AFTER a four-goal away display last week, Mardy continued the good work with a 4-1 win at Pontymister in midweek, reports CLIVE HARRY.
They made a good start and played some flowing football but received a shock just before the half-hour when, despite largely being under pressure, the Mistermen took the lead as Josh Jarvis beat keeper Robbie Lewis with a snap shot from the edge of the area.
Lewis has returned to Mardy after several seasons playing rugby and had no chance of saving a well struck effort.
Undeterred, Mardy pushed forward and five minutes later, with the hosts playing a high line, Dan Wait put a ball over the top for Ross Melrose who lobbed the advancing keeper for the leveller.
They went ahead only three minutes later when a good run and cross from Musab Hussein found Tom Jenkins, whose blocked shot was netted from close range by Nathan Price for 2-1 at the break.
And two minutes into the second half a poor ball from a defender across his goal was latched onto by Melrose who scored with a first time shot into the corner.
Mardy's Jack Williams was displaying his skills in midfield and was unlucky with a shot on the turn from outside the area that tested home keeper Morgan Lee-Jones, before another good run and cross by Musab flashed across the face of goal.
The visitors were playing some of their best football of the season and scored a fourth late on when Williams played in the evergreen Mark Hughes, who rolled back the years with a good finish to make the final score 4-1.
Saturday then saw a tough FAW Trophy trip to an Abercarn team two leagues above Mardy.
And Mardy struggled to contain a home side playing incisive football above anything they had seen this season.
Consequently, they found themselves two goals down early on before starting to come to terms with the opposition and playing their way into the game.
However, they conceded again after 38 minutes before Ellis French pulled one back with the goal of the game.
The Mardy centre back brought the ball out of defence into the Abercarn half before exchanging passes with Musab Hussain to find himself one-on-one with keeper George Lohfink before finishing clinically for 3-1 at the break.
Mardy came out fired up and started to press more and unsettle the hosts.
They were on top for the third quarter and cut the deficit again after 67 minutes, a handball leading to a clinical penalty from French.
Abercarn defender Haron Kourtaa was also sent off, and a shock result looked possible.
But 10-man Abercarn really upped their game, pushing forward again and scoring a fourth seven minutes later.
Mardy couldn't regain the upper hand and the hosts scored two more late goals to make it a rather harsh 6-2.
This week, Mardy 2nds hope to start their season away to Forgeside on Wednesday (September 11) whilst the 1sts play Gwent Premier Division Cefn Forest away in the County Motors Challenge Cup on Saturday.