Penlan edge out South Gower in crunch West Wales Premier League clash

Last season’s West Wales Premier League champions Penlan AFC came out on top in a hard fought and potentially title deciding match at the South Gower Sports Club.

Tensions were running high from the off as the first half-chance of the game fell to South Gower’s Louis Jackson, who hit a decent strike from the edge of the box after Penlan keeper Marcus Collins cheaply gave the ball away.

The first major chance of the game went to Penlan however, with great work down the right hand side from flying Penlan forward Darren Rowe, resulting in a penalty in the 10th minute. Penlan left-back Liam Otten, who had converted directly from a corner-kick in Penlan’s 7-0 thrashing of Clydach FC in the previous match, stepped up to the spot and dragged his penalty wide.

Gower had a penalty claim of their own waived away soon after by referee Gareth Williams, whose attempts to calm down the feisty affair were in vain. Penlan continued to demonstrate their physicality, disrupting South Gower’s attacks with clever fouls in the middle of the park.

Gower seemed to be on top but fell victim to a rapid Penlan counter attack led by their talisman, Rowe, who added to his 14 league goal tally for the season with a smart finish around the oncoming Gower goalkeeper in the 25th minute.

The champions kept the pressure on title challengers South Gower, with Penlan number 10, Luke Gear, earning a corner which was nodded just wide by the away side in the 39th minute. Gower controlled the last five minutes of the first half, but due to a lack of cutting edge, it was Penlan who went into halftime leading.

Despite the second half starting frantically with Penlan on top, the first major chance of the half fell to the hosts who broke quickly with Gower number seven Owen Evans setting up attacker Alex Giardelli to shoot straight at Collins in the Penlan goal.

Penlan kept their shape well and maintained a threat on the counter attack, with young Penlan midfielder Dylan Rich striking the ball just wide of the post from the second phase of a long throw. As the match progressed, Penlan’s defensive line dropped deeper, leaving Gower to resort to potshots from outside of the area which Collins was equal to. The intensity of the match never dwindled, spilling over into some pushing and shoving which the referee prevented from escalating.

In the dying seconds of the game, Penlan survived a scare with a loose ball in the box being cleared by veteran Jack Jenkins, who was excellent throughout. There were contrasting emotions at full time, with Penlan celebrating their victory whilst Gower’s Dylan Symmons was given a straight red card for something he said to the referee.

Penlan will next look to make it 13 wins in a row, traveling away to Calsonic Kansei Swiss Valley AFC in their next league match, whilst Gower will aim to bounce back versus Giants Grave FC. They will look to maintain their title challenge and continue their promotion push.

South Gower FC: Callum Andrews (GK), Jack Dixon, Connal Driffield, Dylan Symmons, Bruno Morris, Jason Heath (C), Owen Evans, Aidan Killen (81’), Alexander Giardelli, Louis Jackson, Ieuan Priede

Substitutes: Kieran Savage

Yellow Cards: Jack Dixon, Bruno Morris, Jason Heath
Red cards: Dylan Symmons

Penlan AFC: Marcus Collins (GK), Dale Rowe, Liam Otten, Jack Jenkins, Ross Hudson, Dylan Rich (89’), Cory Charles (C), Darren Rowe, Luke Gear (71’), Luke Dalling, Joshua Newman (69’)

Substitutes: Jordan Doyle, Rhys Coffey, Ben Simons

Yellow Cards: Dale Rowe, Liam Otten, Jack Jenkins, Dylan Rich, Darren Rowe, Luke Dalling, Jordan Doyle, Ben Simons

Goals: Darren Rowe (27’)