STM Sports celebrate. (Matthew Lofthouse)
A brace from Benjamin Ahmun and another from Calum Bateman was enough for STM Sports to take all three points against Pontypridd Town at Llanrumney Playing Fields.
Luke Gullick scored from the penalty spot for the visitors, but it was not enough to get themselves back into the game.
The tone was set from the first minute – a feisty battle with both teams looking to provide a physical matchup. Charlie Fripp was booked for dissent early on, as the referee looked to control the game before it got out of hand.
With chances few and far between, Pontypridd looked towards the high ball to crack through the defence. Gullick provided sublime skill from the left-hand side, but an effort blazed over the bar by Lee Baldock was the only shot they could muster from their time in the STM half.
The home side gradually found their footing as the half grew on, keeping the ball well as they searched for an opening, switching play from side to side.
It was Ponty who would again look for the opener, as a corner on the half-hour mark was met by Tyrell Webbe, but the forward couldn’t keep the header down as the chance went to waste.
The home side had their best chance deep into the half, striking the post after some good build-up play down the left from Sam Cawley.
Ben Ahmun celebrates one of his two goals. (Image: Matthew Lofthouse)
With acres of space, the wide man pushed a low ball into the path of Ahmun, with the forward having enough time to turn and fire at goal, stopper Morgan Davies was there to push the ball onto the woodwork and keep the game level.
The second period started with pace and it was the home side that took advantage early. A long ball was able to reach Ahmun, who helped the ball over the keeper from inside the area to give the hosts control early in the second half.
The forward came to life in the second period, firing a long-range effort moments later that forced stopper Morgan Davies into action as he pushed the strike away.
Davies could not deny Ahmun his second just before the hour mark; slipped in behind the defence, the forward buried the ball into the top left with a superb effort inside the area, doubling STM’s lead.
Pontypridd were looking for a way back into the game, and Luke Gullick was on hand to provide just that. The silky number nine weaved his way into the area and was fouled by keeper Exauce Dimonekene, burying the penalty into the bottom left to put the visitors on the scoreboard.
(Image: Matthew Lofthouse)
Calum Bateman appeared to put the game to bed for the home side with just under ten minutes to go, when he buried a strike the goal from the left-hand side of the area.
Despite the result, the game was marred by poor discipline from the home side, with Thomas Rutherford and Ellis Bellamy both sent off just before the full-time whistle for dissent.
STM Sports manager Dale Gardiner said:
“It was a fantastic result, considering we were going into the game with a number of our key players missing, we’ve had to adjust there and move people around today and they have reacted brilliantly.
“We need to make our home a fortress if we are even to survive in this league, let alone create an upset, so our home form is key, and I thought we were the better side today.
“We created chances, I thought we could have scored a few more but overall I’m absolutely ecstatic with the performance.
Pontypridd Town manager Jonathon Jones said:
“We’re at the stage now with two losses in the league, a draw and a win, it was a tough start to be fair, that we need to re-evaluate things.
“A pleasing performance and result against Llanelli and a real positive result against Afan Lido, to come here and lose was bitterly disappointing. It’s something we need to reflect on and put right in future games.
“We were 0-0 going into half time and we decided to change things to go after the game and two if not all three of their goals were from individual errors, it’s something we’ll look at but not something we feel was a game-plan problem. Individual errors in key moments gave them their goals.
STM Sports: Exauce Dimonekene, Charlie Fripp (booked 6′), Riccardo Mackenzie, Christopher Hajgato, David Biggs, Thomas Rutherford (sent-off 89’), Calum Bateman, Marcus Jones, Benjmin Ahmun, Christopher Worsley, Sam Cawley, Andrew Gardner, Ellis Bellamy (sent-off 90’), Lamin Conteh, Sebastian Warman, Dale Gardiner.
Pontypridd Town: Morgan Davies, Luke Sylvester, Lee Baldock, James Bloom (booked 43’), Shane Parry, Lewis Closset (booked 65’), Joshua Allen (booked 37’), Liam Shaw, Luke Gullick (booked 61’), Louis Gerrard, Tyrell Webbe, Gavin Beddard, Kareem Leigh, Aiden Lewis, Vaughn Fowler, Scott Hilman.
(Featured image: Matthew Lofthouse)
Nigel Bircham
Poor discipline !!!! Really …… Agree in the case of Ellis but certainly not in the case of Tom Rutherford, a second yellow card for a foul that should never have given in tbe first place.