Match of the Day – FAW Amateur Trophy first qualifying round: Prestatyn Town v Meliden

FAW AMATEUR TROPHY QUALIFYING ROUND ONE

Prestatyn Town 5 (A Jones 26, 90+2, Spencer 55, Hughes 59 & 87)
Meliden 0

AUGUST 1, 2026

Report: Mason Houldsworth

Prestatyn Town booked their place in the next round of the FAW Amateur Trophy with a convincing 5-0 victory over local rivals Meliden at Bastion Gardens.

The Denbighshire derby got underway with the Seasiders looking to stamp their authority on the game from the opening whistle. The first opportunity fell to Aaron White, whose early strike sailed over the crossbar.

Meliden showed from the outset that they would be no pushovers, battling for every ball and making life difficult for the hosts. Prestatyn’s next opportunity came when Alex Jones met a dangerous Tom Kemp cross, only to see his powerful header bounce back off the crossbar.

Approaching the 20-minute mark, Kemp tried his luck with a well-struck volley, but Richard Hillier-Evans was equal to it, producing an excellent save to keep the scores level.

Despite enjoying the majority of possession, Prestatyn found Meliden well organised and determined, with the visitors frustrating the home side for much of the opening half-hour.

The breakthrough finally arrived just before the 30-minute mark. Joe Holt’s corner delivery was flicked on by James Jones, and his twin brother Alex Jones was perfectly placed to head home from close range and give the Seasiders a deserved 1-0 lead.

Moments later, Prestatyn were handed a golden opportunity to double their advantage. Following a scramble inside the penalty area, the ball struck the hand of Ryan Portman, leaving the referee with no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Captain Alex Jones stepped up looking for his second of the afternoon, but Hillier-Evans guessed correctly, diving low to his right to make a good penalty save.

Prestatyn continued to create openings before the interval, but without seriously testing the Meliden goalkeeper again.

Half Time: Prestatyn Town 1-0 Meliden

The Seasiders made one change at the break, with Rob Hughes replacing Macauley Taylor- a substitution that would prove to be inspired.

White threatened once again early in the second half, but Hillier-Evans continued his impressive afternoon with another top save.

Ten minutes after the restart, Prestatyn produced a superb flowing move. Alex Jones squared the ball across goal for Calyn Spencer, who met it first time with a composed half-volley to double the advantage.

Just four minutes later, the hosts struck again. A long ball forward from Adam Reid found Rob Hughes, whose excellent first touch and clever footwork took him beyond his defender before calmly finishing past Hillier-Evans. Hughes marked the goal with a touching tribute to the late Jasmine Lee.

With the game under control, Prestatyn introduced fresh legs as Tom Hilditch, Paul Fleming, Dom McHugh and Jake Walker all entered the action, while Meliden continued to compete admirably despite the growing deficit.

Hughes wasn’t finished there. Producing the moment of the match, he collected the ball on the edge of the penalty area before dancing past three defenders with superb close control. His low finish into the far corner capped a brilliant solo goal and extended the lead to 4-0.

As full-time approached, Alex Jones put the finishing touches on an excellent team performance. Outstanding footwork saw him glide past several Meliden defenders before confidently firing into the corner to grab his second and Prestatyn’s fifth.

The final whistle confirmed Prestatyn Town’s progression into the next round of the FAW Amateur Trophy with an impressive 5-0 victory.

While the Seasiders were clinical in front of goal, credit must also go to Meliden, who battled throughout and produced a disciplined display for long periods, refusing to make life easy for their local rivals.

PRESTATYN TOWN
Adam Reid, Tom Kemp (Dom McHugh 68), James Jones, Lewis Evans, Aaron Simpson, Joe Holt (Paul Fleming 63), Alex Jones (c), Calyn Spencer (Tom Hilditch 63), Ryan Kershaw (Jake Walker 72), Macauley Taylor (Rob Hughes 46), Aaron White.

MELIDEN
Richard Hillier-Evans, Kieran Garnett-Hughes, Harri Taylor (Jamie Dutton 83), Ryan Portman (Jake Twist 46), Joshua Jones, Luke Snape (Connor Begley 46), Liam Brown (Jack Lloyd-Williams 63), Thomas Weir, Macauley Ross (Morgan Gray 66), Richard Hill (c), Cale Kemp.

ATTENDANCE 304
REFEREE: Craig Griffiths