St Asaph City 2-2 Rhuddlan Town (1-3 on penalties): Rhuddlan triumph in the Elwy derby
Rhuddlan Town claimed a Welsh Cup upset as they defeated St Asaph City 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw at Roe Park Meadows.
Rhuddlan, ranked a division below St Asaph, which itself is the second smallest city in Wales, had initially taken the lead.
Ryan Potts had cancelled out Ellis Blench’s opener before taking the lead on the hour mark. Player-manager Jamie Brewerton however took the game to penalties with a late strike.
In their first competitive games in well over a year, the two sides from Denbighshire were closely matched throughout the ninety minutes but after the introduction of penalties by the FAW, it was Rhuddlan who claimed bragging rights in the Elwy Derby.
The visitors began brightly but the first opportunity fell to the hosts as Brett Fitzsimons was tumbled on the edge of the box after seven minutes of play with Lee Jones placing the resulting freekick wide of the upright.
Both sides were playing some tidy football on the deck, finding their men well and cancelling each other out in the opening quarter of an hour.
Rhuddlan’s Joshua Parry headed a corner wide prior to Mathew Beach firing an opportunity over the crossbar from a freekick on the edge of the 18-yard box.
Midway through the half, the game was opening up as the sides looked to break the deadlock.
Scrappy defending from City led to Beach’s delivery finding Ethan Taylor but his header was deflected out for a corner.
The home side opened the scoring with the move of the match up to that point. An excellent counter-attacking move that began with Ellis Blench saw him link up with Fitzsimons who played the ball out to Corey Brewerton on the wing who delivered a perfect ball back to Blench who smashed the ball home to make it 1-0.
Credit to the visitors, they began to mount a sustained spell of pressure as they looked to level. A 50 yard run down the left by Parry allowed the ball to be crossed into the box for Marcus Scott to head goalwards which was cleared by a City defender.
Minutes before the interval, Rhuddlan got their reward. The influential Ryan Potts struck home with a powerful low drive from around ten yards out to make it 1-1 at the break.
The start of the second half saw City come out strongly as they forced a series of early corner kicks with Jones firing a volley from range over the woodwork.
Rhuddlan rode through the pressure however and came close to going ahead when Potts did well to force and error at the back and attempted to lob Beattie in the City net but his attempt bounced narrowly wide of the gaping net.
A chance on the hour fell to Taylor when he rattled the crossbar from a corner kick with the visitors looking the more likely to take the lead.
Liam Curzon made a fantastic save to deny City down the other end before the hosts saw the ball go in the net by Wallis but chalked off due to offside.
Just after the hour mark, Town went 2-1 ahead. A brilliant looping header from Potts following a superb move down the right by Mathew Rees left Beattie well beaten with a shock on the cards looming.
Rhuddlan’s tails were up after taking the lead with Potts causing problems for the City backline.
Down the other end, substitute Harry Thomas’ shot hit the post before a flurry of corners saw the first headed out of play and the next collected by Curzon.
The equaliser came on the 81st minute as substitute Jackson Brewerton collected Dan Williams’ ball to spectacularly lob Curzon who was rushing off his line to take the game to 2-2.
With fresh impetuous by the home side, they were looking for a winner in the closing stages as Brewerton’s volley was pushed away by Curzon before Curzon was called into action again to deny Williams.
Their pressure didn’t pay off however with the game finishing level and going straight to penalties.
Rhuddlan began with Beach seeing his shot saved. City’s Williams was next and scored making it 0-1.
Rees was second for Rhuddlan and scored. Jones for City stepped up and hit the post. 1-1 after two each.
The third spot-kick for Rhuddlan was taken by Brown and smashed into the net. Grayson’s kick for City was missed. 2-1.
Taylor was Town’s fourth taker and scored. Parsonage was the final spot taker for the hosts and his shot came off the bar which took the game to 3-1 and booked Rhuddlan’s spot in the next round of the JD Welsh Cup.
St Asaph City: 1. Beattie, 2. Wallis (14. J Brewerton 69′), 4. D Williams, 5. Parsonage, 6. L Jones, 7. Blench, 8. Grayson, 9. Fitzsimons (17. Thomas 15′), 10. C Brewerton, 11. J Williams, 16. Murphy.
Subs not used: 12. C Parry, 15. L Hogg, 19. F Kulavuz.
Yellows: Fitzsimons 5′.
Goals: Blench 31′, J Brewerton 82′.
Rhuddlan Town: 1. L Curzon, 3. J Parry, 5. M Scott (N Smith 89′), 8. K Evans, 9. M Rees, 10. J Brown, 12. R Potts, 14. J Poh (J Bellham 15′), 17. E Taylor, 19. C Bucknall, 21. M Beach.
Subs not used: 66. P James
Yellows: J Parry 5′.
Goals: R Potts 40′, 62′
