Looking back at some of North Wales football’s most one-sided finals

You get all the way to a cup final then suffer a serious hammering.

How demoralising must that be?

Or, are some teams just proud to reach a final and philosophically don’t place too much emphasis on the final score?

And also, what is it like for the winners? Maybe expecting a tight one-nil and ending up with a 6-0 victory and total elation!

Earlier this week we turned the spotlight on high-scoring wins in semi-finals involving North Wales clubs.

Today, we look back at some one-sided finals. Even if you do get walloped 10-0 in a final, there has to still be some pride at having got there, or would the pain be too tough to bear?

FAW TROPHY FINAL 2012-13
Caernarfon Town 6 Kilvey Fords 0

Still the biggest win in an FAW Amateur Trophy final, and what a performance it was from Lee Dixon’s Caernarfon.

Swansea Senior League outfit Kilvey were swept aside by goals from Darren Thomas (2), Lee McArdle (2), Dion Donohue and Darren Gowans.

This success was part of a treble for the then tier 3 Canaries that season, with the Welsh Alliance League title and Cookson Cup also won.

Some people said after the match that Kilvey Fords were not up too much, but I can’t recall anyone making that comment before the final. Easy to be wise after the event.

WELSH CUP FINAL 1992-93
Cardiff City 5 Rhyl 0

No-one has bettered this margin of victory in a Welsh Cup final for the past 30 years.

A Phil Stant hat-trick and Cohen Griffith brace saw the Bluebirds sweep aside Mark Ferguson’s Rhyl, who were in their first season back in Welsh football, competing in the tier 2 Cymru Alliance.

Played at Cardiff Arms Park in front of a 16,443 crowd, City were convincing winners on the day to top off what had been a fantastic 1992-93 season under manager Eddie May having already won the Third Division championship and promotion to Division Two.

Cardiff City: G Ward, R James, D Searle, D Brazil (C Pike), J Perry, P Millar (C Dale), P Ramsey, N Richardson, P Stant, N Blake, C Griffith.

Rhyl: G Lichfield, A Lee, R Jones, S Espley, P Lacey, S Jones, S Cross (D Norman), L Congerton, I McMullen, S Taylor (P Marriott), A Jones.

Bigger Welsh Cup final victories

1902-03: Wrexham 8-0 Aberaman Athletic
1930-31: Wrexham 7-0 Shrewsbury Town
1910-11: Wrexham 6-0 Connah’s Quay and Shotton
Equal: 1988-89: Swansea City 5-0 Kidderminster Harriers; 1972-73: Cardiff City 5-0 Bangor City (two legs, Bangor won first leg 1-0); 1887-88: Chirk 5-0 Newtown; 1881-82: Druids 5-0 Northwich Victoria

NORTH WALES COAST FA JUNIOR CUP FINAL 2013-14
CPD Y Felinheli 6 CPD Aberffraw 1

One of the biggest Junior Cup – a seniors competition for village sides – final wins occurred in 2013-14 when Euron Davies’ Felinheli became the first team to successfully defend the trophy in 35 years.

Played at Nantporth, Bangor City, the match was over by half time. Dylan Owen headed the opener for Felin with the aid of a deflection after seven minutes.

Further first half goals followed by Man of the Match Tomos Davies, Gruff John and Carwyn Dafydd as the holders rattled up a 4-0 half time interval lead over a shell-shocked Berffro.

Gruff John went on to complete his hat-trick, Mark Jones grabbing a consolation for the Anglesey team.

Bigger Junior Cup final victories

1901: Rhyl Reserves 6 Llanrwst 0
1920: Abergele 6 Holywell Textiles 0
1924: Abergele 6 Llechid 0
(we have a list of all the winners from the start in 1896, but the results of some finals between 1994-95 and 2007-08 are missing. These finals took place in my time and I could not recall a bigger final win than 6-0 among those – However, I’ve since been informed Glan Conwy won the 1997-98 final 7-1 😀)

NORTH WALES COAST INTERMEDIATE CUP FINAL 2014-15
Prestatyn Sports 5 Waunfawr 1

A stunning performance in the 2014-15 Intermediate Cup Final from an awesome Prestatyn Sports.

In just their second season as a club, Vale of Clwyd and Conwy League Sports thrashed Waunfawr of the Gwynedd League 5-1.

Darren Cassidy, who netted 51 goals that season, and Craig Griffiths, scorer of 45 goals, bagged two apiece in the final with Shane Middleman also on target.

In 2014-15, Sports won an amazing FIVE trophies as a club. The quintet! It never happens!

The first team’s roll of honour was: Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Premier Division champions, NWCFA Intermediate Cup winners, Premier Cup winners, Presidents Cup winners.

Sports battered Rhyl Rovers 9-2 in the Premier Cup final.

And the Reserves won the Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Division One title.

Bigger North Wales Amateur Cup (1895-1975)/Intermediate Cup (1976-present) final victories

1900/01: Bangor 9 Buckley Victoria 1
1913: Rhyl 5 Holywell 0
1933: Flint Town Amateurs 5 Bethesda 0
1940: Flint Athletic 6 Penmaenmawr 1
1958: Holywell Town 6 Gwalchmai 0
1959: Porthmadog 8 Holywell 3 (replay after 1-1 draw – biggest aggregate in final)
1969: Flint Town United 6 Llechid Celts 0
1978: Caernarfon Town 5 Beaumaris 0
(competition suspended 1982-2009 and 2016/17-2020 – competition took place last season (2021/22) but the final was not played. St Asaph City and Menai Bridge Tigers are due to contest the 2022-23 final)

VALE OF CLWYD AND CONWY LEAGUE REM JONES CUP FINAL 2014-15
Llandudno Albion 9 Llysfaen 0

This knockout for division one clubs might have produced one of the biggest cup final wins ever in North Wales football.

Although no doubt – given the number of cup competitions over the years – there will have been heavier wins in finals, this one from Albion beats anything which has featured in many other tournaments.

Mark Montgomery scored five for the Llandudno side, competing in their very first season, while Steve Cheung, Mike Chapman, Jordan Kane and Joel Lloyd netted the rest.

NORTH WALES COAST FA CHALLENGE CUP FINAL 2003-04
Rhyl 6 Halkyn United 0

A tremendous season for Rhyl under John Hulse delivered an unprecedented fourth trophy as they outscored Cymru Alliance underdogs Halkyn 6-0 in a record Challenge Cup final victory at Y Morfa, Conwy.

Gary Powell and Chris McGinn netted hat-tricks apiece for the Lilywhites, who already had the Welsh Premier League title, Welsh Cup and League Cup in the bag.

They also reached the FAW Premier Cup final, losing 4-1 to a very strong Wrexham side.

With Rhyl Reserves and Thirds winning their respective league titles, the Welsh Alliance and Clwyd Premier, it was a season from heaven for the Belle Vue boys. SIX MAJOR TROPHIES!