In an amazing and courageous display of guts and grit, the Excelsiors promotion aspirations were abruptly ended with just over 30 seconds left on the clock, as a huge Wattsville FC equaliser guaranteed the visitors a ticket into Division 1 of the Gwent County Football League.

The game started as expected at 100mph, with both sides jostling for control in an emotionally charged clash of titans. A fantastic save from the visitors early on put the point-seekers on notice that the Excelsiors were here to fight and the lads were strong in defence when Wattsville inevitably began their counter attack.

With Jonny Morgan and Callum Williams making waves, the dogfight in the middle of the pitch dominated much of the game as the oneupmanship of each team was brought out for a huge crowd on hand enjoying the game in some blistering April sunshine.

As Wattsville settled, their attempts and attacks at goal became more prevalent and their intentions clear as a near effort reminded the hosts of the danger of their competition. With that being said, Wattsville struggled with a persistent 1st Team barrage, as the lads kept putting the ball in behind the visitors.

As the visitors succumbed to pressure from the 1st Team, the Wattsville attack was contained to the midfield, as captain Brett Morgan held firm in the middle and avoided allowing Wattsville room to create opportunities. With just over 10 minutes left of the opening 45 minutes, Lewis Jones fired a superb effort that bounces off the crossbar, with Dean Morgan’s effort being saved by the man between the sticks.

As the first half drew to a close, Wattsville found themselves weathering the storm of a hungry Excelsiors at 0-0, happy to gain a draw and gain promotion in the process.

The second half was a totally different ballgame, with Dafydd Phillips finding the educated feet of Dean Morgan, with the veteran breaking the deadlock and making it 1-0. Reinvigorated, the 1sts powered through the next few minutes, with Jonny Morgan driving a superb shot at goal that went the wrong side of the post. Wattsville’s response was frantic at best, upset and disgruntled at the sudden change of fortune for the home side.

Brett Morgan and Dean Morgan then showed some of their Abertillery teamwork, as the two wily pitch generals worked in tandem to create opportunity and attempted to push the lead further. Dean Morgan would then find Dafydd Phillips at the edge of goal, but there was just a tad too much on it for the striker to convert chance to goal, which saw Wattsville show real threat on the counter, cutting through the midfield like a scythe.

With the arrival of Shaun Smith on the pitch, the Excelsiors continued their pressing attack, with Wattsville’s response an attempt to pull and drag the players from one side of the pitch to the other, sucking momentum out of the attacks and isolating the 1st Team strikers. The desperation of the visitors began showing with their incessant shots at goal, going high and wide of the mark. Smith once again reminded the opposition he was on the field with a thunderbolt effort that brushed the corner of the crossbar and left the crowd agasp.

The final 5 minutes were raucous and as atmospheric as you’d ever wish to experience when watching a football match, as the fans rallied behind the Excelsiors who looked certain to continue their journey towards potential promotion by a single goal. In the cruelest twist of fate, the visitors broke free from their shackles and overcame the 1st Team’s defence, firing a shot past Dan Parsons that in a split second sucked the air out of the Jim Owen pitch and saw Wattsville find their elusive goal and their desired result. With less than 30 seconds on the clock, the lads watched on with devastation etched on their faces and as the referee blew the whistle, the pitch was filled with Wattsville players, clubmen and supporters as their season ended emphatically with promotion.

Congratulations to Wattsville, who join Ynysddu Welfare in their promotion to the next echelon of Gwent County. We return to action on Tuesday, facing Lucas Cwmbran on the road.

A dark and dank night on the outskirts of Caerphilly was the battleground for the hotly anticipated reverse fixture with AFC Machen. With promotion still a possibility for the Excelsiors, pressure was one to once again win every remaining game and it was certain that Machen would not go quietly into the night.

The hosts started out on the backfoot, as the Excelsiors funnelled a barrage of offence in the opening minutes, sending more than one shot across the front of goal as warning shots. Machen found their groove soon after though, composing themselves well and breaking through the midfield in an effort to find any available space to progress up the pitch.

The thick and fast tackles became a staple of the game from the start, with Dafydd Phillips being taken down on the edge of the box early on in a show of defiance from a persistent Machen back line.

A great knock from the home team put some pressure back onto the Excelsiors but Tom Calver was in the right place at the right time to help divert the danger. Captain Brett Morgan then began the clean-up operation, commanding from the centre of the field and regrouping the troops, as Dean Morgan made an attempt at goal but was stopped by Machen before he was able to fire off the shot.

Soon after, a botched free kick from the 1st Team saw Machen break the back of the defenders and push through on the counter but an all-or-nothing rush from Dan Parsons kept the Excelsiors in the game. After stabilising the frenetic five minutes the hosts enjoyed in attack mode, wily midfielder Brett Morgan began to head up the lads’ own counter attack, firing off a shot that went just wide of the mark and again reminded Machen that the Excelsiors were here to gain points.

After a great corner kick in to midfielder Brett Alderson, he once again proved his worth in league encounters as he scored another pearler to propel the Excelsiors in front 0-1. The few remaining minutes of the first 45 minutes saw the lads turn up the ante to hungrily pursue a follow-up goal, putting the hosts on the defensive.

The second half began much as the previous 45 minutes had ended, with Excelsiors hitting the ground running from the get-go, highlighted by Dean Morgan’s sole-aim of scoring. However, try as he might, the experienced striker was unable to break free from the hounding defenders that piled onto him like a pack of dogs.

Much of the second half degenerated into a wild free-for-all, with the ball going from end-to-end and both teams jostling for position with only a single goal separating the two squads. Machen’s focus continued to be singular: getting an equaliser. That moment nearly came to fruition when a scarily-close cross in front of goal crossed the path of Dan Parsons, who deflected the shot and steered the danger away. Likewise, the Excelsiors took aim with a free kick that missed target and drew an exasperated groan from those in attendance.

However, the fans on the side wouldn’t have to wait long for a successful free kick, as the follow-up attempt shot straight and true into the bottom corner, easily beating the Machen goalkeeper and adding a vital goal to extend the lead to 0-2. With Machen disheartened and desperately trying to claw something back in the dying embers of the game, the hosts looked deflated and out of the running, which proved prophetic when the referee blew up shortly after and awarded the game and 3 precious points to the Excelsiors.

The eagerly awaited County Motors Cup clash against Caerleon FC finally beat the weather but it was less than a warm welcome at Cold Bath Road for the Excelsiors’ 1st Team, who fell 3-0 to the hosts and saw their cup aspirations for this tournament dashed.

The Division 1 side started out of the blocks early, with the opening minutes of the game seeing them take a hold over a frantic Excelsiors team. The lads would take the bull by the horns soon thereafter though and both teams had flirtatious encounters in the opposing team’s half. Despite the best efforts of captain Brett Morgan and retired-and-returned Dean Morgan to keep composure in the middle of the pitch, the hosts made life difficult all over the park, but with specific focus on midfield. When they did break free from the one-on-one dogfights, Caerleon played long ball to their advantage and although it may not be a pretty way of playing, it was certainly effective, with the first goal coming soon after, an attacker managing to break free from a hounding Excelsiors defence to make it 1-0.

The home team would press forward moments later, grabbing their second with relative ease, leaving a frustrated back line and extending their lead to 2-0.

The game of cat-and-mouse continued as the Excelsiors sought some vengeance for clinical efforts by Caerleon, rallying hard to break down the attacks and in fairness, responding with promising counter-attacks, including a good opportunity for midfielder Lewis Jones, which went wide of the mark.

The home side made their intentions unmistakable with their third goal, slotting a low, driving ball past Kevin Roberts in goal, as the man between the sticks could only watch on, such was Caerleon’s slick finish.

Dean Morgan’s attempt to push back against the tide of momentum being built by the hosts was cut off at the pass by a stoic defender and the rebound to Shaun Smith fared little better, with a goal seemingly elusive in the Saturday sunshine. Employing a pack-mentality, the Excelsiors spent the remainder of the first half trying to close down the goal-hungry home team, who simply had the better 45 minutes of the two teams.

The second half looked certain to be a tough ask of the lads but Dean Morgan showed there was still fire in the belly of the boys with a superb strike early on that pinged off the crossbar and sent the warning to Caerleon that there was life left in their visitors. Zak Kelly followed up with a sublime ball into the box that found the out of position Tyla Preece, but the solid defender was taken down in the box though didn’t get a penalty from the referee. Kelly spent much of the second half in a desperate attempt to help push the boys up the pitch, delivering some great balls in from his position on the wing in the process.

The tough work and mounting pressure of the Excelsiors war machine seemed to have some of the desired effect, as Caerleon began to show cracks in the armour, making silly mistakes that they had shown no sign of making for much of the first half.

Indeed, whether they took their foot off the gas or eye off the ball, a majority of the second half tantalisingly took place in the host’s half of the pitch, as they found themselves inundated with offence from a fevered Excelsiors, with Brett Morgan even firing off an attempt at goal and Tyla Preece also being denied by an on-form goalkeeper.

A penalty for the Excelsiors looked to break the goal-drought for the lads, as Ewan Harty was brought down in the box and the referee instructed a one-vs-one moment to take place. Rhys Jones willingly stepped up to the plate but unlike his definitive finish this past week for the Reserves, the goalkeeper ensured that a clean sheet would remain in his future.

With many of the options and opportunities exhausted, the remaining moments saw Caerleon hold on to their sizeable lead and punch their ticket to the next round of the County Motors Cup, winning a tough challenge against the Excelsiors 3-0 after 90 minutes.

A chilly midweek fixture at Abertillery 3G saw the 1st Team keep their promotion dream alive, with a decisive 3 points being claimed from Pentwynmawr AFC.

The visitors would actually be the home side in this situation, with their own pitch unplayable after another depressing bout of rain these past few days, and with the Excelsiors run of games on the artificial surface not being the best – it was anyone’s ball game.

The opening minutes were frantic at best, with some end-to-end play and engines on max throttle, an early mistake from Pentwynmawr opening the opportunities for the evening as Shaun Smith eyed an early goal. Credit though where it’s due, for as quickly as the lads were making ground on their opponents, Pentwynmawr were able to knock the ball to safety and avoid an early goal, more often than not breaking out on the rebound only to be cut off by Tyla Preece and the Abertillery back line.

When Callum Williams was downed for a short time after a tough tackle, any momentum that the ‘home’ side had fought hard to build was sucked out of the game and equal footing ruled again, with advantage dissipating for both sides, who seemed destined to lock horns for the whole 90 minutes without either side giving way.

As the game got into its groove, the Excelsiors were the more goal-hungry of the two teams, with opportunities presenting themselves often and near-hits like those of Jamie Laurent’s thunderous effort working as warning shots for the opposition. Pentwynmawr though would show their flirtation with the goal as a one-on-one effort was superbly saved by Kevin Roberts, with the game still tied up without a goal.

The midfield contingent had a storming performance overall with Lewis Jones being the target of a gang marking from Pentwynmawr, the opponents not allowing the former Newport County and Abergavenny Town player from finding space and enclosing on him at every opportunity. Likewise, Jamie Laurent’s engine once again proved invaluable throughout the game and the resilience and calm composure of captain Brett Morgan held firm in the centre of the pitch, a constant reminder of skill and experience playing a pivotal role.

Yet it was the ‘other’ Brett who left people’s mouths agape when Brett Alderson went for what initially seemed like a throwaway effort from 35 yards out but upon execution, was nothing short of an absolute lightning bolt strike that rocketed past the Pentwynmawr ‘keeper to push the Excelsiors to 0-1.

The gigantic goal was all the lads needed to rekindle the fire of the opening minutes, with Dafydd Phillips trying to follow up moments later with another decent effort, but at the end of the opening 45 minutes it was a slim single goal lead for the Excelsiors.

The second half started with a bang as Jamie Laurent’s persistence paid off once again, as the bulldog-esque midfielder forced his way onto the scoresheet yet again with a great finish and made it 0-2.

As the two goal lead began to plague Pentwynmawr psychologically, their efforts became more erratic but retained their threat level at a high amber, attempting to close the deficit and get back into the game. No sooner had their comeback began, the educated feet of Laurent nearly struck a death blow to them as a great ball across the mouth of goal only narrowly missed their intended target. The ‘hosts’ then put hearts in mouths as a fantastic freekick effort ricocheted off the crossbar and denied them an all-important goal, as play resumed much as it started the evening off, with frenetic end-to-end, back and forth action, the tempo absolutely unrelenting.

As Pentwynmawr desperately tried to claw their way back into the game and take a clean sheet away in the process, Jamie Laurent had one parting shot that became more of a nail in the coffin for the opposition, with a sublime photo-finish goal off of a slick ball in by Brett Morgan to power the Excelsiors to 0-3 with little chance of a Rocky-like comeback in the script. As the referee blew up, an exhausted but defiant Pentwynmawr have nothing to be ashamed of but unfortunately, the clinical and strategic dissection by the Excelsiors was just too much on this night.