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No.42 - Sun. 2nd March 2008; Welsh Cup Quarter Final 12.00pm at Plaskynaston Lane, Cefn Mawr, Wrexham. (Att: 190; Prog: 48pp £1.50) |
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View matchday images 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 NEWI Cefn Druids (1) 2 Llanelli (0) 2 3-6 AFTER EXTRA TIME Druids European hopes dashed by league leaders The ‘hoppertunity to complete a weekend double presented itself when the Welsh Cup Quarter Final match between NEWI Cefn Druids and Llanelli was scheduled for Sunday 2nd March with a noon kick-off. The tie had originally been planned for the previous Friday but had to be re-arranged (as updated on the excellent club website) so that the visiting players could attend a funeral following the death of one of their committee members. Appropriately a minute's silence was observed before the start of play. The game was financially important for both clubs too as there was the chance to be involved in European football next season for the eventual winners. After watching the pulsating FA Vase match at Kirkham the day before, I didn’t really expect that anything could match this in terms of excitement. But I was in for a great surprise. For the neutral this game turned out to be another superb spectacle with plenty of goals and excitement. Druids had taken a first half lead through Chris McGinn but, although Karl Connolly got his second brace in as many games, it was the South Wales side that progressed to the last four in a scoreline that flattered the winners. Chris Mullock turned provider after quarter of an hour when his long ball found McGinn 20 yards out and he was able to knock the ball with his first touch past the advancing Ryan Harrison in the Llanelli goal and into the net for the opener. But Llanelli were on level terms five minutes after the restart. Paul Mazzarella conceded a needless free kick 25 yards out and Andrew Mumford's free kick was met by Stuart Jones at the back post who headed home. The visitors then took the lead in the 63rd minute, with Mumford again the architect from a set-piece. His right-wing free-kick could only be turned into his own goal by Edgar under pressure from Mark Jones. With Darren Williams and Lee Jones introduced into the fray, Druids switched to a 4-3-3 formation and, with ten minutes of normal time remaining, it paid dividends. Phillips played a free-kick into the visitors' box, causing the defence to panic and be unable to clear their lines. The ball fell to Edwards who was able to turn the ball to Connolly six yards out, allowing him to control and then volley home the equaliser. With 45 seconds of normal time remaining, Osian Jones' fierce drive flashed across the face of Harrison's goal, meaning the tie was to have an extra 30 minutes.
The extra period got off to the worst possible start for Druids when, in the 92nd minute, Mullock momentarily took his eye off the ball and failed to prevent a corner. The resultant flag kick wasn't cleared and the ball fell to Pritchard and his shot hit the inside of the post and crept over the line to give Llanelli the lead once again. From there Welsh Premier League leaders looked to kill off the game and Jordan Follows came close to adding to the advantage but was denied when his overhead kick cannoned back off the crossbar. However, in the final minute of the first period Llanelli did grab a fourth. Griffiths created space for himself on the left side of the penalty area and he shot across Mullock into the far corner of the net. Then, midway through the second period, Griffiths got his second and his side's fifth when he turned Edgar inside the penalty area and curled a shot past Mullock. It looked like the league's leading scorer was going to complete his hat-trick in the 115th minute when he again bore down on goal from the left side of the area, but he unselfishly squared the ball to Fellows to tap home unchallenged from close range. Druids, though, refused to give up the fight and, in the final minute of the tie earned a penalty when Williams was brought down inside the box. Connolly stepped up and calmly beat Harrison from 12 yards out, sending the ball into the 'keeper's right hand corner of the net for what proved to be merely a consolation in a match that was a lot tighter than scoreline suggested. The ground occupies land that once formed part of an old quarry. This natural amphitheatre is carved into a rugged landscape and provides breath-taking views of the surrounding hillside. The stuuning panorama is definitely best appreciated in the daytime (rather than an evening game). Spectators enter through a turnstile in one corner of the ground and carefully descend some steep steps to arrive pitchside. The main facilities are found behind the goal to the right with changing rooms, clubhouse and tea bar next to each other. To the left is a small section of open terracing with several supporting stanchions painted in yellow. Beyond and running along the side of the pitch is a smart stand providing seated cover for over 250 spectators. The team dug outs can be found on the opposite side where a TV gantry (commonplace at most grounds in the WPL) dominates. A steep grass bank with rough ground provides a backdrop behind the goal at the far end. A splendid 32 page programme was issued for the game and this contained plenty of club news, a round up of the WPL and the usual stats. For £1.50 it was a good read and represented excellent value for money. Refreshments were available throughout the game and a wide range of hot and cold food and drinks was cheerfully dispensed by an efficient team of helpers. The match was attended by nearly 200 spectators including FGIF supremo Mike Latham and his travelling companion Simon Clegg. As always their company made for a really enjoyable day out. Mike and Simon were keen to get on the road to watch the Premiership game at Everton which kicked off at 4pm. The thought of 30 minutes added time was certainly something they could have done without, bearing in mind they were heading back up the A41 to Travellers to FGIF Rating: 5* www.cefndruidsafc.co.uk |
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edited on 10/03/08 |
