Goytre - 1

Newport YMCA - 0

IN true cup game fashion, Goytre overcome the odds and upset the apple-cart on Saturday when they kicked Division One side Newport YMCA out of the Gwent Senior Cup in 90 minutes of end to end football.

Club chairman Paul Greenhalgh told the Chronicle, "It was an absolutely amazing result for us, and one to remember. All said and done the league is our bread and butter, but to knock out a team two divisions higher than us in a cup fixture is a brilliant bonus and something that no-one expected."

Played at Plough Road, Goytre's first stab at cup glory came on the ten minute mark when James Wilkins broke through, but his shot, come cross, just dipped over the crossbar.

For all of the first-half the pace of the game was fast and furious and set the tone for the remainder of the match.

Carl Evans, Craig Jolliffe, and Phil Melville in midfield coped really well against an industrious YMCA, and helped Goytre to create a number of consecutive corners.

However, the closest the home team came from scoring off one of these set-pieces was when Jolliffe swung the ball in for Dean Taylor whose header was just cleared off the line.

Greenhalgh said, "Although YMCA also created their own chances in the first-half, most of their shots were from outside of the box, and a few were on target, but they didn't really trouble our keeper Gareth Williams.

"We always knew if we kept plugging away we could get in there and really make our mark."

Goytre's time to shine came five minutes before half-time when Phil Melville played a through ball between two YMCA defenders, and in a mad dash to get on the end of it, Lee Grimes took it into his possession, held off a desperate Newport challenge, and calmly slotted it home between a static away keeper and the post.

The second-half was a near mirror reflection of the first, with the highlights being Gareth Williams's excellent save from a YMCA corner, and a last ditched attempt at an equaliser by the away team in the last five seconds.

Greenhalgh added, "The final play of the game was really hearts in your mouth time for us. In a desperate bid to force extra time, the YMCA keeper belted the ball the length of the pitch to a Newport player who picked it up on the edge of the area, only to see his effort hit the bar. They nearly found the equaliser on the rebound, but fortunately for us the player in question took a wild swing at the ball and it went wide.

"Immediately after that the ref blew his whistle and it was party time at Plough Road in the wake of what was a cracking game of quality football."

Goytre will now progress to the quarter-finals of the Gwent Senior Cup where they will face last year's winners at Plough Road on a date yet to be announced.

This Saturday Goytre will return to Welsh League Division Three action when they face Seven Sisters at home. Kick-off is a 2.30pm.