Tregroes Park enjoyed a special match on New Year’s Eve as current players and veterans from other eras turned out in numbers to play in a match between the ‘Steve Lewis Young Guns’ and the ‘John Luke Legends’ to raise funds for a very special charity.

Talented Fishguard Sports player Luke Harding is battling lung cancer and a brain tumour but courageously decided to battle his illness with fundraising for Ward 10 at Withybush Hospital as a focal point.

His original aim was to raise £1,000 but with great support from the community in events like this football game he now hopes that there will be in the region of £10,000 to hand over.

A large crowd gathered in perfect weather conditions to swell the coffers and an auction at the Pendre Inn, the social home of Fishguard Sports, provided another boost that had Luke telling us how delighted he has been with the response from family, friends, businesses, plus sportsmen and women.

The idea for the game came from Fishguard Second XI manager Gary 'Gaffer' Thomas, and there was a pre-match minute’s silence for Bryn Price, the former Fishguard Sports’ player who had been a reserve when the club won the West Wales Cup, but sadly passed away on Christmas Day.

The Young Guns clearly thought they had opened the scoring with a cracking shot from Niall Kinsella which Carl Woodhouse appeared to palm into his own net but without goal-line technology referee Kevin Williams waved play on.

But justice was done within minutes when Matthew Lewis put in an inch-perfect cross which was beautifully headed into the top corner by his brother Steve, despite Woodhouse’s despairing dive.

Steve Lewis then turned provider for his brother Matthew after Brian Kinsella and Gary Owen tried to clear the danger, although the Maradonna ‘hand of God’ might have had an influence before the ball trickled into the net.

Performances of yesterday were revived when RV Jones and James Dean showed great touches before Bernie Armstrong survived two nasty falls whilst chasing balls to send in an excellent diagonal cross for Nigel Davies, who fended off a would-be tackler to rifle a low shot past David Pepper in the youngsters’ net.

Niall Kinsella and Steve Lewis had other chances but typically sound defence by Andrew Davies and Sean O’Connor kept them at bay – whilst at the other end a Nigel Davies’ sole effort flew tantalisingly wide of the far post.

But Kinsella finally made it 3-1 to Steve Lewis’s boys just before half time as he cleverly chipped a through ball over Woodhouse to give his team a two-goal interval cushion.

Lewis Banks was one of a number of young players who came off the bench for the current Sports’ players and he added two goals, one from a free kick and the other came from a netted rebound, before Jordan Griffiths laid claim for the goal of the match as he curved his shot into the far top corner to make it 6-1.

But Nigel Davies added his second for the veterans with a well-taken shot which he celebrated with a few hitch kicks.

With time running out Brian Kinsella was rightly yellow-carded by referee Williams for a dreadful tackle inside the area and the match ended on a perfect note as Luke Harding, on for a short cameo at the end, slotted the spot-kick before being mobbed by both teams.

Owen Duggan thanked everyone for their magnificent support and this match showed the good that football can do for local communities.

Luke himself thanked everyone back at The Pendre in an emotional few words, and is clearly an inspirational figure for others finding they have serious illnesses – and sports people around our county will wish him good luck in his continued health battles.

The collection at the ground raised an amazing sum of over £894, with a special auction at The Pendre which included a signed Aston Villa ball supplied by Mike Delaney on behalf of his son Mark, helpising raise an extra £430.

Steve Lewis’s Young Guns: David Pepper, Billy Moore, Matthew Lewis, Anthony Cole, Tom Lawrence, Matthew Morgan, Steve Lewis, Jamie Vaughan, Dan Hopkin, Niall Kinsella, Keegan Summers.

Subs:  Jordan White, Paul Thomas, Mark Vaughan, Josh Vaughan, Lewis Banks, Jordan Griffiths, James Wade, Joe Thomas, Ieuan Llewellyn, Paul Thomas, Geoffrey Pepper, William Lamb, Simon Jones.

John Luke’s Legends: Carl Woodhouse, John Luke, Brian Kinsella, Sean O’Connor, Andrew Davies, Bernie Armstrong, James Dean, RV Jones, Rob Evans, Kevin White, Richard Morgan, Nigel Davies.

Subs:  Gary Hall, Tom Jones, Matthew Lamb, Gary Owen, Ali Davies, Matthew Jones.

Referee: Kevin Williams

Match sponsor: Hall and Roche Logistics.