Saltney Town Sports proved too strong for Ruabon Rovers as they defeated them 7-2 to progress in the Welsh Cup.
In front of the Welsh Cup trophy and Welsh football media icon Bryn Law, the Flintshire club showed the difference between the two divisions that separate the sides despite Ruabon boasting former Wales international Mark Jones in their ranks.
Thomas Booth was the star of the show with a hat-trick inside an hour, as well as a brace from Adrian Callaghan and a goal apiece from Corey Mason and Carl Pleavin.
Michael Jones and Chris Bennion, son of manager Cliff, scored consolation goals for the North East Wales Football League outfit.
Ruabon were struggling to get a grip on the game early on with Saltney’s flying wingers Booth and Johnson looking dangerous at every opportunity they had and it was that man Booth who opened the scoring for the away side when he burst through on the left-hand side and slotted past the advancing Jones.
It soon became two when that man Booth hit a 20-25 yard effort on goal, which took a deflection off a Ruabon defender and flew into the net.
Within minutes it went from 2-0 to 3-0 and this time Corey Mason really punished slack defending from Ruabon following a mix-up at the back from a goal kick and Mason slotted into an empty net.
Just after the halfway point of it was indeed four when Callaghan got in the act. Booth again got the defence napping and laid it on a plate for the big man to slot into the goal.
Just before halftime, The Bordermen got their fifth of the match and it was made by right-back Lee Butterworth, who harassed, harried, and eventually did brilliant with the ball down the right-hand side and laid it onto a plate for striker Callaghan to get his second.
Michael Jones nodded a goal which sent the locals into applause following great work by Chris Bennion on the left-hand side.
Unfortunately for Ruabon that seemed to stir Saltney into gear and they were awarded a penalty when again the impressive Booth burst through on goal and when about to strike the ball was brought down by the Ruabon defender.
Following a discussion on who was to take the penalty with both Booth and Callaghan on hattricks, it was midfielder Stephen Chiocchi who stepped up. Chiocchi planted the ball to goalkeeper Adam Jones’s left-hand side but the Rovers stopper sent the crowd into more applause with a solid hand to save the penalty.
However, Rover’s joy was short-lived as Booth got his hattrick, a long ball was placed over the top and with Booth staying onside, his pace took him one on one with the Goalkeeper and he slotted into the bottom corner.
Ruabon’s Mark Jones who has had two nternational caps for Wales was starting to get on the ball a bit more and showed some of the touches and play that allowed him to play at the level he has and he was unlucky with a through ball for striker Lewis Williams who was correctly judged offside.
Carl Pleavin made it 7-1 to Saltney Town following good work across the box and the ball fell to Pleavin who made no mistake from 18 yards.
From the resulting free-kick, Richard Griffiths curled an effort just inches wide. However, it was from this goal kick that Chris Bennion got Ruabon’s second. Following a mix-up at the back from the goal kick, the ball fell to Captain Bennion and he slotted into the empty goal to end the scoring for the day.
Ruabon Rovers FC: Adam Jones, Shane Griffiths (Daniel Kebell 38), Adam Jones, David Jackson, Graham Butler (Owen Bathers 61), Richard Griffiths, Mark Jones, Chris Bennion (c), Lewis Williams, Michael Jones, Ryan Williams.
Goals: Michael Jones 51, Chris Bennion 83.
Saltney Town FC: Joshua Cooke, Lee Butterworth, Harrison Robson (Kieran Farr 72), Jack Roberts (c), Ben Jones, Scot Beach, Jake Johnson, Stephen Chiocchi, Adrian Callaghan, Corey Mason (Cody Silvester 72), Thomas Booth (Carl Pleavin 63).
Goals: Thomas Booth 17, 20, 58. Adrian Callaghan 25, 41. Corey Mason 22. Carl Pleavin 77.
Man of the Match: Thomas Booth (Saltney Town FC)
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