Welsh League Division One - Monmouth Town 6-1 Undy Athletic

WITH the cricket season finished, Monmouth Town marked their first home game of the season with their first win, comfortably beating league newcomers Undy Athletic after scoring four early goals.

The Kingfishers were yet to win having lost to Caerau Ely and Barry Town United and drawing to Ton Pentre and sat third from bottom. After a poor start to the season, manager Andrew Smith brought in 19-year-old Newport County professional Dafydd Jones on loan until January. Jones, from Ebbw Vale, can play on the wing or in central attacking midfield and showed his quality early on.

The home side started the game positively, playing counter attacking football and looking to set their attackers away in the final third. The Town could have found themselves behind as the first chance of the game went Undy’s way. Undy’s midfielder caught the Kingfishers’ defence sleeping and played a through ball which their striker ran on to and went one on one with the Kingfishers goalkeeper, Lee Williams. The striker lacked any composure and his shot went well wide of the post.

The Town continued to dominate possession in the early stages and found themselves ahead after ten minutes when new signing Dafydd Jones picked up the ball just inside the Undy half. Driving at the Undy defence, Jones eventually took a shot from twenty five yards out and found the bottom right corner to open the floodgates.

The Kingfishers found a second goal just minutes later when full back Alex O’Leary floated a ball into the box with the Undy player clearing it only to Sam Palmer who took a touch and shot which found the top corner. Monmouth continued to press Undy and found their third five minutes later. Nick Harrhy played a one-two with Elliot Ford and chipped the ball behind Undy’s full back. Ashley Ford ran onto the ball and, one on one with Undy’s goalkeeper, slotted it into the bottom corner for the Town’s third.

The goals didn’t stop there. With half an hour played the Kingfishers found the fourth when Jake Robinson played a ball in behind the Tigers defence. Elliot Ford was tripped inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Nick Harrhy stepped up to take it and converted the penalty into the bottom right corner.

The Kingfishers started the second half like they ended the first. They continued to dominate proceedings and found a fifth five minutes into the second half. Dafydd Jones continued his debut in style, nicking the ball off the Tigers centre back slotting his shot into the corner via the post.

Undy found some composure and maintained possession for the first time in the game, with a good chance to get one back after 65 minutes. Their winger cut in on his right foot and shot, but Lee Williams made an outstanding diving save to his right and tipped it around the post. The Tigers managed to find a consolation goal in the 75th minute when a free kick was crossed in and their centre back headed it into the bottom corner.

The game’s result had been finished a long time and the Kingfishers ended the game off in style and found their sixth in the 87th minute. Dafydd Jones played a through ball, which Sam Palmer ran onto down the line and cut in on his right foot and blasted his shot into the top corner.

Manager Andrew Smith described the result as “very pleasing”. He said: “I’m over the moon; I felt we haven’t played as good as that in a long time.

“I thought the first half an hour we were unplayable and no team in the league would have been able to match us. I hope the result gives the player’s belief and we can carry on where we ended the game next week away at Penybont.

“I would also like to thank all the fans who turned up in the rain today and I was very pleased with the amount of people there and I hope they will return for our next home game against Goytre United.”

The Kingfishers are away at Penybont next Saturday and are home the following week to Goytre United, with a 2.30pm kick off.