North East Wales Football League: Cup joy for Acton and Penyffordd, Corwen stumble again
NORTH EAST WALES FOOTBALL LEAGUE REPORTS MAY 4
Premier Division
FC Queen’s Park 2 Corwen 0
After appearing to be cruising towards a Premier Division title win Corwen have suddenly hit a stumbling block.
Still needing just five points from their remaining five games to become champions, Jamie Hulse’s side suffered a second defeat in three outings when they visited Queen’s Park on Saturday.
Corwen won their first 12 league encounters, went undefeated in 14, but have picked up just a single point from their last three fixtures.
Next on the schedule is a home meeting with Lex this Friday.
Saturday’s test at The Dunks saw Corwen up against last season’s champions, who have struggled for consistency this term.
Early on, the Park’s two-goal hero Sean Skimmings challenged goalkeeper Louis Pritchard before going for goal from distance, but saw the ball loop over the bar.
The away side had much of the opening play, but were unable make the most of the pressure against a stubborn home defence.
Just past the half-hour, the Wrexham hosts took the lead.
A free kick was floated in by Tony Jones and not dealt with by the Corwen defence, allowing Skimmings to head the ball home.
Five minutes from the interval keeper Joshua Edwards was claiming an assist, as he launched the ball forward from his own penalty area, which was put into the back of the net from an overhead kick by Skimmings.
In the closing stages of the half, Corwen’s Owen Cordiner saw his low shot saved from close range.
Early in the second half, Stephen Rees went for goal from the edge of the Corwen box. The ball was initially spilt by keeper Pritchard, but the Corwen number one was able to recover.
Skimmings was looking to complete his hat-trick when he stole the ball from a Corwen defender, but blasted his shot over the bar.
Cordiner was bearing down on the Park goal, but was stopped in his tracks by a great challenge from Tony Jones.
With three minutes of the regulation 90 to play, Corwen’s Scott Evans let fly from long range, but the attempt was tipped over by Edwards.
Henry Evans then got his head to a corner, but saw the ball cleared off the line by a Queen’s Park defender.
The final whistle sounded on Corwen enduring their second league defeat and they failed to find the back of the net in a Premier Division match for the first time this season.
Greenfield 10 Ruabon Rovers 1
Seven-goal star Ryan Jones boosted his tally for the season to 34 and may well have set a club record for the highest individual tally in a single game.
Hats off to eight-man Ruabon side who commendably gave their all for 90 testing minutes.
Jones’ septet was added to by singles from Bailey Roberts, Matthew Bennett and Luke Williams, Michael Jones with a consolation for Rovers.
Rhostyllen 3 Mynydd Isa 3
Drew Wickens’ 87th minute equaliser rescued a point for a Rhostyllen outfit which fought back from three goals down.
Two goals from captain Sam Wainwright, one a penalty, and a James Beck single put Isa 3-0 up with 47 minutes on the clock.
However, a Tom Douglas double on 58 and 77 minutes, edging him up to 27 goals for the campaign, set up a grandstand finish.
And home skipper Wickens delivered that late leveller to ensure honours ended even.
Championship Division
Holywell United 2 FC Plas Madoc 3
Champions Madoc won again to end their season with a hefty 12-point lead at the summit.
Ryan Jakovlevs, Jamie Williams and an own goal made up the visiting total, Rhys Powell and Kieran Durkan for the home side.
CPD Sychdyn 3 CPD Gronant 2
Kieran Jones, Aaron North and Joe Mitchell bagged the goals which earned Sychdyn a cracking season-closing win over the runners-up.
Gronant were three behind at half time, but replies in the second period from Kallum Pierce and Aidan Bell ran them close.
CPD Yr Wyddgrug 5 Brymbo 3
Shaun Hughes (2), Lewis James, David Jones (pen) and Henry Jones shared the goals for victorious Wyddgrug, Bradley Reid, Liam Davies and Josh Gunwhy hitting back for a very spirited Brymbo.
Premier Cup Final
Connah’s Quay Town 1 Penyffordd Lions 2 (AET)
The Lions lifted the Premier Cup after a hard fought extra time win against promotion-chasing Connah’s Quay Town at the Hollingsworth Group Stadium, Airbus.
Penyffordd struck first when Liam Hughes found the net from a Ben Hughes assist.
Gambian ace Pascal Gomez levelled for Town on 59 minutes with his 17th goal of the season.
Extra time was needed and in the 99th minute Ben Hughes rounded off a great move to make it 2-1.
Town finished with 10 men after John Leonard was red-carded.
The Two Counties Cup Final
Aston Park Rangers 1 Acton 4
Two added-time goals ensured Acton lifted the Two Counties Cup at Airbus on Saturday.
This competition for Championship Division teams had seen Acton have to win their semi-final against Rhydymwyn twice.
After tasting victory in a first game on penalties, it emerged extra time should have been played before spot-kicks, so the NEWFA ordered a replay. Acton won the second match too to deservedly make the final.
The Wrexham side got off to a flyer, Liam Davies and 54-goal star Sam Giles both netting inside the opening five minutes.
Aston Park’s influential forward Jonny Crossley was dismissed for a second yellow after 20 minutes, but on 26 a Karl Lloyd net-finder brought Rangers back into it.
And the 10-men kept things very close until in the 92nd minute, Ethan Callaghan made it 3-1 and another Acton strike quickly followed via Luke Hughes.