AFTER an opening day home draw, Mardy AFC bounced back in exhilarating fashion in midweek with a 4-0 win against Gwent Premier team Lucas Cwmbran in the County Motors Challenge Cup, reports CLIVE HENRY.

Mardy started well and created a number of half chances virtually straight from the kick-off before taking a deserved lead after 14 minutes when Aaron Norman scored with a well placed header from a Tom Jenkins corner.

Jenkins then shot over the bar from the edge of the box before the visitors almost caught the hosts napping with a breakaway that ended with a shot hitting the woodwork.

Minutes later they went close again when keeper Gareth Williams was forced into an excellent full-length fingertip save to push a well struck shot to safety.

Mardy regained their composure almost immediately though, with Liam Simmonds prominent, putting Ross Melrose away only for Lucas keeper Luke Casagrande to make a good save.

The hosts weren't to be denied, however, and increased their lead on the half-hour when a Jenkins cross was hooked home by Nathan Price to give his side a 2-0 lead at the break.

Mardy continued to play with freedom after the restart, with Simmonds frequently causing problems and a seemingly inevitable third goal came when he put over a pinpoint cross for Dan Palmer to score with a brave header.

Two minutes later, it was 4-0, when Jenkins robbed Casagrande before being tripped and Ellis French stepped up to put his usual nerveless penalty into the corner of the net.

The score could well have been increased, but despite the hosts using their wings to great effect, some lovely football went unrewarded.

And Max Williams was unlucky with a shot from distance that whistled just past the junction of crossbar and post shortly before the final whistle.

Saturday then saw a home game against newly-promoted Ponthir, but despite dominating possession for much of the game and having more attempts on goal, Mardy slipped to a disappointing 3-0 defeat.

The home team started off well enough with Jack Williams bringing a good save out of visiting keeper Oliver Rosemeyer, who foiled Mardy on several more occasions before Ponthir took a shock lead through Daniel James.

Chances kept coming and going at the other end but it was the visitors who scored again just before the break when Rafferty Richards netted from a well taken free-kick to give his side a 2-0 interval lead.

The second half continued in similar vein with Mardy dominating the stats but Ponthir retaining their composure and defending well.

The home side then lost both full backs to injury and the resulting reshuffle allied to mounting frustration did their cause no good.

And it was Ponthir who profited again through Richards to make the final score 3-0.

This week Mardy have two more home games with PILCS the visitors on Wednesday evening (August 21) followed by Nantyglo on Saturday (August 24), who have scored 28 goals in their last four games.