Bradley Gibbings and Danny Williams scored in the second half as Pure Swansea beat Cardiff Draconians 2-0 at Swansea Bay Sports Park on Saturday.
The win lifts Jack Midwinter’s young side to third in the table. It comes a week after their unbeaten league record ended at Ynyshir Albion.
Patient first half, then a fast start to the second
Pure controlled the first half but lacked a cutting edge in the final third. Zac Brown came closest when his free kick came back off the bar, and it stayed goalless at the break.
Captain Jordan Hughes admitted the visitors made it hard for them early on, and said: “I think they were well organised.”
He added: “It was a difficult start for us; we didn’t get into [the areas] where we should be.”
Gibbings gave Pure the perfect start to the second half, inside four minutes of the restart. Pure found space down the left, a low cross was not cleared, and the winger arrived at the back post for a simple finish.
It was his sixth league goal of the season.
Red card and a saved penalty
Things went from bad to worse for Draconians midway through the half, when goalkeeper Harry Johnson wiped out a Pure attacker who was through on goal in the box.
The referee had no choice but to show him a straight red card and point to the spot. Williams stepped up, but the stand-in keeper saved it low down to the left.
Williams’ first since summer move seals it
The extra man began to tell, and Pure put their visitors to the sword.
The second came in similar fashion 15 minutes from time, this time down the right. A quick Pure break ended with a low cross, and Williams was at the back post to finish.
It was the former Llanelli Town midfielder’s first goal for the club since he arrived in the summer alongside good friend Gibbings.
‘That guy is so fast it is unbelievable’
Hughes said the side kept their heads after the break: “We stuck together in the second half and kept doing what we were doing, and then we got on top.”
He said they knew at half-time that they were in control but not at their best: “We knew we weren’t in our top gear, so we knew if we started fast we would get going.”
He was full of praise for goalscorer Gibbings, and said: “That guy is so fast it is unbelievable.”
He added: “Every ball you think that has gone too far, he always gets on the end of. He has been a great asset for us this year.”
Back to winning ways after two disappointing results
The win follows a 5-5 draw at Afan Lido and the 4-2 defeat at Ynyshir. Hughes said: “We played positive after two disappointing results before this game, so we are happy.”
Pontypridd stay top, Aberystwyth hit four
Leaders Pontypridd United stayed top of the Novira Cymru South with a 3-1 win away at Caerau Ely on Friday night, which drops the Cardiff side to fourth.
Second-placed Aberystwyth Town were in imperious form on Saturday night, winning 4-0 away at Carmarthen Town’s LHP Stadium.
Treowen Stars on Friday night, and the chance to go back top
Pure host Treowen Stars at Swansea Bay Sports Park on Friday 13 November (7.30pm kick-off), in the fixture called off because of the weather last month.
It is their game in hand on Pontypridd, and a chance to go back to the top of the table. Hughes said: “We’re confident now we’re back to winning ways to go into Friday night.”
Pure Swansea: Kane Draper, Dan Ingram (Ollie Roberts 46), Harvey Chapman, Zac Brown (Morgan Wright 65), Jacob Lund, Jordan Hughes (capt), Danny Williams, Tom Johnston (Kyle Copp 65), Mason Kelly, Bradley Gibbings, Casey Coughlin.
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