FAW Amateur Trophy

Goytre AFC 4 Penydarren 3

GOYTRE maintained their dreams of Dragon Signs FAW Amateur Trophy glory by overcoming Penydarren 4-3 in a titanic fourth-round encounter under the Plough Road floodlights on Friday night, reports STUART TOWNSEND.

The Merthyr Tydfil visitors had the first real opportunity when Kerry Morgan tried his luck from 30 yards in the fifth minute but could only find the hands of Goytre keeper Joseph Massaro.

The hosts should have taken the lead three minutes later when a Chris Parry header from a corner thundered back off the bar before skipper Daniel Barnard fired over.

Jamie Bird's 25-yard free-kick was comfortably saved by Penydarren keeper Matthew Davies in the 18th minute before the South Wales Premier League opposition responded four minutes later, Morgan's low shot from the edge of the penalty area turned behind by Massaro before Alexander Lloyd's header was blocked from the ensuing corner.

The warning sign went unheeded as Goytre went behind three minutes later when Morgan's free-kick from the left edge of the box was turned in at the near post by Ben Gibbon.

But Connor Hanford went close with a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area before the Monmouthshire club equalised four minutes later when Bird's deflected shot found the far corner of the net after a corner was only partially cleared by the Penydarren defence.

Chris Ham had a great opportunity to put his team ahead within 60 seconds when played through on goal, but diverted his effort wide.

But Goytre went ahead five minutes after the interval when Ham headed home at the far post from Bird's precise cross from the right.

Home supporters had only just finished celebrating when they doubled their advantage after breaking down the left, Jac Evans' inviting cross converted at the far post by Lewis Green.

The Monmouthshire men came close to adding a fourth in the 57th minute, but Ham's fierce 30-yard drive thundered back of the bar.

Penydarren then went close on the hour mark as Connor Kinsey's close-range effort was blocked following a cross from the right, before the visitors scored two minutes later when the ball was forced in by substitute George Kabza from a corner.

And the visitors came within inches of levelling on 76 minutes, Massaro making a full-length diving save to keep out a towering header from Kinsey from a free-kick into the Goytre box.

Ham eased the nerves though when his 25-yard free-kick found the top corner of Davies’ goal for 4-2.

Green had an opportunity to increase the lead in the 88th minute but saw his effort from a surging run kept out by Davies.

But there was late drama in the fifth minute of stoppage-time when Alex Long knocked the ball past the advancing Massaro before turning it into an empty net for 4-3.

Alexander Lloyd was then shown red for a late flying challenge on Goytre’s Blake Tovey before referee Darren Adie sounded the final whistle for the hosts to start celebrating a place in the quarter-finals.

The Plough Road men next host fifth-placed Caldicot Town in Ardal South East on Friday (January 24).

Meanwhile, the 2nds lost 2-1 at home to Abercarn, Craig Jolliffe with the consolation from the spot, and host Tredegar on Saturday.