TT No.112: Mike Latham - Sat 10 Dec 2011: Spar Mid Wales League Cup Second Round (1-30pm ko);          Machynlleth 2-1 Abermule; Admission: £2; Attendance: 44 (h/c); No programme; FGIF Match Rating: 4*

Matchday images (13) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/MachynllethFC   With West Wales avoiding the worst of the wintry weather I decided to take my chance on a double and was rewarded with a fine afternoon’s entertainment.   First up was Machynlleth, a market town to the north of Aberystwyth about which I knew relatively little prior to my visit. The town’s football team recently joined the Spar Mid Wales League but there is relatively little information to be gleaned from the internet about them. Even the usually reliable FA Wales website does not give any club details and the league website has no contact information or details of their ground location. With the weather relatively calm and settled south of Chester I decided to try my luck and arrived in Machynlleth in good time for the 1-30pm kick-off.   Machynlleth, I discovered, has a special place in Welsh history due to its connection with the rebel Owain Glyndŵr; he was crowned Prince of Wales during the reign of King Henry IV and held his own Parliament in the town before being forced into hiding when the rebellion failed.   These days tourism provides the major part of the economy and even a cursory glance of the wide and imposing main street reveals signs of a town with an important past. The football club is situated in a scenic setting on the Aber road out of Machynlleth behind the leisure centre.   It’s a ground like many others in this league, with a small main stand and a changing room block that doubles a tea bar. The rest of the ground is fenced off. With glorious sweeping views across to sheep-clad hills it looked a picture on a bright afternoon with the rain mercifully staying away.   The pitch was heavy but playable and a good contest took place with both sides showing a commendable attitude to what was a hugely enjoyable game. The visitors led 1-0 after a penalty on the stroke of half-time and looked the better side for the best part of three-quarters of the game. But the home side rallied late on, equalising with seven minutes left and grabbing the winner from the penalty mark with four minutes remaining. It was a game that provided great entertainment on a mildish afternoon, there was a friendly welcome from the locals and a visit here comes highly recommended.   Half an hour later I was at Park Avenue...

contributed on 11/12/11