Swifts off to a flyer (From Western Telegraph)

Swifts off to a flyer

Football: Eddie Merry Cup Final - Fishguard Sports 0 Monkton Swifts 4 Division One champions Monkton Swifts retained the Eddie Merry Cup with a routine victory over Division Two Fishguard Sports on Friday.

The Swifts took the lead with a 31st minute goal from Steve Davies and never looked back, adding another three late goals as Fishguard Sports inevitably tired.

The Sports had battled really hard against the current league champions but the gap between Divisions One and Two was all too evident.

Fishguard had reached the final with a 2-0 win over Cardigan, with Tom Billing scoring from the spot in the first half and Ben Jones adding another in the second period.

The Swifts beat Senior Cup holders St Ishmaels 4-0 as Steve Davies (2) and Lee Jones (from 25 yards) put them three goals up at the break and Mike Beynon came on to score on his debut for the club.

In the final, the Swifts dominated the first period to such an extent that they had chances aplenty and their keeper Craig Rearden didn't have to make a single save.

Sports keeper Steve Price did well to deny Steve Davies on three occasions and Lee Jones hit the far post after good work by Peter Jennings.

Paul Lowe also threatened after a nice interchange with Jamie Callan and Jennings. Callan headed against the bar from a Jones cross and Davies fired the ball over the bar from only three yards after good work by Patterson, Nicholas and Jennings.

A goal had to come, however, and a cracker it was as Lee Jones made the initial thrust forward, Nicholas played the ball into the danger zone and a clever back heel from Lowe gave Davies the easiest of chances.

There were further chances for the Swifts as Nicholas volleyed over the bar and Davies was also off target after another powerful Jones surge.

But Fishguard played well up the St Mary's Field slope.

Jamie Lynch, Aled Vaughan and especially Owen Devonald fought hard to keep the Swifts' strikers in check.

Adam Raymond and Tom Jones came into the game in the midfield and Aaron Kristen had their best chance but he placed his shot over the bar.

James Archer, Paul Jarvis, Ben Jones and Nicholas all tightened things up at the back for the Swifts, however, with Chrissie Manning, Dan Harts and Mike Beynon coming on as subs and making an impact.

Harts set up a great chance for Davies to score only for Price to make a reflex save to deny him.

But the dam had to burst at some point and Harts eventually added goal number two for the Swifts as he timed his diagonal run perfectly and nodded Manning's cross past a stranded Price.

Mike Beynon scored the Swifts' third after an error by the keeper and Steve Davies beat the offside trap to make it 4-0.

There was no denying the Swifts' victory but Fishguard Sports can take great credit for their part in an entertaining tussle that again helped raise funds for the local Gateway Club for the 21st year and took the total to £11,000 donated by the Sports to such a worthy cause.

Fishguard Sports: Steve Price (Darren Turner): Sean Bartlett; Jamie Lynch; Aled Vaughan; Owen Devonald (Geraint Harries); Rob Evans: Ben Jones (Jamie Vaughan); Adam Raymond; Tom Jones; Aaron Kristen: Arwel Thomas.

Monkton Swifts: Craig Rearden: Ben Nicholas; James Archer; Paul Jarvis; Ben Jones (Chris Manning): Lee Jones (Daniel Harts); Dai Patterson; Jamie Callaghan; Paul Lowe: Steve Davies; Peter Jennings (Mike Beynon).

Referee: Kevin Williams. Assistants: Paul Rooney and Mark Cole.