Nathaniel MG Cup second round – pair of Asa’s is not quite enough

NATHANIEL MG CUP SECOND ROUND REPORTS

Airbus UK Broughton 3 (George Peers 10, Callum Humphries 18, Adam Davies 80)
Buckley Town 2 (Asa Hamilton 54 & 79)

Airbus lost a two-goal lead before snatching a dramatic late winner at the Hollingsworth Group Stadium.

The Wingmakers went ahead in the 10th minute when Jake Eyre’s great through ball released George Peers to score.

Number two arrived for the hosts on 18 minutes when Nathan Brown whipped in a cross and Callum Humphries headed home at the back post.

It remained 2-0 until nine minutes into the second half when Asa Hamilton reduced the arrears against his old club.

Then on 78 minutes Hamilton’s angled finish made it two-apiece.

Home nerves turned to joy two minutes later when Adam Davies put the hosts back in front with his fourth goal in three games.

Late Buckley pressure did not yield an equaliser, so it was Airbus who progressed.

Connah’s Quay Nomads 2 (Jordan Davies 6, Tom Moore 70)
Llandudno 0

Goals from Jordan Davies and Tom Moore secured victory for the Cymru Premier champions at the Deeside Stadium..

Nomads took the field as the most recent winners of the Nathaniel MG Cup in 2020.

It took just over five minutes for the fans, returning to Deeside for the first time in 524 days, to see the opening goal which was Davies’ first for the club.

Callum Morris made a run into the Llandudno half and sent a slick, perfectly-timed through ball which enabled Davies to slot home from around eight yards.

One-nil was how it stayed up to the interval, with the visitors posing no threat to the home goal.

On 70 minutes, Nomads found their second.

New signing Ryan Harrington fired on target from 20 yards out, and with keeper Shaun Pearson unable to hold the effort, Moore converted the rebound at close range.

Conwy Borough 1 (Corrig McGonigle 7)
Holywell Town 3 (Mark Winslade 12, Danny Andrews pen 32, Dave Hayes 38)

All the goals came in the first half at Y Morfa with Holywell getting the better of things to advance to the Nathaniel MG Cup third round.

Borough took a seventh-minute lead when a shot from outside the area was only parried by keeper Ellis Allen, and Corrig McGonigle fired home the loose ball.

Holywell were soon back on terms.

The dangerous Mark Winslade picked up the ball and burst forward into the box, cutting inside and turning before drilling into the bottom corner, leaving keeper Rory Crowther wrong-footed.

The goal lifted the Wellmen, Luke Edwards denied by a brilliant tip over the bar by Crowther.

In the 32nd minute, Johnny Haseldin’s men were ahead.

Danny Andrews was brought down by the keeper in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot. Andrews converted from 12 yards.

On 38 minutes, Crowther’s clearance only got as far as defender Dave Hayes, who slotted in for 3-1.

No more goals in the second half, although both sides had close calls, Allen twice thwarting McGonigle.

Flint Town United 1 (Nash 84)
Bala Town 1 (Edwards pen 24)
(Bala won 3-1 on pens)

After a close-fought tie at the Essity Stadium, Bala progressed on penalties.

It was from the spot that the visitors took the lead in normal time, having already seen a goal ruled out for offside.

Danny Walker-Rice went down under a challenge and ex-Welsh International Dave Edwards confidently placed his penalty past Ryan Woods on 24 minutes.

Flint almost hit back instantly, Callum Bratley surging from halfway and slipping the ball into the path of Jack Kenny, whose effort clipped the top of the bar.

Silkmen keeper Woods had to depart the action after 38 minutes when he injured his shoulder in a collision with a Bala player as he came off his line to punch clear.

The hosts knew they had to up their game in the second period, as the front two of Kenny and Connor Harwood were too often isolated.

On 48 minutes they went close, when a Harwood delivery was headed against the bar by Ben Nash.

Big signings Danny Harrison and Michael Wilde entered the fray, but although chances came for the home side they were unable to take them.

Finally, the deserved equaliser arrived on 84 minutes, when from a Ben Maher free kick, Nash rose highest and headed into the far corner of the net.

So to pens, and Bala’s Alex Ramsay emerged as the hero, as he stopped three kicks form Kai Edwards, Sam Hart and Maher, although the quality of the penalties left a lot to be desired.

Gresford Athletic 0
Bangor City 1 (Isla 16)

Unlucky Gresford exited the Nathaniel MG Cup following a 1-0 loss against Bangor City.

The Citizens started really well, scoring through Dante Isla in the 16th minute from a rebounded free-kick.

Athletic responded positively, and had plenty of chances after conceding, but could not make any of them count.

The second half continued in a similar vein, with both teams going toe-to-toe, but the one-goal lead remained.

Prestatyn Town 3 (Ashley Ruane 13, Dom Elsey-McHugh 32, Paul Johnson 41)
Cefn Druids 0

First-half goals from Ashley Ruane, Dom Elsey-Mchugh and Paul Johnson ended this one as a contest.

The deadlock was broken on 13 minutes when Jamie Reed flicked the ball on over the Druids defence and Ruane pounced to smash home.

Ian Kearney saw an effort cleared off the line before in the 33rd minute McHugh stuck his foot out to block a clearance from the Druids defence and the ball ended up in the bottom corner.

Johnson was credited with the third goal from a Ryan Wade cross.

Ruthin Town 0
Caernarfon Town 3 (Cai Jones 11, Sion Bradley 30, Noah Edwards 60)

A comprehensive win for a new-look Caernarfon side.

Making their competitive debuts for Town were goalkeeper Jakub Ojrzynski, Steve Evans, Aaron Simpson and Rob Hughes, while captain Dion Donohue clocked up his first appearance for the club in seven years after his return this summer.

The first goal arrived in the 11th minute when a well-worked move between Hughes and Sion Bradley saw the latter thread a ball into the path of Cai Jones, who drilled past keeper Ryan Goldston from 10 yards.

Former Wales defender Evans opened the door for Bradley on the half hour mark. During a 30th minute foray upfield, the veteran gathered the ball on the edge of the penalty area, dinked it over the home defence and into the path of Bradley, who finished impressively from eight yards.

The tie was sealed on the hour when Darren Thomas set up Noah Edwards for a close range finish.

Ruthin’s best effort was a Sam Rickett shot that hit the post.

An added bonus for the Cofis was they had three members of their under 19’s squad on the field when the final whistle blew on an encouraging evening.

Report: Paul Evans