PURE SWANSEA: Eight-goal thriller as Pure and Pontypridd share the spoils

Pure Swansea and Pontypridd United both saw their 100% records ended as the sides shared an eight-goal thriller at Swansea Bay Sports Park last night.

In a back-and-forth contest, the visitors twice came from two goals down, a brace from defender Clayton Farrah preserving their unbeaten start as both teams settled for a share of the spoils.

In a first half of few chances, in-form full-back Dan Ingram gave the home side the lead on the stroke of half-time with a screamer, a powerful effort flying past goalkeeper Edward King via the underside of the crossbar after Bradley Gibbings’ curling effort had also struck the woodwork.

Pure held that slim lead into the break, but Pontypridd were first to threaten after the restart.

The visitors equalised close to the hour mark from the spot, after home captain Jordan Hughes was dismissed for deliberate handball under pressure from Ethan Edwards. Left-back Jack Jones confidently slotted the resulting penalty past Kane Draper to level the scores.

Edwards then showed great pace and skill to set up forward Kofi Rowe to finish clinically from close range and turn the game around in Pontypridd’s favour.

But the ten men of Pure were resolute, and showed heart to battle their way back into the contest, striker Kyle Copp adding a quick-fire double to swing the game back in the hosts’ favour.

The first came from a neat counter attack involving Gibbings and Casey Coughlin, Pure’s top scorer finding his strike partner free in the box for a deadly finish from the former Pontardawe Town hitman.

Copp then completed his double from the spot, after substitute Richard Noyes brought down Coughlin in the box. It was his third goal in two matches.

Coughlin then extended the lead himself with ten minutes to play, Pontypridd caught on the counter once more as Pure’s top scorer raced clear and buried his chance one-on-one with King.

Pontypridd pulled one back through Farrah’s volley, after Edwards had hit the crossbar, and the centre-half then got on the end of an Edwards cross deep into stoppage time to salvage a point.

The result leaves the two sides first and second in the Novira Cymru South, after Carmarthen Town dropped points against Llanelli Town.

Pure remain top on goal difference, with Pontypridd level on 13 points.

With only one automatic promotion place available, both will want more than the point gained here when they return to action.

That will not be until 11 September, when Pure travel to Pontardawe Town and Pontypridd host Afan Lido, with the league taking a break for international duty.

Several players on show last night will be involved. Ingram, Coughlin and Mason Kelly are in Gruff Harrison’s Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru squad for the UEFA Regions’ Cup intermediate round in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and so are four of Pontypridd’s leading men from this game: Farrah, Jones, Edwards and Rowe.

Pure Swansea XI

Kane Draper, Dan Ingram (Noah Osborne 76), Jacob Lund, Jordan Hughes (c), Bradley Gibbings, Jordan Lloyd-Evans, Casey Coughlin, Mason Kelly (Ricky Kerr 64), Zac Brown (Morgan Wright 63), Ollie Roberts (Harvey Chapman 63), Kyle Copp (Jack Price 81).