Salute the 2022-23 Ardal North West champions – Denbigh Town FC!
LOCK STOCK ARDAL NORTH WEST – MAY 13, 2023
Rhostyllen 0
Denbigh Town 2 (Worrall 18, Parry-Jones 20)
It was surely the safest bet of the weekend – Denbigh Town would get the point they needed to be crowned 2022-23 Ardal North West champions.
As it turned out, they won 2-0 at the bottom side and lifted the title they richly deserved.
In a league containing the very strong Bangor 1876 and CPD Y Rhyl 1879, Town beat both, home and away, and lost just three times in 26 matches.
From the start of 2023, Dewi Llion Jones’ side went on a marvellous 14-match winning run and, after a blip at Llay Welfare on April 26, bounced back with three straight wins to secure a fourth tier 3 league title for the club.
Denbigh had been Welsh Alliance League champions in 1995-96, 2006-07 and 2013-14 and now add the Ardal North West crown to their honours board.
While they just came up short in the FAW Amateur Trophy Final, Town could yet end up with a double as they face Bow Street in the Ardal Northern League Cup Final next weekend at Caersws.
Just a fantastic season – 98 league goals and 146 in all competitions from a total of 42 games.
Outstanding strikers in Nathan Brown (29 goals), Jake Walker (22) and Matthew Worrall (19 in as many games), as well as the amazing return of 22 goals from captain fantastic and attacking midfield net-finder Paul Fleming.
And alongside the impressive stats has been a style of swashbuckling football which has won them admirers from far and wide.
Denbigh Town did not just beat a number of very good teams this season in league and cup, they often thrashed them and certainly outplayed them.
Today’s mission was clear – get a draw at basement boys Rhostyllen and be the new league champions.
Match report: Ollie Williams
Captain Fleming came in for Walker as Town began brightly. Just three minutes in, Brown fed the ball to Craig Pritchard who shot just wide. Brown himself soon threatened when his 20-yarder blazed over the bar.
In truth, Denbigh were always in control, but that didn’t stop the league’s bottom side carving out a couple of chances, Cavan Daley volleying over from just outside the box with a quarter of an hour played.
Not content with knowing just a point would secure the title and promotion, Denbigh piled on the pressure and had their just rewards, as Worrall fired into the back of the net on 20 minutes with venom as Rhostyllen failed to clear their lines.
Less than a minute later, the hosts clipped the crossbar. The visitors took this warning seriously, and duly doubled the advantage when Brown’s corner was met with a brilliant header from Dan Parry-Jones which allowed supporters to breathe, if only a little.
Rhostyllen had goalkeeper Josh Jones to thank as he denied Fleming twice in the first half.
Half-Time: Rhostyllen 0-2 Denbigh Town
As the sun continued to beam down in Wrexham, Town knew they were just 45 minutes from the promised land, barring any huge comeback from the ‘home’ side at Clywedog Park, the base of Brickfield Rangers.
Worrall had a speculative effort clear the crossbar less than 10 minutes after the restart before the in-form forward just failed to stretch enough at the far post when Brown laid a ball across goal.
With 68 minutes on the clock Denbigh allowed Taylor Williams through on goal but Aaron Jones made a brilliant stop to deny him.
Not to be outdone, Rhos stopper Jones made a wonderful save to thwart Pritchard at close range just seconds later.
Denbigh continued to press for the third goal of the game but the best chance for it fell to Rhostyllen in stoppage time as Parry-Jones committed a foul in the box – penalty.
Up stepped Tom Douglas to spoil Aaron Jones’ clean sheet, but he blasted over the bar.
It ended 2-0 and captain Fleming was presented with the Lock Stock Ardal North West trophy, hoisting it high in front of a superb backing from Denbigh.
After a four-year hiatus Denbigh Town are heading back to tier 2 Cymru North.
HOW THE TITLE WAS WON
13 May 2023
Rhostyllen 0-2 Denbigh Town
6 May 2023
Denbigh Town 4-1 Nantlle Vale
3 May 2023
Llanrwst United 1-3 Denbigh Town
26 April 2023
Llay Welfare 4-2 Denbigh Town
22 April 2023
Llangefni Town 0-2 Denbigh Town
15 April 2023
CPD Y Rhyl 1879 0-4 Denbigh Town
11 April 2023
Denbigh Town 2-1 Hawarden Rangers
1 April 2023
Y Felinheli 2-6 Denbigh Town
28 March 2023
Denbigh Town 4-0 Llay Welfare
25 March 2023
Nantlle Vale 0-1 Denbigh Town
22 March 2023
Denbigh Town 5-2 Saltney Town
11 March 2023
Bangor 1876 0-2 Denbigh Town
24 February 2023
Denbigh Town 1-0 Bangor 1876
10 February 2023
Denbigh Town 8-1 Rhostyllen
4 February 2023
Brickfield Rangers 1-3 Denbigh Town
20 January 2023
Denbigh Town 8-0 Y Felinheli
13 January 2023
Denbigh Town 9-1 Brickfield Rangers
6 January 2023
Llandudno Albion 0-2 Denbigh Town
30 December 2022
Flint Mountain 3-1 Denbigh Town
25 November 2022
Denbigh Town 2-1 CPD Y Rhyl 1879
12 November 2022
Saltney Town 0-5 Denbigh Town
22 October 2022
Denbigh Town 2-2 Llangefni Town
15 October 2022
Hawarden Rangers 1-3 Denbigh Town
17 August 2022
Denbigh Town 6-2 Llandudno Albion
12 August 2022
Denbigh Town 2-0 Flint Mountain
5 August 2022
Denbigh Town 0-2 Llanrwst United
LEAGUE RECORD
PLAYED: 26
WON: 22
DRAWN: 1
LOST: 3
GOALS FOR: 89
GOALS AGAINST: 25
POINTS: 67
GOAL DIFFERENCE: +64
LEAGUE GOALS SCORED
Nathan Brown 19
Matthew Worrall 16
Paul Fleming 13
Craig Pritchard 8
Jake Walker 8
Ben Lockley 6
Jason Foulkes 4
Daniel Clarke 4
Sion Jones 3
Dan Parry-Jones 2
Owen Cordiner 2
Sam Haddon 1
Harvey Bennett 1
Luca Bennett 1
Own goals 1