Vale of Glamorgan League Division One

Cadoxton Barry 2nds 4 - FC Pumas 0

Scorers: Constant (2), Jackhontaw, Berry

WITH Alliance team Treforest failing to show for their scheduled Highadmit South Wales Alliance League Division One match against Cadoxton Barry, the opportunity was taken to move the Cadoxton Barry Reserve match in division one of the Vale of Glamorgan League to the higher status barrier edged pitch at Bryn-Y-Don and give some of the first team a run out with the aim of keeping up their match fitness.

So with a sprinkling of senior players reinforcing the regular second team, it was thought they would have the edge against title chasing FC Pumas but this didn't materialise.

Cadoxton Barry found themselves under constant early pressure, leaving gaping holes in the middle of the park for the enthusiastic visitors.

So it was somewhat against the run of play that Cadoxton Barry took the lead in the 13th minute.

Still a good distance out following a blistering run towards goal, Konten speculated with a testing dipper which struck the bar. But the incoming Jackhontaw was on hand to bury the rebound with a fine header.

There was another fine move from Cadoxton Barry before the Pumas reasserted the pressure. It started with a corner which Jackhontaw controlled before passing to Sansome out on the left and from there he fired to see his shot go just the wrong side of the post.

Back on the front foot, Pumas pressure set-up a bit of a melee in the Cadoxton Barry six yard box, but after a bout of ping pong, Craig, in the CB goal, dropped well to smother the ball on the line.

And, for a spell, the Pumas continued to find a lot of space in the middle of the park from which to launch their attacks. But solid defensive play from Weekley, Angove and Phillips in particular kept the Cadoxton Barry lead intact into the break.

The second half started with Harris-Reffell and Berry on for Lang and Wells.

With the Cadoxton Barry side now virtually 50 per cent Alliance League players the transformation was instant.

The Pumas were now on the back foot, but as would be expected from a side more used to winning than losing, they dug deep and battled hard to keep Cadoxton Barry out.

Indeed they managed to soak up the almost constant pressure for a further 12 minutes before Jake Constant eventually broke their will.

A short Jackhontaw corner saw the ball arrive at the feet of Constant, standing almost on the bye line. But that did not deter him from firing home with a whipped shot that curled around the near post and into the net.

With Pumas now struggling to get the ball out of their own half for any length of time, Konten danced over a couple of challenges down the right before firing from an angle which saw his shot go just wide of the far post.

That was the last action from him as he left the field following an excellent shift, this time making way for recently recruited second team player, Mohammed.

Shortly after the game was closed out when Harris-Raffell found Weekley with a precision pass. Weekley's short pass inside then found Berry to finish with a shot that had the power to find the net despite the fact that the 'keeper did well to get a hand to it.

With 20 minutes still remaining a big tally looked on the cards for Cadoxton Barry. But all credit goes to the Pumas as they did manage to rally for a short spell, a powerful drive from the edge of the box forcing Craig into a good save at the base of the near post.

But back came Cadoxton Barry to earn a corner which saw the ball bouncing high in the centre of the box. Constant, with his back to goal, spun and fired home in a single action for, arguably, the goal of the game.

But Pumas weren't prepared to succumb to defeat just yet, launching a quality break out down the right flank from where a long range shot perhaps deserved better than to strike the post.

But that was last serious Pumas foray into Cadoxton Barry territory.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Constant was getting desperate to complete the hat-trick that didn't quite arrive.

After Constant struck a post and had a further shot well blocked by the Pumas' 'keeper on the line, the 'keeper came forward in an attempt to intercept another Cadoxton Barry attack. He failed and was well out of position as Sansome fired accurately towards an unguarded net.

However, possibly in the hope of getting the slight nick that would allow him to claim that elusive hat-trick, Constant stretched a leg to make the heavier-than-intended contact which saw the ball go well wide of the right hand post.

Very shortly after that slightly comic interlude the referee blew the final whistle.

Although this was a comfortable win for Cadoxton Barry's reinforced reserves, great credit must go to the Pumas for their gritty resistance and determination not to be totally outclassed.