Mark Jones of Ammanford celebrates scoring his sides second goal.
Ammanford v Abertillery Bluebirds in the JD Cymru South at The Recreation Ground on the 8th August 2023. (Pic by Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
A stunning ten-minute hattrick from experienced marksman Mark Jones saw Ammanford come from behind to claim three points at home to Abertillery Bluebirds.
Finding themselves trailing thanks to first-half strikes from Christian Mbongompasi and Iwan John, the new signing introduced himself to the Black and White faithful brilliantly from the bench.
It was nearly a perfect start from Town. A lovely knockdown onto the edge of the area found Adam John who rifled a venomous shot goalward. It looked destined for the top corner but a superb fingertip save from visiting keeper Shaun Gardiner kept the scores level.
In a similar way to the previous encounter a fortnight ago, the ball spent a lot of time in midfield with both sides failing to find decisive breakthroughs. Lewis Reed was busy leading the line for the home side and forced a couple of straightforward stops for the keeper whilst for the Bluebirds, Ryan Meredith dragged his effort wide after some clever play down the right wing.
Somewhat against the run of play, the Bluebirds took the lead just after the half-hour mark. Ammanford had been slowly building pressure since the twentieth minute with Reed and Euros Griffiths going close. But clever play down the left flank played in Christian Mbongompasi whose effort cannoned off the post and into the bottom corner leaving keeper Jack Lansdown with no chance.
Things got worse for Ammanford before the interval. A beautifully delivered corner was flicked on by Iwan John to double the visitors’ advantage.
With the last play of the half, Ammanford were very nearly back in the match but Reed dragged his shot past the far post.
In an attempt to get back into the game, Gruff Harrison made a set of double changes with Tristan Jenkins, Liam Samuel, Matthew Fisher and Mark Jones coming on in an effort to inspire change.
But despite the new attacking arsenal, Town struggled early in the second half to break down a resolute Bluebirds defence led brilliantly by their skipper Richard Crees. In fact, it was the visitors who came closest in the third quarter to increase their advantage as Lansdown was required to save from well from an effort from a distance.
But then the game turned with little over ten minutes to play. Jones scored the first of his goals with a low drive. Ellis Williams intercepted the ball well down the left flank and he played in the former Aberystwyth Town man to halve the arrears.
The goal wounded the visitors who very nearly regained their two-goal lead but John’s shot was inches past the far post.
The visitors were made to pay for their miss as Jones levelled the scores five minutes later. From a corner, the ball fell kindly in the area to Jones who with the deftest of touches, redirected the ball into the back of the net from a Morgan Clarke shot.
The comeback was complete with just a minute to go in normal time. Jones completed his trio of goals, showing his experience finishing coolly beyond an onrushing Gardiner who got a strong touch to the ball but couldn’t stop it from looping into the back of the net to a chorus of joyous celebrations at the Rec.
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Tair gôl mewn deg munud o droed profiadol Mark Jones wnaeth gipio’r fuddugoliaeth mewn gêm gyffrous ar Faes Hamdden Rhydaman yn erbyn Adargleision Abertillery.
Ar ôl mynd i mewn i’r egwyl 2-0 i lawr ar ôl goliau gan Christian Mbongompasi ac Iwan John, wnaeth Jones ddod wrth y fainc i sgori hat-tric mewn ddeg munud i sicrhau triphwynt pwysig i Rhydaman.
Roedd bron wrth y dechrau perffaith i Rhydaman. Ar ôl dim ond munud o’r gêm ddechrau, wnaeth Adam John saethu’n bweryd tua’r gôl. Roedd y bêl yn hedfan i gornel uchaf y rhwyd ond i’r golgeidwad Simon Gardiner gael bys i’r ymdrech i gywiro’r bêl dros y bar.
Fel y gêm rhwng y ddau dîm bythefnos yn ôl, roedd y ddau dîm yn cael trafferthion i dorri’r amddifyn i lawr. Roedd Lewis Reed yn brysur i’r tîm cartref ond roedd ei ymdrechion yn syth at y golgeidwad ac am y gwrthwynebwyr, aeth Ryan Meredith yn agos ond i weld ei ymdrech yn rolio heibio’r postyn.
Er aeth Rhydaman yn agos ar ôl hanner awr trwy ymdrechion Reed ac Euros Griffiths, cymerodd y Adar Gleision y mantais ar ôl 34 munud. Wnaeth chwarae da lawr yr asgell chwith ddarganfodd Mbongompasi ar ymyl y cwrt. Wnaeth e saethu o bellter ac wnaeth y bêl ddarganfod cefn y rhwyd ar ôl taro’r postyn.
Ac aeth pethau o ddrwg i waeth cyn yr egwyl. Wnaeth amddiffyn llac ganiatáu Iwan John rediad at y postyn agosaf a flicio’r bel i gefn y rhwyd.
Cafodd Rhydaman siawns ardderchog gyda cic olaf y hanner cyntaf. Aeth Reed yn glir o’r amddifaid ond methu ei ymdrech ar y targed.
Mewn ymdrech i newid y gêm, wnaeth hyfforddwr Gruff Harrison bedwar newid. Daeth Matthew Fisher, Mark Jones, Tristan Jenkins a Liam Samuel i’r cae ond er bod llawer o chwaraewyr blaenorol ar y maes, methodd Rhydaman dorri drwyddo’r amddifaid. Y gwrthwynebwyr a gafodd y siawns orau yn y trydedd chwarter wrth i Jack Lansdown achub yn dda.
Gyda 11 munud i fynd, wnaeth y gêm newid yn gyfan gwbl. Ar ôl chwarae dda wrth lawr yr asgell chwith gan Ellis Williams, chwaraeodd e’r bêl i Mark Jones a wnaeth yr ymasodwr profiadol saethu’r bêl i gefn y rhwyd.
Wnaeth y gôl brifo’r gwrthwynebwyr ac dim ond munud yn ddiweddarach, cafodd nhw siawns bendigedig i adfer y mantais. Roedd John wedi torri’n rhydd o’r trap camsefyll ond heibio’r postyn aeth ei ymdrech.
Ac fe wnaethon nhw dalu’r pris am y camgymeriad wrth i Jones sgorio ei ail gôl. Wnaeth cornel o’r chwith cael ei chwarae’n fyr ac roedd cyffyrddiad bach Jones yn ddigon i newid cwrs y bêl i gefn y rhwyd.
Ac gyda munud i fynd, wnaeth Rhydaman cwblhau’r newidiad. Aeth Jones yn rhydd yn y cwrt ac er bod Gardinier yn cael cyffyrddiad cadarn i’r bel, wnaeth y bel glanio yng nghefn y rhwyd i sŵn dathliadau o amgylch y maes.
Ammanford Squad
Lansdown; Luby, Williams, Griffiths, Harris ©, Pratt, Orme, Huddart, John, Reed, J Thomas
Subs: L Jones, Samuel, Arnold, M Fisher, M Jones, Clarke, Jenkins
