10 of the best Welsh football matches of 2021 with multiple top-of-the-table clashes and playoff drama
Caernarfon, Wales 29 May 2021. JD Cymru Premier UEFA Europa Conference League play-off Final between Caernarfon Town and Newtown AFC. Credit: Will Cheshire / Clwb Peldroed.
Despite three months at the start of the year without any Welsh football, and another three months before any football lower than the top tier, 2021 has seen more than its fair share of action-packed games.
From cup upsets to league deciders, here are some of the best games of the last 12 months.
Cascade Youth Club 5 -3 Talycopa – Adran South – 12 December
The final matchday of the Adran South before the Christmas break saw second-placed Cascade host second from bottom Talycopa, who had only won one game in their league campaign. Despite their form, however, Talycopa made Cascade work hard for their points in an eight-goal thriller.
An early brace by Analleise Lewis gave Cascade a great start, before Bronwyn Ridd pulled one back, the first goal of her hat-trick. Abbie Davies scored a brace herself, with another Ridd goal sandwiched in between before Lewis completed her hat-trick with two minutes left on the clock. Ridd added her third in the final minute, but the deficit was too much to make up.
Cardiff Metropolitan University 1-2 Swansea City – Adran Premier – 5 September
The clashes between Cardiff Met and Swansea City are always hotly-anticipated, and it was the best choice possible for the opening fixture of the newly-founded Adran Premier.
The home side took an early lead through Emily Allen, and held on to that lead until half time. However, it didn’t last long into the second half, when winger Stacey John-Davis scored a superb equaliser. Just when the game looked like it was going to end all square, Swansea were awarded a penalty with less than 90 seconds left, which was duly converted by Shaunna Jenkins.
Airbus UK Broughton 2-2 Guilsfield – Cymru North – 19 November
Newly-relegated Airbus hosted an unbeaten Guilsfield side in this top-of-the-table clash in the Cymru North.
George Peers opened the scoring for Airbus in the first half-hour, before Ollie Lancely added a second early in the second half. Five minutes later, Guilsfield’s long-serving midfielder Andy Ford received his marching orders for a late tackle, and Airbus must have thought the result was secured. Guilsfield, however, did not give up there.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, the talismanic Greg Draper scored his fourth goal of the season to give Guilsfield hope. With just three minutes left before full time, Draper scored his and his side’s second with a deflected shot, to earn a point which could yet prove to be vital in the title race.
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant 3-5 Saltney Town – Welsh Cup – 4 September
Whilst the controversial seeding process for the Welsh Cup led to fewer upsets than would have been hoped for, third tier Saltney earned a superb away victory against Cymru North side Llanrhaeadr, with the majority of the action coming in the final half hour.
Llanrhaeadr’s Tom Gale scored the solitary goal of the first half, but Tom Booth equalised ten minutes into the second half. With 20 minutes left on the clock, Saltney’s Ryan McClearly converted from the spot, and Jordan O’Brien got Saltney’s third, to give them what seemed like a comfortable 3-1 lead. However, two own goals in as many minutes, coming from Stephen Chiocchi and Jake Roberts, made the score 3-3, and a penalty shoot-out seemed inevitable.
However, Saltney did not give up easily, and two dramatic goals in stoppage time ensured their passage to the next round. Ryan McCleary’s second goal of the game came a minute into stoppage time, before Chiocchi made amends for his earlier own goal to secure his side’s victory.
Saltney went on to beat another Cymru North side in Penrhyncoch, before being defeated by Aberystwyth on penalties in the fourth round.
Briton Ferry Llansawel 3-4 Llantwit Major – Cymru South – 19 November
Both sides came into this game in good form, with Llantwit having only lost two league games all season, whilst hosts Briton Ferry were unbeaten in ten. Nearly 500 people were present at Old Road to witness this seven-goal thriller.
The home side got off to a good start with Tyler Brock and Alex Gammond giving them a two-goal cushion within the opening fifteen minutes. Llantwit Major’s Tom Walters saw his penalty saved by McFenton, although the striker made amends by scoring ten minutes later. Brock restored the home side’s two-goal advantage with another tap-in, only for the deficit reduced again by Lee Jones on the stroke of half-time.
Llantwit Major finally got themselves level on the hour mark, with Josh Jones wrongfooting the onrushing Connah McFenton before rolling the ball into an empty net. Luke Bowen thought he had restored Briton Ferry’s lead, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag. Tom Walters continued his red-hot run of form in the final minute with a superb free-kick, which sparked scenes of jubilation for Llantwit’s travelling support.
Wrexham 5-3 Llandudno – Adran North – 12 December
The Adran North has seen plenty of high-scoring affairs this season, although the majority of them have been extremely one-sided. This game however was far from one-sided, as Wrexham handed Llandudno their first defeat of the season.
After an early Wrexham opener from Rosie Hughes, Llandudno hit back immediately through Sioned Phillips, before India Hassall and Maddie Williams scored a goal apiece to give the away side a healthy 3-1 lead at the break.
Wrexham left it late to stage their comeback, but once it came it was a comprehensive one. Libby Mackenzie pulled one back on 67 minutes, before Tonicha Dickens levelled the scores with just nine minutes left. Hughes added her second to give her side the lead in the final seconds of normal time, before Rebecca Pritchard secured the win in stoppage time.
Connah’s Quay Nomads 6-3 Airbus UK Broughton – Nathaniel MG Cup – 21 September
High-flying Airbus came close to causing problems to the struggling Nomads, who were saved by a Jamie Insall hat-trick. Connah’s Quay, who are the reigning champions of the Nathaniel MG Cup, looked to have the result wrapped up in just 15 minutes, thanks to two goals from Insall and another from Declan Poole. However, Airbus did not go down without a fight, and they themselves scored three goals in eleven minutes to level the game up at halftime.
Nomads were however saved in the final 25 minutes, with George Horan and Byron Harrison scoring either side of Insall’s third. The Nomads have since gone on to defeat Holywell and Bala to secure their place in the MG Cup final in February.
Flint Town 3-4 Caernarfon Town – Cymru Premier – 21 December
The final game before the ban on crowds at sports came into force certainly did not disappoint the 453 who were present at the Essity Stadium. With Caernarfon battling to finish in the top six, and Flint hoping to regain second place in the table, both sides had plenty to play for, and the 12 cards handed out showed this.
A goal apiece by Mike Hayes and Rob Hughes in the space of two minutes gave the Cofis a 2-0 lead, although it didn’t take long for Dan Roberts to pull one back for Flint with a tap in from a corner. Noah Edwards scored a superb long-range strike to regain his side’s two-goal advantage, and Dion Donohue then scored his first goal for Caernarfon from the spot after Mike Hayes was adjudged to have been tripped.
Despite a 4-1 lead at half-time, Caernarfon did look like they may throw the lead away in the final half hour. Aaron Simpson was sent off for a nasty foul .on former-Cofi Jack Kenny, and Flint used the man advantage to spur themselves on. In an almost identical spot to where Hayes was fouled in the first half, Bratley was fouled this time, and Mark Cadwallader made no mistake from the spot. He scored his second two minutes later, but Flint didn’t manage to find the elusive fourth goal, and the away side returned west with all three points.
The New Saints 1-4 Connah’s Quay Nomads – Cymru Premier – 24 April
With both sides neck and neck at the top of the table, this was always going to be one of the biggest games of the season, although not many would have expected Nomads to tear their opponents apart like they did.
Michael Wilde’s hat-trick – his first in two and a half years – ensured the result was more or less guaranteed by the half-time whistle, despite Ryan Brobbel’s superb solo effort for the Saints. Insall added a fourth for the Nomads on the hour mark, and to make matters worse for TNS, Greg Draper saw a poor penalty well-saved by Oliver Byrne.
Caernarfon Town 3-5 Newtown – Cymru Premier – 29 May
This eight-goal thriller was the perfect way to mark the culmination of one of the strangest seasons of the Welsh top-flight in recent memory. Despite winning just one game after the split, the Cofis found themselves just 90 minutes from European football. The only obstacle in their way was Newtown, who despite missing out on a place in the top six after a poor start to the season, had been on fire since the split, losing just two games.
Despite the game officially being played behind closed doors, the Cofi fans lined the fences and walls surrounding the stadium to support their team.
Caernarfon struck first through Jack Kenny, who lifted the ball over the onrushing Dave Jones. However, the game was turned on its head in the final five minutes of the first half. Lifumpa Mwandwe was fouled by Lewis Brass in the penalty area, and Rushton duly converted. Mwandwe then was on the score sheet himself after a parry by Brass fell straight to the Zambian.
However, there were plenty of twists and turns still to come in this match. Darren Thomas equalised for his side with a powerful strike after Newtown failed to clear, and he added his second fifteen minutes later, finishing off a quick counterattack to give his side the lead again with just fifteen minutes left to play.
Newtown still had some cards up their sleeves, bringing on James Davies and former-Cofi Jamie Breese, with the former having an instant impact, heading home from Craig Williams’ free-kick. The lead changed for the fourth time when Davies added his second, linking up with Mwandwe to finish a counter attack. The other substitute, Breese, secured the victory against his former side with tap-in in the dying minutes, bringing to an end one of the most incredible games in Welsh top-flight history.
