Take a Bow! Dynamic Denbigh prove themselves to be double specialists – again!

ARDAL NORTHERN LEAGUE CUP FINAL 2022-23

Denbigh Town 6 (Fleming 5 & 8; Worrall 29 & 40; Brown 35; Walker 64)
Bow Street 1 (Carruthers 27)

REPORT: DAVE JONES (reporting on Denbigh Town since 1988)

Whenever Denbigh Town win a league title they are never happy to settle for just that!

Saturday saw the pride of the Vale of Clwyd celebrate yet another double as they added the Ardal Northern League Cup to their Ardal North West title with a 6-1 demolition of Bow Street.

A look at the club’s history over the past 30 years reveals that winning more than one trophy in a season is a speciality for the Central Park outfit.

Back in 1995-96, Town achieved their greatest feat in many years when they won the Welsh Alliance League championship and paired that up with the Cookson Cup.

They repeated the trick in 2006-07 as they swept to the Welsh Alliance crown again and lifted the Cookson for good measure.

It was a different double in 2013-14, Denbigh topping the Welsh Alliance by 13 points as invincibles (25 wins, 3 draws, 0 losses) and whipping Llandudno Junction 4-1 in the Barritt/Mawddach Cup Final.

And finally to this weekend…..

A fourth league title in 27 years – the new tier 3 Ardal North West – and now the Ardal Northern League Cup to secure themselves a fourth stint in the tier 2 Cymru North (formerly Cymru Alliance).

It could have been a treble for Town this season, but they lost 2-1 to Trethomas Bluebirds in the FAW Trophy Final – but a double for this ambitious club will still do very nicely.

Six of the best at Caersws

Saturday’s final at the neutral Recreation Ground – a 147-mile round trip for Denbigh compared to 73 for Bow Street (double the distance for the North Walians) was effectively over by half time with Town 5-1 up.

The reds got off to an absolute flyer in the fourth minute when Paul Fleming tapped in after a Ben Lockley cross was palmed by keeper Ben Willis into the skipper’s path.

Fleming made it 2-0 after just eight minutes when he knocked in his 24th goal of the season after Matthew Worrall allowed another Lockley cross to reach the captain.

Craig Pritchard hit the post for the Ardal NW champions before Dafydd Carruthers pulled one back for Bow after 27 minutes with a low strike.

Denbigh soon quelled any encouragement the Ardal NE side may have taken from that goal when Worrall lashed in from 25 yards in the 29th minute.

In the 34th minute, the unstoppable Nathan Brown headed in his 30th of the campaign to make it 4-1.

Worrall soon notched his 21st goal in 20 starts for Town and to make matters worse for Bow, keeper Willis was injured trying to stop the striker and had to be replaced.

The second half was somewhat closer with chances at both ends, but the only goal came in the 62nd minute, substitute Jake Walker bagging his 23rd goal this term from another Lockley assist.

Aaron Jones produced a brilliant save before the end, while Bow also had a goal ruled out for offside.

All the work was done in the first half.

All hail Denbigh Town – Ardal Northern double winners 2022-23

DENBIGH TOWN – FOUR FAMOUS DOUBLES

1995-96

Welsh Alliance League champions
Cookson Cup Final: Denbigh Town 2 (Peter O’Brien 2) Halkyn United 0

2006-07

Welsh Alliance League champions
Cookson Cup Final: Denbigh Town 3 (Kenny Burgess 2, Darren Cassidy) Llanrug United 0

2013-14

Welsh Alliance League champions
Barritt/Mawddach Cup Final: Denbigh Town 4 Llandudno Junction 1

2022-23

Ardal North West League champions
Ardal Northern League Cup Final: Denbigh Town 6 (Paul Fleming 2, Matthew Worrall 2, Nathan Brown, Jake Walker) Bow Street 1