MATCH OF THE DAY: Phoenix set up ‘tunnels derby’ Intermediate Cup Final
Gwalchmai 0
Penmaenmawr Phoenix 2 (Hobson 21, R Jones 82)
The 2024-25 NWCFA Intermediate Cup Final will be a “Tunnels Derby”.
Penmaenmawr Phoenix will take on Llanfairfechan Town in the final of the tier 4 competition on May 17 at a venue to be confirmed.
Both clubs have won the Intermediate Cup once in their history but neither since 1928. The pair have also reached three finals apiece.
With Llanfairfechan already safely in the final after last weekend’s 5-0 beating of Bethesda Athletic, Penmaenmawr today faced the holders Gwalchmai.
And it was Phoenix who emerged 2-0 victors, stretching their unbeaten run to 13 matches in the process.
A cup classic unfolded at Maes Meurig where a bumper crowd of over 250 watched two very evenly matched teams fiercely compete to reach the final of this prestigious competitio.
Credit to referee Rhodri Dafydd, who did a fantastic job controlling the game and stamping his authority early doors.
It was the Phoenix who broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. A corner whipped into the box from Adam Hold found unmarked at the back post James Hobson, who smashed the ball into the roof of the net.
Gwalchmai imposed themselves on the game with their young, quick attacking players trying to break down a well-organised strong Pen defence, who kept it at 1-0 until the interval.
The second half began in the same fashion with both teams creating chances at either end of the pitch.
A moment to remember for everyone involved in the game came in the 82nd minute when Gwalchmai’s young keeper Tyler Jones rushed out of his box to clear, the ball landed on the halfway line where Pen’s Ricky Jones running at full speed smashed it with the outside of his foot.
The whole ground went silent and watched as the ball sailed into the roof of the net to the delight of Jones and the travelling supporters.
Jubilant scenes erupted for the away team and even a clap of appreciation was heard from the home supporters over what they had just witnessed.
NWCFA INTERMEDIATE CUP HISTORY/LIST OF WINNERS
North Wales Coast Amateur Cup Finals (former name for NWCFA Intermediate Cup)
1894/95: Bangor 2 Llandudno Swifts 1
1895/96: Bangor 2 Llandudno Swifts 0
1896/97: Llandudno Swifts 5 Bangor 1
1897/98: Bangor 3 Holywell 0
1898/99: Bangor 4 Buckley Victoria 2
1899/1900: Llandudno 3 Buckley Victoria 0 (after 2-2 draw at Flint)
1900/01: Bangor 9 Buckley Victoria 1
1901/02: Rhyl 1 Caernarfon 0 (after 1-1 draw at Bangor)
1902/03: Bangor 3 Rhyl 1
1903/04: Llandudno 2 Bangor 1
1904/05: Bangor 1 Colwyn Bay 0
1905/06: Bangor Reserves 2 Flint 1
1906/07: Holyhead 3 Llandudno 0 (after two 1-1 draws at Bangor)
1907/08: Holyhead 3 Greenfield 0 (after 0-0 at Bangor, 2-2 and 1-1 at Llandudno)
1908/09: Caernarfon 1 Conway 0
1909/10: Flint 1 Pwllheli 0
1910/11: Caernarfon 1 Bangor Reserves 0 ( after 2-2 draw at Llandudno)
1911/12: Bangor 4 Holywell 0
1912/13: Rhyl 5 Holywell 0
1913/14: Holywell 1 Colwyn Bay 0
1919/20: Bagillt 2 Conway 1
1920/21: Holyhead Railway Institute 3 Holywell 1
1921/22: Holywell 1 Holyhead 0
1922/23: Caernarfon 2 Holyhead 1
1923/24: Denbigh 1 Barmouth 0
1924/25: Penmaenmawr 2 Denbigh 1
1925/26: Conway 5 Penmaenmawr 1
1926/27: Conway 2 Holyhead 1 (after 0-0 draw at Bangor)
1927/28: Llanfairfechan 4 Colwyn Bay Reserves 0
1928/29: Llandudno Reserves 4 Llanfairfechan 2
1929/30: Bettisfield (Bagillt) 3 Llanfairfechan 2
1930/31: Flint Town Amateurs 3 Llysfaen 0
1931/32: Flint Town Amateurs 2 Bethesda 1
1932/33: Flint Town Amateurs 5 Bethesda 0
1933/34: Flint Town Amateurs 4 Portmadoc 0
1934/35: Flint Town 2 Portmadoc 1
1935/36: Flint Town 1 Llanfairfechan 0
1936/37: Buckley Town 4 Blaenau Ffestiniog 1
1937/38: Portmadoc 2 Castle Fire Bricks 1
1938/39: Buckley Town 2 Blaenau Ffestiniog 1
1939/40: Flint Athletic 6 Penmaenmawr 1
1945/46: Conwy Borough 2 Portmadoc 1
1946/47: Caernarfon Town 4 Connah’s Quay Albion 3 (after 1-1 at Llandudno)
1947/48: Llandudno 3 Caernarfon Town 2 (after 1-1 at Bangor)
1948/49: Holywell 2 Barmouth 0
1949/50: Holyhead Town 2 Conway Borough 1
1950/51: Connah’s Quay Albion 3 Bethesda Athletic 1
1951/52: Connah’s Quay Juniors 2 Bethesda Athletic 0
1952/53: Connah’s Quay Nomads 4 Nantlle Vale 0
1953/54: Buckley Wanderers 2 UCNW Bangor 1
1954/55: Connah’s Quay Nomads 7 Buckley Wanderers 3
1955/56: Barmouth 1 Buckley Wanderers 0
1956/57: Portmadoc 2 Buckley Wanderers 1
1957/58: Holywell Town 6 Gwalchmai 0
1958/59: Portmadog 8 Holywell 3 (after 1-1 at Bangor)
1959/60: Bala Town 4 Peritus 0
1960/61: Newborough 2 Denbigh Town 1
1961/62: Llandudno 4 Rhuddlan 0
1962/63: Portmadoc 3 Holywell Town 0
1963/64: Peritus 4 Ruthin 1 (after 2-2 at Bangor)
1964/65: Llanberis 4 Buckley Rovers 1
1965/66: Buckley Wanderers 2 Newborough 1
1966/67: Ruthin 3 Flint Town United 1
1967/68: Llanberis Athletic 3 Denbigh Town 0
1968/69: Flint Town United 6 Llechid Celts 0
1969/70: Denbigh Town 3 Llanberis 1
1970/71: Llangoed & District 2 Mostyn YMCA 1
1971/72: Mostyn YMCA 1 Denbigh Town 0
1972/73: Ruthin 2 Llanberis 0
1973/74: Nantlle Vale 3 Aberffraw 0
1974/75: Nantlle Vale 2 Point of Ayr 1
NWCFA Intermediate Cup finals
1975/76: Nantlle Vale 2 Llanfairpwll 1
1976/77: Flint Town United 1 Courtaulds (Greenfield) 0
1977/78: Caernarfon Town 5 Beaumaris 0
1978/79: Courtaulds (Greenfield) 3 Connah’s Quay Nomads 1
1979/80: Llanberis 2 Connah’s Quay Nomads 1
1980/81: Connah’s Quay Nomads 2 Mold Alexandra 1
(competition suspended)
NWCFA Intermediate Cup finals
2008/09: Greenfield 2 Gwalchmai 1
2009/10: Prestatyn Town Reserves 2 Gwalchmai 1 (aet)
2010/11: Glantraeth 1 Beaumaris Town 1 (aet – Glantraeth won 4-1 on pens)
2011/12: Prestatyn Rovers 1 Rhyl Reserves 0
2012/13: Llansannan 1 St Asaph 0
2013/14: Caernarfon Town Res 2 Prestatyn Town Res 2 (Caernarfon won 4-2 pens)
2014/15: Prestatyn Sports 5 Waunfawr 1
2015/16: Llanystumdwy 3 Llandudno Albion 0
(competition suspended)
2022/23: St Asaph City 4 Menai Bridge Tigers 0
2023/24: Gwalchmai 3 Penrhyndeudraeth 1
LIST OF WINNERS (87 finals – 51 winners)
8 – Bangor
5 – Caernarfon Town
4 – Llandudno, Flint Town Amateurs, Portmadoc
3 – Holywell, Connah’s Quay Nomads, Nantlle Vale
2 – Rhyl, Holyhead, Denbigh Town, Conway, Flint Town, Buckley Town, Buckley Wanderers, Llanberis, Ruthin Town, Flint Town United
1 – Llandudno Swifts, Bangor Reserves, Caernarfon Town Res, Flint, Bagillt, Holyhead Railway Institute, Penmaenmawr, Llanfairfechan, Llandudno Reserves, Bettisfield (Bagillt), Flint Athletic, Conwy Borough, Connah’s Quay Albion, Connah’s Quay Juniors, Barmouth, Holywell Town, Bala Town, Newborough, Peritus, Llanberis Athletic, Llangoed & District, Mostyn YMCA, Courtaulds (Greenfield), Greenfield, Prestatyn Town Reserves, Caernarfon Town Reserves, Glantraeth, Prestatyn Rovers, Prestatyn Sports, Llansannan, Llanystumdwy, St Asaph City, Gwalchmai