Connah’s Quay Nomads successfully defended their Nathaniel MG Cup as they beat Cardiff Met 10-9 on penalties.
Eliot Evans’s second penalty hit the post giving the Nomads their second consecutive League Cup after winning it back in 2019.
There was an early opportunity for Connah’s Quay to pull in front but the crossbar denied them. A cross from Neal Eardley found Callum Morris who peeled away from any markers but his shot was kept down.
Up the other end of the pitch, Adam Roscrow got himself yellow carded as he collided with Oliver Byrne when competing for the ball.
Met were the team on top though and had a better control of possession but weren’t creating as many clear-cut chances.
Morris, having gone close to scoring had to change his mentality in defence and he made a goal scoring tackle to deny Eliot Evans who had prepped himself to pull the trigger for a shot.
The two sides took their battle into the midfield and Met were still the side on top but were unable to make any clear-cut opportunities for the remainder of the first half.
Connah’s Quay emerged from the dressing room and had already shown more about them with Lang twice tested. The major one being a curling shot from Kris Owens which the goalkeeper had to palm away.
They were the team that were on top in the second-half and forced Lang into more action with the Met keeper tipping Jamie Insall’s header over the bar.
With ten minutes remaining, Connah’s Quay were firmly the side that looked like scoring and another exquisite cross from Eardley was headed wide by Insall.
In a rare chance for the Met, Emlyn Lewis moved away from everyone else to position himself for a header but Byrne wasn’t challenged. This was the last chance of the ninety minutes with the two sides needing penalties to separate them.
Another match point then came after Paolo Mendes had missed his spot-kick, though Joe Evans’ was unable to capitalise as Byrne saved once more.
Byrne’s heroics meant the shootout went to the goalkeepers and he scored with an emphatic penalty to put the pressure on Alex Lang.
Lang though found the net and then there were a repeat of the first takers. Callum Morris scored his despite the Met shotstopper getting a touch.
It would fall onto Eliot Evans – the penalty taker that took them to the Europa League – to keep his side in the shootout but his penalty bounced back off the post.
Cardiff Met: Alex Lang, Matt Chubb, Kyle McCarthy, Emlyn Lewis, Thomas Price, Eliot Evans (C), Adam Roscrow (CJ Craven, 80), Harry Owen (Liam Warman, 86), Lewis Rees (Sam Jones, 58), Joe Evans.
Yellow Cards: Adam Roscrow 6, Tom Price 42’
Connah’s Quay Nomads: Oliver Byrne, George Horan (C), Paulo Mendes, Jamie Mullan (Jamie Insall, 69), Callum Morris, Declan Poole, Danny Holmes, Kris Owens, Neal Eardley, Aeron Edwards, Connor Simpson.
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