CPD LLANYSTUMDWY (Parc Dwyfor)

WELSH CUP FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND, CPD LLANYSTUMDWY 0-1 NANTLLE VALE, ATTENDANCE: 43 (h/c)

My final Welsh trip of this week dropped me back to the fifth tier of Welsh football (in the North anyway) with a Welsh Cup 'Derby' between Gwynedd League CPD Llanystumdwy and Welsh Alliance side Nantlle Vale.

Llanystumdwy is a small village on the A497, between Criccieth and Pwllheli, located at the point where the road crosses the Afon Dwyfor river, giving the football ground it's name of Parc Dwyfor.

The village is where former British Prime Minister (from 1916-1922) David Lloyd George grew up and is where he is laid to rest. His grave (pictured right) is yards from the football pitch, just over the river.

The ground is located down a narrow dirt track between the village church and the river and is a lovely rural setting. The pitch is fenced off but, apart from some old dugouts behind the goal, there is nothing to protect spectators from the elements. Fortunately today, as much as it tried to, the rain held off. There was a tea hut at the ground, serving up a very welcome brew!

I was expecting Nantlle Vale to have too much for their hosts, and indeed they wasted a chance to take the lead inside 10 seconds, but as the game went on, despite lots of Vale pressure, Llanystumdwy dug in and were very difficult to break down.

As extra time loomed large Nantlle Vale finally managed to break Llanystumdwy's resistance and book themselves a home game with Penley in the next round.