Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Caerau Ely beat Croesyceiliog AFC 5-1 in a pre-season friendly at Cwrt Yr Ala, led by Owen Foote's first-half double.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
The hosts needed no time to settle. Foote opened the scoring in the 7th minute, latching onto a through ball and finishing calmly past the Croesyceiliog goalkeeper. Four minutes later he struck again — a second crisp finish from inside the box that left the visitors shell-shocked.
David Griffiths made it 3-0 in the 26th minute with a well-struck effort, and Caerau Ely carried that three-goal cushion into half-time.
The second-half onslaught continued immediately. Tom Parker scored in the 47th minute, just two minutes after the restart, and Junaid Bahumaid added a fifth in the 52nd minute to put the result beyond any doubt.
Thomas McLean missed a penalty for Caerau Ely in the 71st minute — his spot-kick was saved or went wide — but Croesyceiliog grabbed a late consolation in the 90th minute, the scorer unrecorded, to make the final score 5-1.
The turning point
Foote's second goal in the 11th minute effectively ended the contest before it had properly begun. A 2-0 lead inside 11 minutes forced Croesyceiliog onto the back foot for the remainder of the first half, and they never recovered. Caerau Ely's quickfire double demonstrated a sharpness that the visitors, likely at an earlier stage of their pre-season schedule, could not match.
Key performers
- Owen Foote — two goals inside the opening 11 minutes, setting the platform for the win. Clinical finishing from the Caerau Ely forward.
- David Griffiths — scored the third goal in the 26th minute to effectively seal the result before half-time.
- Tom Parker — his goal immediately after the restart extinguished any hopes of a Croesyceiliog fightback.
- Junaid Bahumaid — added the fifth goal early in the second half in a deserved rout.
By the numbers — interpreted
The 5-1 scoreline tells a story of first-half dominance and second-half control. Caerau Ely scored three times in the opening 26 minutes and added two more after the break. The single Croesyceiliog goal in the 90th minute was the only blemish on an otherwise clean defensive display from the hosts. For a pre-season friendly, the intensity and finishing quality from Caerau Ely stood out — five different goalscorers (Foote with two) suggests encouraging squad depth.
What it means
This was a pre-season friendly for both Welsh clubs as they build toward the 2026-27 campaign. Caerau Ely, who compete in the JD Cymru South — the second tier of Welsh football — will take confidence from a sharp attacking display in front of their home supporters at Cwrt Yr Ala. Croesyceiliog AFC, of the Ardal Southern leagues, will look to sharpen up defensively ahead of their competitive fixtures. Both sides will have further friendlies scheduled before the new season begins.
Verdict
Caerau Ely's 5-1 win was as comprehensive as the score suggests. Foote's early double killed the game as a contest, and the hosts maintained their intensity throughout. For a pre-season fixture, it was a statement of intent from the Cardiff-based side.
Match Events
Key match events between Caerau (Ely) and Croesyceiliog AFC — 7 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
Missed Penalty · assist: T. McLean
Rivalry since 2012
Caerau (Ely) vs Croesyceiliog AFC Head to Head Results· 1
Caerau (Ely) and Croesyceiliog AFC have met 1 times — Caerau (Ely) won 1, Croesyceiliog AFC won 0, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2012. Caerau (Ely) leads the head-to-head with 1 victory from 1 meeting. A combined 10 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 10.00 per match (7 for the home side, 3 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 1 match (100%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 1 game (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 3–7 in 2012.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 4 Jul 2026