They say ‘history is written by the victors’ but spare a thought for those on the losing side of the battle. An intense, sun-drenched 90 minute war told the story of the 1st Team’s season as they faced year-long rivals Ynysddu Welfare for the Gwent County Amateur Cup at Ty Isaf Parc in Risca yesterday.

As the Excelsiors looked to claim a huge scalp against their recently promoted foes, the pace was set with both sides going in thick and fast to try and leverage some advantage. Ynysddu began a push forward early on with their clear intentions of wrapping up early. Things looked to take a sour turn when in the opening 5 minutes goalkeeper Dan Parsons was taken off the pitch injured after falling awkwardly on the back of his head, being replaced by Kevin Roberts.

With the lads now reforming with a new man at the back, Ynysddu took an opportunity to further up the tempo and got a goal disallowed through an offside but definitely sending the warning shots to the Excelsiors defence.

Captain Brett Morgan held firm in the centre of the park, much as he has for the entire season, rallying the team and keeping control in an effort to progress into the opposition territory but the Ddu’s defences proved effective and any attacks were swiftly swatted away. A free-kick for Ynysddu was all the rivals needed, as a sublime effort payed dividends as it buried itself into the goal and made things 1-0 to take the wind out of the sails of the Excelsiors.

Despite the efforts of Ewan Harty and Jonny Morgan working in tandem to create opportunities in midfield, something just wasn’t clicking and the Welfare again found themselves quick to take possession. As the frenetic battle in the centre of the park dominated the proceedings, Lewis Jones showed some promise of breaking ground with a free kick but a fearless ‘keeper would not be beaten from distance, despite the finesse shown by Jones on the ball.

An Excelsiors rebound attempt put some hope back in the hearts of a capacity crowd on hand, when Dean Morgan was able to fire one of his profoundly precise strikes off but the effort went just wide of the mark whilst still showing the opposition that this was still a game of two teams. A barrage of free kicks and slow progression into enemy territory did well to unsettle Division 1’s newest acquisitions but as the clock wound down, the Ddu’s seemed comfortable with their slim single goal lead.

The second half should have been the time to readjust the settings and start straight out of the gate but it was Ynysddu who came out with the positive reinforcement, finding a second goal after a tussle in front of goal overpowered Kevin Roberts to make it 2-0.

The opposition, with their fans in full voice from the side, put their foot on the gas and looked for a quick third goal that would surely put the game to bed but the defensive prowess of Tyla Preece and Rhys Whiteman kept the wolves from the door. A great Lewis Jones corner kick seemed to be just what the doctor ordered as Declan Bull’s head connected with it but the Ynysddu goalkeeper once again got his gloves to it.

With the sun still beating down, the Excelsiors resolve was still as sturdy as ever, with Shaun Smith and Dafydd Phillips firing off attempts in an effort to unsettle the Ddu’s very own Man of Steel between the goalposts, as the desperation for a goal was palpable.

With 10 minutes left on the clock and a two goal lead, the 1st Team’s efforts became frantic and seemingly unstoppable with Declan Bull again have a chance at goal that went just wide. Despite the hard work of Tyla Preece, Rhys Whiteman and a standout performance from Callum Williams in defence to try and push forward from the back, Ynysddu were able to fend off the persistent attacks as the clock wound down.

As minutes turned to seconds, the stoic resolve of Brett Morgan showed real pride and passion, shared by the rest of his squad, as the captain valiantly attempted to at least nick a consolation goal and deny the opposition a clean sheet. However, not all fairytales come true and as the referee blew up, it was Ynysddu who could once again claim bragging rights as their season finished in grandiose style with promotion and silverware to match.

On behalf of everyone connected with the club we would like to extend our thanks for your unwavering support throughout the season, including all those who made the journey to Risca yesterday or sent well wishes to us. With one final league game commitment left on Tuesday night against New Inn, we have shown what is possible for future seasons and will strive to excel to new heights in the coming years.

A special congratulations also to Ynysddu Welfare, who have proved fierce rivals on the pitch and arguably a team with one of the biggest hearts off the pitch. Your contributions to the club in our darkest times are not forgotten and the mutual respect is most definitely there. We hope to see you soon.