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Trethomas Bluebirds remain two points clear at the top of the Cymru South following a tough 2-0 win on the road against struggling Taffs Well.

It was a top versus bottom clash under the floodlights, with the Wellmen equally desperate for three points as they hope to remain in the division.

On a tricky surface it was a tough game for both sides, but the Bluebirds managed to get their noses in front at the break thanks to a James Young goal.

The hosts battled hard in the second-half, but despite having to play the final ten minutes with ten men, it was Trethomas who managed to score a late goal through Thomas Gameson to make it 2-0 at full-time.

Kick-off

It was a lightning fast start from the visitors; top scorer at the club Gareth Tedstone setting the tone early with a block straight from kick-off and almost scoring up the other end.

Another man who set the tone early was referee Kris Hames. Tedstone was the first to pick-up a caution inside five minutes, just one of ten players who would see yellow across the full 90.

Both sides struggled to find their footing in the opening 20 minutes, both figuratively and literally. The pitch was in a pretty sorry state making it difficult to string more than a few accurate passes together.

It was the Wellmen who managed to work the first opening however, a cross down the left needed to be flicked away by the Trethomas defence with yellow shirts waiting in the middle.

The match didn’t really spark into life until the Bluebirds had a penalty appeal when second striker Callum Huggins went down in the box.

Nothing given, but a foul to Taffs Well a few moments later in front of the dugouts led to some heated exchanges on a cold winter’s night.

The resulting free-kick was underwhelming, but somehow deflected off a few bodies and fell to Reece Perry in the box. He rushed the chance though and keeper Harry Irving made a comfortable stop.

This seemed to wake the Bluebirds up, and down the other end Lee Baldock put in another decent delivery from a set piece – the 33-year-old seemed to have his eye in from the start with some dangerous crosses.

The initial header was met by defender David Vincent who nodded down to the always alert James Young. The midfielder calmly took a touch around the defender and picked-out the bottom corner to give his side a 1-0 lead.

A huge goal under any circumstance, but especially in these conditions.

On a night where set pieces were central to everything, the hosts had a golden chance of their own shortly after the first went in. Another free-kick, this time a shot from some distance was palmed back into the middle by Irving.

With nobody following their runners in, the Wellmen were queuing up. It fell kindest to Joshua Pope who had to score from a few yards out. The winger snatched at it though and his bobbled effort bounced into the grateful arms of the Bluebirds number one.

The mad few minutes before the half continued as Tedstone shrugged off the last defender down the right side of the box and found Huggins in the middle.

Perhaps the Barry Town loanee could’ve hit it first time, but his touch allowed keeper Iwan Hooper to smother.

The ball fell as far as captain James Saddler on the edge of the box whose powerful strike was saved again by January signing Hooper.

Second-half

The Bluebirds coaching staff appeared to have preached a message of simplicity during the break. It was back to basics for Trethomas, who benefited massively from some combinations and when unsure got the ball into space in the wide areas.

This led to a chance for Vincent when yet another set piece found the 34-year-old at the back post. His header just clipped the outside of the post.

Not the header he was looking for up the other end of the field though when a looping heave forward was missed by Vincent, leaving William Bevan last man up against Tom Rees.

Bevan made a bit of a mess of it and brought Rees down right on the edge of the area. Given what had gone on before, Bevan wouldn’t have been shocked to see Hames brandish a red.

Just a yellow though, with the resulting free-kick put into the car park.

The game remained very scrappy with neither side really getting hold of it for any length of time.

The addition of Kallum Thomas was a smart move from the Bluebirds coaching staff. He looked calm and composed whenever he had the ball in midfield.

Leon Thomas quietly had a good game down the left too. His hold up play is always surprisingly effective for someone who is also so good with their feet.

The game was stopped for ten minutes or so when a nasty, but accidental, clash of heads left Vincent in a heap. He managed to eventually hobble off after receiving treatment.

This did mean however that the Bluebirds would have to play the remainder of the match with ten men having used all their substitutions.

Throwing everything at the visitors now, the Wellmen had what would have been a great chance bar the superbly timed sliding tackle from defender Andrew Evans. It almost felt as big as a goal.

A last minute free-kick for the hosts threatened to spoil things, but it was the work rate of substitute Jack Jones who made sure of all three points when he capitalised on the Trethomas clearance.

Having worked tirelessly since coming on, the winger had no right to win a header around the halfway line up against a big defender, but win it he did and sent through Thomas Gameson who only had the keeper to beat.

Knocking it around Hooper, Gameson walked it into an empty net to double the lead and cement the victory.

It was a match which felt like it was going to have to be a ‘smash and grab’ before the first ball was kicked. Credit to the Bluebirds for battling hard and once again demonstrating they have more than one string to their bow when it comes to finding ways to win.

Reaction

After the win, Caerphilly Observer spoke to Bluebirds manager Mark Dunford, he said: “It was always going to be a difficult one. It was a tough pitch and we faced a side fighting for their lives and credit to them they ran their socks off.

“I thought we deserved the first goal and had some momentum and territory in a territorial football match. It gave us a bit of a lift but it was a shame we didn’t get that second.

“The second-half was full of bits of drama so we’re just happy to get through it.”

With Llanelli Town also winning on the night, the Bluebirds maintain that two point gap at the top. Asked about the title race, Dunford added: “We’re down to ten games now so it’s a case of getting the group right, keeping the right mentality and seeing how far it takes us.”

The Bluebirds return to Ystrad Mynach on Friday January 24 where they host Ammanford.