The New Saints successfully secured a Cymru Premier and Welsh Cup double as they survived a late show from Penybont to win 3-2 at the Cardiff City Stadium.
A quick-fire double from player-of-the-match Jordan Williams at the half-hour mark put the wheels in motion for an eighth triumph in the competition. Golden Boot winner Declan McManus then put the icing on the cake by scoring his 29th goal of the season.
Goals from Shaun MacDonald and Daniel Jefferies in the last ten minutes made the game closer than it was to set up a grandstand finish but Saints managed to hold out.
The Saints’ win means Newtown will take the third and final European spot whilst Bont’s season is extended to an SPFL Trust Trophy play-off at Flint Town United.
Referee Robert Jenkins was right on it from the first whistle as less than a minute into the match, Kai Whitmore was yellow carded for raising a foot on Chris Marriott whilst chasing the ball.
Penybont were causing their own problems as Ashley Evans almost headed into his Ashley Morris’ net from a testing Jordan Williams cross but the goalkeeper anticipated it.
Ryan Brobbbel then followed up with a curling shot that ended up just over the bar in a dominant spell from the Saints.
Their dominance continued but they couldn’t create any clear-cut opportunities at Morris’ goal.
As half-hour elapsed, Saints opened the scoring through Williams who had been the most creative. Williams from 25-yards out hit a low shot that went underneath Morris.
A quick-fire second then followed with Williams on target once more. A cross from Brobbel was awkwardly tipped by Morris and the winger was there at the back post to score on the rebound.
In stoppage time, the Saints hit the underside of the bar with Leo Smith’s cross beating Morris but not the goal.
The tie was put beyond any reasonable doubt when the Saints scored from the penalty spot. Morris slid in on McManus and fired home with a low unstoppable drive.
TNS could have added more with Keston Davies heading just over the bar after a well-delivered corner from Chris Marriott.
McManus also had a chance to double his tally but the striker couldn’t keep his header down after jumping high for the ball.
Five minutes from time, Penybont pulled one back in their first meaningful attack of the match. After a goalmouth scramble that saw Whitmore denied in the first phase, MacDonald sliced a shot past a sea of bodies and Roberts to save some face.
MacDonald’s goal inspired Penybont to finish the match strongly and Owen forced Roberts into a save from a central free-kick. From the resulting corner, Bont scored as Jefferies powered a header home past Roberts.
At the final whistle, a controversy was then ensured as, in the dying stages, a collision between goalkeeper Roberts and Whitmore ended in no penalty and the final whistle blown.
Penybont: Ashley Morris, Kane Owen, Ashley Evans, Daniel Jefferies, Kostya Georgievsky (Liam Walsh, 67), Ben Ahmun (Keane Watts, 56), Nathan Wood, Kai Whitmore, Sam Snaith, Billy Borge (Ryan Reynolds, 46), Shaun MacDonald.
Goals: Shaun MacDonald 84, Daniel Jefferies 89′
Yellow Cards: Kai Whitmore 2, Sam Snaith 51’
The New Saints: Connor Roberts, Chris Marriott, Keston Davies, Ryan Astles, Jon Routledge, Ryan Brobbel, Declan McManus (Louis Robles, 81), Danny Redmond (Adrian Cieslewicz, 79), Jordan Williams, Leo Smith (Ben Clark, 67), Danny Davies.
Goals: Jordan Williams 31, 32’
Yellow Cards: Danny Redmond 54, Ryan Astles 82’
Attendance: 2,417
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