PENARTH Town Football Club finally kicked off their season in the South Wales Amateur League, after winning an appeal against their expulsion.

The Cwrt Y Vil Road side were facing the axe after fielding unregistered players towards the end of last season.

An administrative error meant Town were unable to kick off the new season until the result of an appeal to the Football Association of Wales was known.

Club chairman Bob Stansfield said: “We’ve argued all along that expulsion from the league was far too harsh a penalty for the crime.

“Thankfully we won our appeal not to be expelled and have now managed to get the FAW to rule that we should be able to start playing while any subsequent appeals are processed.”

Town celebrated their reinstatement with a trip to the Rhondda on Saturday to play Ferndale.

On a glorious day in a spectacular setting surrounded by sheer mountainsides in the little village of Maerdy, the game started cautiously with both teams trying to work out their opponents.

It remained goal-less until the half hour mark when Penarth's Tristan Davies hit a magnificent strike from the right hand edge of the Ferndale box that dropped in over the home keeper.

Ferndale struck back just before half time with an equally marvellous strike from just inside the box that gave the Penarth shot-stopper no chance.

It was all square at half time, but Ferndale were awarded a controversial penalty soon after the break and took the lead.

They continued to press and scored again from a well worked cross that was finished off on the left hand side.

Penarth kept battling and really had Ferndale under the cosh for the last 20 minutes.

But the home defence stood firm and the kept their 3-1 lead intact.

Despite the defeat Penarth were pleased to be back playing again in the South Wales Amateur League and hope to continue to do so for some time yet.