keep the score down, Ethan Cann’s low strike was well saved by Osborne two minutes out from the interval.

Pontardawe emerged from the dressing room with a spring in their step. A fantastic strike from outside of the box by Rio Booth hit the underside of the crossbar but stayed out. Another chance shortly followed with Artiom Legavec’s threaded-through ball just about being smothered by Coughlin.

Llanelli extinguished any hope of a Pontardawe revival though as they got their fourth of the game. Hopkins nodded in a well-delivered corner from Hillman.

It went from bad to worse for Pontardawe after Steve Berry picked up a second yellow card after a scuffle with Llanelli’s Curtis Hutson.

To make matters worse, Berry could only watch on as a five-star performance from the hosts was rounded off by Hutson tapping in from close range from Cann’s low cross.

Llanelli face a trip to Goytre United on Easter Monday whilst Pontardawe host relegation rivals Cwmbran Celtic. Llanelli are also into the Southern final of the Welsh Blood Service League Cup where they will play title rivals Briton Ferry at Ammanford’s Recreation Ground next Saturday. 

Llanelli Town

Coughlin, Miles John (Baker, 25), James Parry (Richards, 59), Sean Cronin, Kurtis Rees (Owen Bancroft, 59), Ethan Cann, Josef Hopkins, Thomas Hillman, Jamie Allen, Joe Hunt and Danny Williams (Jemmett-Hutson, 59)

Goals: Cann 11, Parry 22, Hillman 35, Hopkins 57, Jemmett-Hutson 82’

Yellow Cards: Hopkins 58, Jemmett-Hutson 71

Pontardawe Town

Osborne (Lisczyk, 45), Aylward, McNab (Dorward, 72), Kostromin (Morris, 15) (Davies, 83), Dolman, Lloyd, Legavec, Berry, Troy, Booth. 

Yellow Cards: Kostromin 13, Berry 24, Dolman 42, Berry 71’

Attendance: 425

(Featured Image: Jamie Edwards Photography)