Welsh Cup: Snatch of the day – unlucky Denbigh fall to a last-kick sickener

WELSH CUP QUARTER-FINAL

Denbigh Town 0
Llanelli Town 1 (Giardelli 90+4)

Football can be such a cruel game.

Three times in the first half Denbigh hit the woodwork, twice in the second period they missed golden chances to win the match, yet from almost the final kick of the tie Llanelli grabbed the winner they hardly deserved.

Sometimes it is just not your day.

Yet Denbigh can feel ultra proud of a magnificent performance against the Cymru South leaders which merited a semi-final spot.

And Dewi Llion’s side can look back with immense pride on a record-breaking Welsh Cup run which saw the club reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their 145-year history.

A huge crowd of 664 packed into Central Park for one of the biggest games in Denbigh’s existence against the 2011 Welsh Cup winners and former Cymru Premier champions.

Owen Davies so nearly gave the hosts an early lead when his angled effort came back off the post on four minutes.

Llanelli had a first glimpse of goal when Theo Wharton’s shot from a good position rolled off target.

Soon after, Denbigh’s top scorer Nathan Brown was denied by keeper Scott Coughlin.

Iwan Roberts lashed a beauty incies over the bar as the Cymru North side continued to create the better chances.

In the 32nd minute a beautiful cross from captain Keiron Roberts was met by the head of Dan Flanders, but his attempt smashed the upright.

The home side continued to threaten, Brown’s free-kick 30-yards out superbly stopped by Coughlin.

Denbigh’s luck was out again a minute before the break when Brown unleashed a screamer from 30-yards which rattled the crossbar.

The visitors began the second period on top but it was the hosts who carved out the first chance on 56.

Davies latched onto a ball down the right before squaring to Iwan Roberts, but his first time effort blazed over.

The game became scrappy as neither side could find any sort of clear cut chance and penalties looked like an invevitability. That was until a chaotic final ten minutes.

Aaron Jones produced a doub;e save to deny the reds before Danny Williams connected from distance, but the home stopper did brilliantly to tip over the bar.

As stoppage time ticked over Denbigh surely thought they’d won it. Breaking forward, Brown and Davies combined to set up Duffy in acres of space in the box but the forward missed the target.

Penalties loomed before on 96 minutes substitute Alex Giardelli smashed home a loose ball in the box to send the visitors through.

Denbigh Town: A.Jones, Flanders, Lockley, Beaumont, S.Jones, K.Roberts, Pownall, Duffy, Brown, I.Roberts, Davies
Subs: Butler, James, Vaughan, Salisbury, Clarke