Dinas Powys Athletic 2 - Penarth Town 5

PENARTH Town's 1st team travelled to play Dinas Powys Athletic last weekend in the Vale Premiership.

The weather was awful with strong winds and rain which was always going to make playing attractive football difficult for both sides.

Town looked the sharper early on and with only about 10 minutes played the ball fell to Rhys Knight just on the edge of the home team's box. With nothing much else on he opted for a strike which skidded off the greasy surface past the sprawling 'keeper and into the bottom left corner of the goal.

Penarth really started to dominate now with Stefano Damian and Luke Horwood in the centre of the defence controlling the game at the back supported on either side by Ellis Kemp and Rhys Fford. This gave the central midfield time and space to take the game to the opposition.

This pressure paid off when Ryan Williams moved the ball to Mark Lane who was all of 20 yards out but sensing an opportunity launched the ball towards the Dinas goal. Their 'keeper managed to get a hand to it but again the conditions favoured the visitors as he failed to hold it and Town had their second. So at the break it was 2 - 0 to Penarth.

The second period continued in much the same way with Penarth dominating. Josh Stephens and Knight out wide were able to supply plenty of ball to the Beedell brothers (Grant and Paul) in the centre. Unlike the previous week however, when they were both on the score sheet this was not to be their day with several chances going just wide.

Dinas had very few chances but from one that Idris Angove in the Town goal had collected quite calmly they picked up on the throw out and blasted a beauty past a scrambling Angove. This gave them a lift and they started to push harder but it also left space behind and Knight used his pace well to get behind the Dinas defence and square for Stephens to score a tap in.

Again Dinas rallied and not long after got another to bring the score back to 3 - 2.

Penarth however were not done yet and when Dinas conceded a free kick just outside their penalty box Stephens stepped up, struck it beautifully into the top corner for his second.

Tristan Davies was brought on to add a little stability at the back with Kemp visibly tiring and Mike Jenkins replacing the injured Lane. He made an immediate impact and not long after set-up Stephens for his hat-trick.

So in the end it was 5 - 2 and a convincing win for the Town which takes them to second in the table.

Penarth's second team was also in action on the same day against St Athan and also ran out winners, this time 6 - 2, goals from Alex Donovan (2), Gareth Matthews, Lewis Slack, Nathan Bousie and Shaun Bryan.

Next Saturday Penarth are playing home in the Barry Cup against Sully with a combined side.