Match of the Day – NWCFA Intermediate Cup: Gwalchmai 6 Llanrug United 5
NWCFA INTERMEDIATE CUP ROUND TWO
Gwalchmai 6 (C Owen 25, 36 pen & 58; Bentley 102 & 105; Vaughan 112)
Llanrug United 5 (O Williams 29, McDaid 52 & 118; Sadler 70 & 110 pen)
(after extra time – 3-3 after 90 minutes)
Connor Owen grabbed a hat-trick and Kaine Bentley a double as Gwalchmai won an 11-goal thriller at Maes Meurig between two top-class Tier 4 teams.
Gwalch started facing a strong wind but it did not seem to affect their game.
The deadlock was broken in the 25th minute when a great run from in-form Bentley left the Llanrug defence in trouble.
Bentley then played a back-heel pass to Owen who struck the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
Four minutes later, Llanrug used the wind to their advantage and equalised with a fantastic strike from Osian Williams.
Gwalchmai rallied and were awarded a penalty after keeper Dylan Roberts brought down Bentley.
Owen stepped up and kept his composure to score from the spot to make it 2-1, which was the state of play at half time.
Determined visitors Llanrug levelled seven minutes into the second half when Jamie McDaid found the net.
Not long after, though, it was 3-2 to the hosts thanks to the latest hat-trick from that man Owen.
The No 10 did well to turn his way into shooting range and produce a strike with his weaker foot which took a deflection past the keeper.
Llanrug were far from finished and restored parity in the tie again through Jonathan Sadler after 70 minutes.
Marc Evans, back at Gwalchmai for a fourth time after a short spell with Llangefni Town, came on as a 79th minute substitute, but there were no further goals, so extra time was needed to determine a winner.
Gwalch didn’t mess around in the first period and went back in front when Bentley deservedly bagged his first goal of the game.
Just before the break, Bentley pounced again to make it 5-3.
It looked all over when Bentley used his pace and skill to set up sub Llion Vaughan for the sixth, but a Sadler penalty and second for McDaid kept it close right till the end.
A ninth straight win for Gwalchmai in all competitions, but it was a close-run contest.
TEAMS
Gwalchmai
Caron Hughes
Sam Jones
Gethin Jones (Liam Dhillon 89)
Lewis Owen (Gwion Thomas 74)
John R Jones
Andrew Jones
Chris Bennett
Darren Roberts (Marc Evans 79)
Kaine Bentley (Dion Owen 114)
Connor Owen (Llion Vaughan 108)
Josh Owen
Llanrug United
Dylan Roberts
Carl Griffiths (N/A 105)
Matthew Roberts
Owain Gibbard (Eifion Williams 41)
Llion Jones (Jack Parry 80)
Dion Roberts
Jake Calley-Thomas
Robin Thomas
Jamie McDaid
Osian Williams
Jonathan Sadler