Ammanford AFC vs Abertillery Bluebirds
8/8/23
JD Cymru South
19:45KO
A familiar foe returns to the Ammanford Recreation Ground on Tuesday as Abertillery Bluebirds travel west to Carmarthenshire for the second time in a fortnight.
Two weeks ago, Ammanford AFC defeated the Bluebirds 2-0 in the opening round of the Nathanial MG Cup with Lewis Reed grabbing a brace to secure progression into the next round.
Town return home to the Rec in a triumphant mood after an eventful afternoon that saw them progress to the third round of the same competition after a penalty shootout victory at the expense of Trefelin BGC. Various clips from the afternoon have been viewed over 60,000 times on our social media channels.
The victory was impressive given the 9 changes made to the starting line-up, playing all the second half a man light, 44-year-old Wyn Thomas scoring a last-minute equaliser and youngster Leo Jones coming off the bench to save two spot kicks.
But that is all in the past now as the focus returns to the tricky task of facing off against the league newcomers. The two teams go head-to-head again this time in the JD Cymru South with three crucial points being the prize on offer for a victory.
Following their defeat at the hands of Town in the opening fixture of 23/24, the Bluebirds have played one further fixture, a 3-0 reverse against Afan Lido at the Marstons Stadium a week last Friday.
Despite the scoreline, like the game in Ammanford, Abertillery had opportunities to snatch the spoils from the game. A missed penalty was crucial as experienced striker Scott McCleish went down the other end and opened the scoring just a minute later on his way to grabbing a hattrick.
As we saw in the first fixture between the two sides, the men from Blaenau Gwent have numerous threats across the park including keeper Shaun Gardiner who produced a number of smart stops against Town, Iwan John who kept the home defence busy and Michael Vagg who saw an excellent chance whistle narrowly wide of the far post which would have tied the scores.
The man in charge of the action on Tuesday evening is Teifion Cook, a man who has many Ammanford games under his belt over the past few seasons. He will be supported by James Sheils and David Badger on either flank.
Kick off at the Rec is at 19:45 and entry is £5 for adults, £4 for OAP’s and students whilst children are priced at £1. There is free entry for members of our youth set up and coaches.
Will it be a repeat victory for Ammanford, or revenge for the Bluebirds? Theres is only one way to find out and you’ll have to be there to see for yourselves!
