Welfare Park FC 3-7 CSKA Sophia Gardens

CSKA Sophia Gardens sealed their place in the SWFA Intermediate Cup Quarter-Finals with a resounding 7-3 win away to Bridgend and District League Division 1 side Welfare Park FC at Bryn Park on Saturday afternoon.

The game was a chance for CSKA to bounce back after the gut-wrenching loss to Eastern Tigers the previous week. It was a tough fixture against a team the Red Wall knew very little about but their results so far this season suggested they were a team that could score goals at will.

It was a game that would see CSKA without a number of players who'd had a big impact on the club's season already leaving them without any recognised strikers and short on numbers in midfield. Fortunately, the strength in versatility this season meant that the club could cover those positions effectively.

CSKA began the match struggling to get into it. Gridlocked traffic on the outskirts of Cardiff meant that the majority of team didn't make it to the pitch until 15 minutes before kick-off so there was limited chance for a warm-up. It showed as Welfare Park FC took an early lead in the 9th minute. A wide ball down the CSKA left side found their winger who played the ball across for striker Lewis Miles to slot home.

Things went from bad to worse for CSKA as the Welfare Park FC lead was doubled just 3 minutes later. An effort from captain Liam Blower, that is probably being debated as a cross or shot amongst the Welfare Park FC team, caught keeper Alex Skinner out as it flew over him. Skinner's attempt to clutch the ball from out of the top corner of the net fell short and the ball ended up in the CSKA onion bag. It was 2-0 to the home team and CSKA's trip down west for this cup tie was turning into a nightmare.

Still, CSKA spirits didn't drop. Welfare Park FC continued to barrage the CSKA defence with high balls and breaks down the wings but the CSKA defence held firm. Slowly, the team started to grow into the game. After a period of sustained pressure, CSKA got themselves up the pitch and a cross from right back Frazer Richards found the head of attacking midfielder Rich Hamlett who flicked a header over the Welfare Park FC keeper and into the net to make it 2-1. Was the comeback on?

Unfortunately, the one-goal deficit didn't last long. Less than 5 minutes after Hamlett's goal, Welfare Park FC found themselves 3-1 up. A whipped in corner Andrew Whittingham found the head of striker Lewis Miles once again as he bagged his second of the game and gave his team a two goal lead once again.

There was still time for CSKA to give themselves a morale boost heading into the break just 1 minute later. A fizzed ball across the edge of the Welfare Park FC area by left back Huw Williams found the boot of right winger Mike Gaunt who hit a first time effort along the floor that flew into the bottom right corner of the opposition net. It was 3-2 going into half-time and the momentum was suddenly with the away side.

The second half started as the first half ended with CSKA in the ascendancy. A determination to keep the ball down was allowing CSKA to get the ball wide and cause the Welfare Park FC defence problems. Patience was needed with Welfare Park FC doing a valiant job of repelling the CSKA attacks.

Eventually, the pressure told in the 57th minute. Williams was once again the provider as he passed the ball to captain Jordan Lloyd. The free-scoring centre back then carried the ball deep into the Welfare Park FC half before unleashing a shot from outside the area after evading a number of challenges from the Welfare Park FC players. His effort deceived the keeper and ended up in the net. CSKA had pulled the tie level.

CSKA needed to stay disciplined once more as their attacks failed to deliver a goal and Welfare Park FC still posed a threat on the counter attack. Once more, the CSKA defence held firm as Welfare Park FC tried to get back ahead. However, it was CSKA who took the lead in the 71st minute. A CSKA corner was half-cleared out to the left side to central midfielder Sam Byrne. He put in a cross that found the head of Lloyd who flicked his header over the Welfare Park FC keeper to give his team a 4-3 lead.

There was no doubt that there was no only one team in this game but that almost completely changed when a Welfare Park FC ball upfield put through their danger striker Miles who was one-on-one with Skinner for his hat-trick. In a game-defining moment, Skinner stood his ground and saved brilliantly to keep CSKA in the lead.

It was a moment that appeared to hit the Welfare Park FC morale hard. Just a couple of minutes later, CSKA extended their lead in what looked to be the killer blow. A clearance from Williams dropped awkwardly between striker Cory Mackay and the Welfare Park FC keeper. The keeper narrowly won the race to get to the ball but his attempted clearance was blocked by the relentless Mackay who followed the ball up and smash the ball home to make it 5-3.

The next goal came in the 79th minute when Mackay's tireless effort was rewarded once again. The stand-in striker got his second of the game as he went on a ruthless dribble that saw him battle his way past half of the Welfare Park FC team amid a flurry of challenges before finishing coolly into the bottom corner of the Welfare Park FC goal. It was now 6-3 and CSKA had all but booked their place in the next round.

Celebrations were capped off in the 87th minute when a well-worked passing move freed up Gaunt down the right before he crossed a pass to Hamlett who was waiting with a predator-like instinct just a few yards out from the Welfare Park FC goal to make it 7-3. It was a goal that saw Hamlett become the joint-top all-time record scorer for CSKA.

CSKA Manager Steve Day said "I'm really pleased for the lads today. They've been brilliant this season. At times, their efforts haven't been rewarded but today they were. Welfare Park FC showed early on how capable they were and on another day the lads could well have been turned over quite badly. Their heads didn't drop though. Despite being 2-0 down and 3-1 behind they kept going.

"There were a few players today that started who haven't had as much game time as they'd have liked simply because those playing ahead of them have been in decent form. Those lads took full advantage of their starting spots and that's what we want to see. We also had a number of lads playing out of position today and they were fantastic. It was a proper team effort with everyone encouraging each other and playing for each other. I'm very proud of them and they should be very proud of themselves. Credit to Welfare Park FC for battling resiliently despite having just bare 11 and for putting on food in the club after. We want to wish them all the best for the rest of the season and I'm sure we'll be arranging a pre-season friendly in the future."

CSKA Starting Line-Up

GK: Alex Skinner

DR: Frazer Richards

DL: Huw Williams

DC: Jordan Lloyd (c)

DC: Owen Lewis

MR: Mike Gaunt

ML: Dan Carter

MC: Sam Byrne

MC: Ed Lewis

AM: Rich Hamlett

FC: Cory Mackay

Subs: Arron Ackerman and Dan Owen

Goals: Rich Hamlett (2), Jordan Lloyd (2), Cory Mackay (2), and Mike Gaunt

Assists: Huw Williams (3), Frazer Richards, Sam Byrne, and Mike Gaunt

Three Stars: Jordan Lloyd, Cory Mackay, and Huw Williams