Mariner team on fire to beat the Saints (From Barry And District News)

Mariner team on fire to beat the Saints

PENARTH SAINTS 0

MASTER MARINER 2

HOT SHOT Steven Hughes put the Master Mariner ahead after just eight minutes with a piece of quick thinking in this Supporters Cup round one match.

The Saints were caught cold as Shane Campbell put the ball through, the Penarth Saints keeper hesitated and Hughes grabbed possession.

The sharp shooter turned swiftly to beat the Saints keeper and tap into an empty net.

The Mariner sprung out of the blocks with Shaun White, Shane Campbell, Spencer Bennet and Rhys Williams all going close later on in the half.

After the break the Saints threw men forward, but a host of efforts failed to find the net.

A ball over the top caught the solid Mariner defence off guard, the Saints striker came close to an equaliser, but his shot was saved brilliantly by stand-in keeper Mathew Case.

The Mariner remained a constant threat throughout the second half and with five minutes remaining were rewarded with a corner.

Rhys Williams picked out Leighton Yeoman to drive the ball into a crowded box which resulted in a goal mouth scramble.

In stepped Shane Campbell to coolly pick out the unmarked Spencer Bennet to hammer home and put Mariner safely into the next round.

The Mariner would like to thank Tony Williams for stepping into the hot seat and allowing the game to be played at a high standard. Man of the match was Shane Campbell.

MASTER MARINER 3

LLANTWIT MAJOR 1

Master Mariner pulled out a great result in the Premier League with an under strength team. Goals from Greg Williams (Penarth), Scott Walters and Michael Cutajar were enough for all three points.

Marvin Cordell was pulled down in the box by the struggling Llantwit defence, to allow Williams to hit home the penalty.

Some fine movement in midfield put Scott Walters through to let fly with a left foot effort to leave the Llantwit keeper glued to the spot.

Some poor defending by Dave Allan, giving the ball away cheaply, allowed Llantwit back into the game with a well-taken goal.

The second half saw Mariner take control and it was Cutajar who made the decisive contribution.

He looked lively throughout the second half and was rewarded in the 70th minute when he latched on to strike partner Gareth Griffiths's cross and left the ball nestling in the bottom right hand corner.

Man of the match was Scott Walters.

Mariners' Secretary Lee would like to point out that more effort is needed by stay-away players to turn up for club matches.

MINI MARINERS

The Mini Mariners produced their best football of the season to hold a strong Dinas team.

The Mariners were unlucky not to get more out of this game with some great saves by the excellent Dinas keeper, who kept out efforts from Jack, Deco, and Jacob. The second 20 minutes saw Corey and Jack both hit the woodwork.

Dinas never gave up but it was Jake and Jessica who were solid in defence to allow Big Jay a quiet time in goal, and in the end it was a great result for both teams. Player of the match was Jessica Hewitson.

Stez and Leighton thank the Dinas team for the chocolates.