PURE SWANSEA: Coughlin hat-trick sends Pure to Cymru South summit

Last season’s top scorer Casey Coughlin bagged a clinical treble for Pure Swansea to see off Baglan Dragons 3-0 at the Renewable Centre Stadium on Sunday afternoon, a result which sees the newly promoted Swansea-based side top the Novira Cymru South after the second round of fixtures.

It would be one-way traffic from the visitors, who took control of the game from the get-go with slick interplay and ambition going forward.

Pure would be rewarded for their high press and would break the deadlock eleven minutes into the match. Having come close moments earlier, forward Coughlin would show predatory instincts to finish full-back Daniel Ingram’s cross.

The same duo combined once more on the half-hour mark to a similar devastating effect, a swift counter-attack resulting in a pull-back to the near post for Coughlin to tap home goal number three of the season and double Pure’s lead.

In full control, it was no surprise to see Pure wrap up the game ten minutes after the restart with Coughlin completing his hat-trick. Exciting winger Mason Kelly continued his fine form, bursting down the flank before feeding an overlapping Ingram. The Pure number two’s delivery was exceptional once more as he found his side’s talisman to fire past a helpless Cameron Clarke in the Baglan goal.

Baglan had a chance to reduce their arrears in stoppage time when Pure goalkeeper Kane Draper fouled home striker Tobias Jones in the penalty area.

The hosts’ miserable afternoon, though, would be compounded with Jones unable to convert the resultant spot-kick, blazing over the crossbar, leaving Pure with another perfect afternoon as they took the three points and head the early league table on goal difference after back-to-back wins.

Two games have brought six goals scored and none conceded, four of them from Coughlin, who scored 22 league goals in the promotion season.

Manager Jack Midwinter had suggested before kick-off that the switch of venue might work against the hosts, telling Swansea Bay News that the bigger pitch at Briton Ferry could suit his side and blunt Baglan’s home advantage. So it proved.

Midwinter said in the same interview that a top-half finish was the target this season. Two games in, that looks conservative.

Kelly’s afternoon continued the form that earned him the man-of-the-match award in the opening win at Llantwit Major, where the 19-year-old scored one and made another.

Baglan, meanwhile, are still waiting for their first win of the season after opening with a goalless draw against Trethomas Bluebirds.

Next up is the derby with Llanelli Town on Saturday afternoon, 2.30pm kick-off.

The Reds arrive in mixed form. Beaten 4-1 at home by Newport City on the opening night, they got off the mark on Friday with a 1-1 draw against Trethomas Bluebirds.

Pure Swansea XI

Kane Draper, Daniel Ingram, Harvey Chapman, Jacob Lund, Jordan Hughes (c), Jordan Lloyd-Evans, Zac Brown, Josh Cole, Mason Kelly, Kyle Copp, Casey Coughlin.