Red Card Mars Mardy Game

Mardy returned to action on Wednesday evening looking for revenge against Panteg after going down 3-1 to them away from home last Saturday. Despite a decent start, things looked ominous for the home team when Panteg were awarded a penalty for hand ball after six minutes only for keeper and Club Chair Chris Price to make an excellent save diving to his left to foil Jamie Simmonds. The next chance fell to Mardy when Nathan Price was worked clear only to shoot wide before namesake Chris was forced into another smart save almost immediately at the other end. Ellis Morgan then had a shot safely held by Panteg keeper Adam Sparkes who foiled Mardy again just before the break when a run and cross by Nathan Price was struck first time by Jack Williams only for Sparkes to get down well to hold his goalbound effort.

Williams then went close twice immediately after the break before Panteg showed how dangerous they could be on the break with a shot that hit the bar before rebounding to safety. The game was a competitive but messy affair which exploded into life after sixty eight minutes when Mardy's Owen Vaughan and Panteg's Alex Probert exchanged pleasantries after a Vaughan tackle only for Probert to butt Vaughan leaving him with a split nose. Unsurprisingly, Probert was immediately shown a red card for something that would be classed as an assault if perpetrated elsewhere. Similarly to last Saturday's game, Mardy were having more of the ball and the play but without looking too threatening and it was Panteg who again came closest to scoring when a powerfully struck free kick was pushed away at full stretch by Chris Price before the game ended in a rather unsatisfactory stalemate. 

After playing a team battling relegation, Saturday then saw Mardy up against a Pentwynmawr Athletic side in the hunt for one of the promotion spots. Nevertheless, it was the home side who looked the more accomplished side in the early stages with Nathan Price shooting just wide and Mark Hughes hitting the outside of the post before Ellis French made a great run forward and put a dangerous cross into the box which was scrambled clear for an unproductive corner. However, it was the visitors who took the lead with their first real attack of the game after ten minutes when the ball reached Ryan Aldersonand he let fly from 20 yards out with a shot that rocketed into the roof of the net. Mardy then had a chance to equalise almost immediately when good play by Devon Hardwick gave Price a shooting chance but his goalbound effort was blocked by keeper Tony Davies. Next, a free kick by Matt Wham was swung into the box where Hughes headed powerfully at goal only for Davies to come to his side's rescue again. Unfortunately, Mardy were made to pay for missed chances when Pentwynmawr increased their lead a minute before the break after a defensive mix up gave Joseff Speicher a sight of goal close in which he netted with ease. A 2-0 deficit was harsh on the home side who for the third game running could feel aggrieved not to have been ahead at the interval. 

The second half developed into a rather scrappy battle with the visitors having the edge early on and they nearly increased their lead when Luke James was put through only to see his shot half blocked by keeper Chris Price before Rhys Evans completed the clearance. To their credit, Mardy kept battling away and came more and more into the game as the match progressed but clear cut chances were few and far between until the fourth minute of added time when Ross Melrose headed home his 17^th goal of the season from a perfectly placed Hardwick corner to make the final score 1-2. This Saturday, the team face another tough encounter at Mardy Park against second in the table Aberbargoed Buds.

Mardy's Reserve team were also in action against Panteg Reserves but despite taking the lead through Tyler Lewis, they eventually went down by 3-2 after conceding a 95^th minute goal. Their other scorer was Kyron Hughes and this Saturday they will be away to second placed Pontypool Town Reserves who took leaders Glascoed's unbeaten record by 4-2 at the weekend.

Top scorer Ross Melrose (hidden) heads home his 17^th goal of the season.