Connah’s Quay Power Their Way Past Aberystwyth In JD Welsh Cup Final

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Aberystwyth Town 1 Ryan Wade 45’+1
Connah’s Quay Nomads 4 Michael Bakare 22′ Mike Wilde 26′ 40′ Andy Owens 90′

Connah’s Quay have won the JD Welsh Cup for the first time since 1929 following a commanding 4-1 win over Aberystwyth Town.

The Nomads overpowered Aberystwyth in the opening half coasting to a three-goal lead before Ryan Wade’s reply in first-half added time lifted Aberystwyth spirits.

That comeback would never transpire as substitute Andy Owen struck a fourth for the Nomads to seal the Deeside club an historic win.

Following a nervy opening 20 minutes from both teams at a sun-soaked Latham Park, the 131st Welsh Cup final exploded into life at the expense of Aberystwyth Town. A routine up-field punt from Jon Danby found its way all the through to Michael Bakare inside the Aberystwyth box, who slipped the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper, leaving himself with an easy finish.

Three minutes later, Aberystwyth’s defence was again found wanting aerially and veteran centre-forward Michael Wilde made sure they were punished, heading in from a corner.

Wilde – a four-time Welsh Cup winner with his former club The New Saints – had the ball in the Aberystwyth net again following yet another corner, but on this occasion it was flagged for a foul during the build-up.

Wide’s second of the afternoon would soon follow however as a midfield turnover saw Declan Poole carry the ball through the middle and send a splitting pass out to the Connah’s Quay number 9, who cut into the box, applying a confident finish to give the Nomads a 3-0 lead.

Trailing by three goals Aberystwyth looked stunned and dead on their feet, but after Malcolm Melvin sent a dangerous low shot through the goalmouth and narrowly wide in a rare foray forward for Seasiders, Aberystwyth gave themselves an unexpected lifeline right on the stroke of half-time as Ryan Wade’s looping header dipped in over Danby.

An improved Aberystwyth display after the restart prevented Connah’s Quay’s from exerting the same level of dominance as they did in the first-half, and Malcolm Melvin’s strike could’ve proved to been the turning point of the game for Aberystwyth after it was not adjudged to have crossed the line.

Melvin drove forward in the 65th minute to unleash a fierce 25-yard drive that crashed down off the crossbar and back out, referee Iwan Griffith – without VAR to assist him – failed to award the goal despite Aber protests, when replays confirmed that the ball had indeed crossed the line.

After that let off, Connah’s Quay never looked like conceding again and substitute Andy Owens restored the Nomads three-goal advantage, as he cut onto his left-foot to fire in a well-struck fourth in the last minute of the game.

A delighted Connah’s Quay manager Andy Morrison said his game plan came to fruition on the big day: “I’m really proud, I wasn’t sure what to expect today.

“We tried to exploit what their strengths are and what we needed to do to get behind them.

“Everything we could’ve hoped for went our way – we bossed our way in the second-half and it could’ve been four, five or six.”

Morrison’s contract with the Nomads expires at the end of the season and he says he expects to continue in the role and wants to push the team on further.

“I’m going to sit down with the chairman this weekend and see where we can strengthen,” he revealed. “I want to go after TNS, someone has got to challenge them.”

Player ratings

Aberystwyth: Mullock (6), Walker (6), Wollacogt (5), Owens (5), Melvin (7), Owen (5) Wade (7), Jones (6), Young (7), Allen (6), Phllips (6)

Subs: Hobson (6), Sherlock(6), Kellaway (6)

Connah’s Quay: Danby (7), Pearson (7), Edwards (7), Horan (9), Harrison (7), Wignall (8), Wilde (9), Poole (8), Smith(7), Owen (6), Bakare (8)

Subs: Owens (7), Woolfe (6) Hughes (n/a).

Man of the match: George Horan (Connah’s Quay)

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