Dinas dominate season opener on slippery pitch (From Penarth Times)

Dinas dominate season opener on slippery pitch

ELY RANGERS 0 DINAS POWYS 2

YOU COULD tell it was the start of the football season - the rain came down like stair rods!

But this also made what was a good pitch even better, with the ball zipping about and suiting the Dinas side in their Welsh League Division 1 match last Saturday.

The early part of the game was dominated by Dinas, with a number of wayward attempts on goal and a couple of corners cleared by the home defence.

In the fifth minute Jamie Dix broke through the middle before passing to Rikki Morgan, and he laid the ball off to Nathan Hosgood who was fouled on the edge of the area, with the resulting quick free kick going over the bar.

Dinas continued to dominate the first half hour with Paul Carro and Rikki Morgan busy in midfield and chances falling to Liam Jones and Paul Carro.

Ely Rangers came back at Dinas towards the end of the half forcing a couple of corners and when Rangers' Graham Cummings dummied Kurt Bettles near the corner flag and crossed, Daniel James shot high from the edge of the six-yard box.

Rangers started the second half well but Dinas soon had them under pressure. A Nathan Hosgood free kick from the edge of the area found the head of Liam Jones but his effort went wide of the post, and when Tim Broome shrugged off a couple of challenges wide on the right his low cross ran just in front of the on-rushing Dinas forwards.

The opening goal came in the 57th minute when Nathan Hosgood, having an excellent game, weaved his way past three defenders and into the area on the bye-line and crossed low for Jamie Dix to score from eight yards.

Rangers' reply was to win the ball on the halfway line, and pass to Graham Cummings whose shot was again too high.

Dinas had further chances, and a Jamie Dix free kick was well taken by Ross Hooper-Nash in the Rangers goal.

Then in the 74th minute Dinas doubled their lead with a terrific move, starting in their own penalty area and ending once again with Nathan Hosgood beating a couple of defenders before putting over a low cross, which was turned into his own net by a Rangers defender under pressure from Jamie Dix.

Rangers showed their resilience by coming back at Dinas and hitting the bar twice in the final minutes - but Dinas also had two goals disallowed and were the stronger side.

FIXTURES

Saturday, August 20, ko 2.30pm: 1st Team - Welsh League Division 1, Dinas Powys v Caerleon.

Wednesday, August 24, ko 6.30pm, 1st Team - Welsh League Division 1, Barry Town v Dinas Powys.

Saturday, August 27, ko 2.30pm: 1st Team - Welsh League Division 1, Dinas Powys v Pontardawe.