BETTWS  2 - 1  GARDEN VILLAGE

Welsh Football League Division 2
Saturday October 21st, 2006

Garden Village suffered their second successive league defeat at the hands of struggling Bettws at a stormy Bettws Park.

The small Bridgend village was engulfed by the bad weather and at one point the referee had to stop play as it had gotten so bad. But, with there still a lot of surface water on the pitch, the match lasted the full 90 minutes to the delight of Bettws boss Mark Sage who celebrated his first win as Bettws manager.

There was little action of note during the first period of play due to the poor weather conditions but home ‘keeper Mark Elliot, making his first start of the season, was kept busy by the Garden Village attack. He was forced to clear a threatening cross early on and called upon to save from Marc Lloyd’s effort.

Village stopper Simon Cole denied Richard Ready an opening goal on the stroke of half-time and both sides retired to the changing rooms locked at 0-0.

Both ‘keeper were also called into action during the early stages of the second-half with Rob Shannon forcing a save out of Mark Elliot while Simon Cole denied Dean Symonds.

But as the half went on Cole was finally beaten. With the clock on 70 minutes the home side were awarded a penalty after Anthony Rawlings was upended in the area, the referee awarded a penalty and Richard Ready made no mistake with the spot-kick.

Their lead was to last just five minutes as Garden Village were awarded a penalty of their own and was put neatly put away by Ashley Richards.

As the match drew to a close Mark Sage brought on Rhodri Parry, a former Merthyr and Garw frontman and prolific goalscorer, as he looked for a win to avenge the disappointing defeat at bottom side Pontyclun the week before. His players delivered but it wasn’t to be Parry who would win the match for Bettws.

It was Richard Ready, scorer of the penalty, who would score the second goal and help register a first Bettws victory in the league since September 2.

Garden Village meanwhile have failed to register a Second Division victory since beating Merthyr Saints in mid-August.

Bettws: Mark Elliot, Dean Symons, Gareth Sage, Mark Simmonds, Jason Bird, Owen Atkinson, Karl Miller, Richard Llewellyn, Richard Ready, Anthony Rawlings, Robbie Hugglestone.

Subs: Steve Amos, Rhodri Parry, Scott Williams.

Village: Simon Cole; David Evans, Jamie Mansell, David Rimmer; Scott Evans, Phil John, Steven Evans, Marc Lloyd, Steve Devonald; Ashley Richards, Rob Shannon.

Subs: Michael Harvey, Derek James, Dayle Selvage.

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