PHOTOS:
Second Division Cup winners Clarbeston Road
Road skipper Dan Rees raises the cup
Cup final goal scorers Richard Bevan and Jason Griffiths
Cup final officials Charles Davies, Helmut Reinhardt, Ben Williams and Tudor Walters
Gallant runners-up Solva
Second Division Cup Final:
Clarbeston Road 2 - Solva 0 (after extra time)
Venue: Conygar Bridge Meadow
Referee: Helmut Reinhardt
Assistants: Tudor Walters & Ben Williams
Fourth official: Charles Davies
Two goals in extra time by Richard Bevan and top scorer Jason Griffiths saw Clarbeston Road scoop the Second Division Cup at the expense of a Solva side which had the better of the opening 90 minutes but failed to turn pressure into goals.
Clarbie were delighted by their success in a hard-fought tussle in which officials Helmut Reinhardt, Tudor Walters and Ben Williams also deserve praise for the way that they worked together.
Clarbeston Road had the first half chance when a corner from the right found skipper Dan Rees up from the back but unable to find the target as his half volley flew over the bar.
The same thing happened at the other end as Matthew Harries put David Price into space but his right-foot shot also flew high, wide and handsome.
Solva pressed hard for a while and a Charlie Sime cross was headed away under pressure by Clarbie’s captain Rees, and a Solva corner was only partially cleared – but Ben Jones fired over from 25 yards. Their clearest chance came towards the end of the half in a goalmouth scramble after good work by midfielders Bryan Phillips and Sean Ellison but Matthew Harries’s left foot shot went straight at Gary Thomas in the Clarbie goal.
Chances hard to come by
It left the scoresheet blank at 0-0 at half time, in a relatively low-key tussle where neither side was really able to get to grips with the wide-open spaces of the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium.
It was a similar story at the start of the second period as Ben Jones fired miles over the bar for Solva – and only a timely tackle by Rees prevented Charlie Sime from thundering into the area. Rees then joined David Price in Helmut Reinhardt’s book after a touch of the proverbial handbags.
Solva continued to have the better of events and David Price had a header which Gary Thomas did well to save before Solva’s Gary Reynolds was booked for a clumsy tackle after 79 minutes. Fraser Watson and Aled Harries joined the fray for Solva and Mathew Lloyd was introduced for Clarbeston Road but the game still drifted into extra time.
Clarbie take control in extra time
The game desperately needed a goal and when it came after three minutes of extra time it was Clarbie who grabbed it as Richard Bevan got the vital touch past Solva keeper Chris Davies.
Even worse was to follow for Solva as Gareth Thomas was red-carded for a foul on Matthew Fox and as Clarbie pressed forward Jason Griffiths came close to adding a second.
Nice touches by Clarbeston Road sub Emyr Griffiths set up a chance for Jason Griffiths but again the ball went just wide – but then Bevan was upended by Chris Davies and the Solva skipper was shown a yellow card before Griffiths doubled his and Clarbeston Road’s tally.
A superb run and cross by Fraser Watson saw Solva have a half chance but Sean Ellison rifled his shot over the bar and after ref Reinhardt booked David Price for debating a possible penalty, Ellison again shot just over the bar as Solva tried hard to claw their way back. Emyr Griffiths had a shot saved by Chris Davies at the other end.
Clarbeston Road: Gary Thomas, Ricky Maskell, Jack Wood, Matthew Fox, Dan Rees (Capt), Simon Owens, Danny Clarke, Gregory Brown, Jason Griffiths, Richard Bevan, Simon Thomas. Substitutes: Emyr Griffiths, Matthew Lloyd, Rheinallt George.
Solva: Chris Davies, Gary Reynolds, Joe Elliott, Luke Phillips, Matthew Harries, Sean Ellison, Ben Jones, Bryan Phillips, David Price, Gareth Thomas, Charlie Sime. Substitutes: Sam Ellison, Aled Harries, Fraser Watson.
