Match report: Denbigh Town on course to become eighth North Wales winner of FAW Trophy in past 10 years

Bridgend Street 1
Denbigh Town 8

Full match report: Iwan Jones

It was a truly memorable day for Denbigh Town’s players, officials and travelling supporters as they celebrated an FAW Amateur Trophy 8-1 semi-final rout of Bridgend Street at Llanidloes.

Semis are often tense, close-fought encounters, but Town fans were rejoicing from virtually the first minute as the Ardal North West visitors built up a 6-1 lead by half time.

Denbigh, who last won this competition almost 100 years ago, when they beat Lovell’s Athletic from Newport in the 1923-24 final of what was then known as the Welsh Amateur Cup, now meet tier 4 Trethomas Bluebirds from Caerphilly in the 2022-23 showpiece next month.

Saturday saw a scintillating display from Denbigh take them roaring into the final of the Dragon Signs FAW Trophy with a truly emphatic performance.

The team was supported by a large vociferous travelling crowd with two full coaches and several cars travelling to Victoria Park in Powys. The fans sang throughout the game as the goals just kept on coming.

Denbigh’s opponents Bridgend Street play in the Tier 4 South Wales Alliance Premier League where they are in a mid-table position.

In the quarter-final they had comprehensively beaten Rhos Aelwyd of Tier 3 Ardal North East 5-2 and Denbigh had prepared well for the match in the knowledge they needed to keep up their momentum of a great winning run of games

Manager Dewi Llion Jones brought striker Jake Walker in for the suspended Matthew Worrall in what was the only change from the starting line up that won at Bangor 1876 in the league a week ago.

On three minutes Denbigh had the lead when Jason Foulkes bent a shot from the edge of the box into the far-right hand corner.

Home keeper Damo Lack took a knock shortly after and had to receive treatment to a troublesome shoulder . However, he could do nothing about a thunderbolt shot on 20 minutes by Craig Pritchard from 18 yards which rifled into the net.

The third goal came shortly after with some one-touch football between Sion Jones and Walker before the ball was laid into the path of Nathan Brown to slot home

After 25 minutes it was 4-0 when Walker turned sharply and wrong-footed Lack to fire in.

At this point Lack, who was still being troubled by his shoulder, had to leave the field with him handing his gloves to forward Jay Edwards with Paul Carro coming on as an outfield player.

The new keeper was helpless when after 40 minutes Brown swung in a corner to Walker on the back post for the striker to head the ball back across goal for Dan Parry Jones to have the simplest of tasks to nod in from close range.

Deep into first half injury time, full back Ben Lockley broke into the penalty box and fired low into the left-hand corner.

Town’s concentration slipped in the next minute as they allowed the excellent Mike Murphy to ghost down the left wing and send a low ball across goal for Jeffrey White to slot home. Half-time: 6-1.

Craig Pritchard and Sion Jones were replaced at the break by Sam Haddon and Jacob Edwards.

Further substitutions followed with Luca Bennett and Morgan Thomas-Sadler coming on for Foulkes and Keiron Roberts. Shortly after, Harvey Bennett replaced Brown

With 68 minutes played Bridgend Street’s woes worsened when a clumsy challenge from second half substitute Rhys Foley O’Dare saw him receive his second yellow card and he had to leave the field.

From the resulting free kick just outside the penalty area, Walker lashed past the Bridgend wall and left keeper Edwards helpless

On 72 minutes Walker turned provider, laying on a ball for Haddon to calmly slot home Denbigh’s eighth.

DENBIGH TOWN

Aaron Jones

Ben Lockley

Sion Jones (Jay Edwards 46)

Dan Parry-Jones

Billy Holmes

Keiron Roberts (Luca Bennett 56)

Jason Foulkes (Morgan Thomas-Sadler 62)

Craig Pritchard (Sam Haddon 46)

Jake Walker

Paul Fleming

Nathan Brown (Harvey Bennett 65)