Remy Mitchell shootout heroics help Swansea City past Cardiff Met into Nathaniel MG Cup final
Swansea City goalkeeper Remy Mitchell and Swansea City's Joe Thomas as Swansea win on penalty’s after 0-0 full time during the 2023/24 Nathaniel MG Cup Semi Final fixture between Swansea City U21 & Cardiff Met University FC, Swansea City Training Academy, Swansea, Wales (Pic By John Smith/FAW)
Remy Mitchell was the hero, as his penalty heroics helped Swansea City into the Nathaniel MG Cup final, as they defeated Cardiff Met.
Both teams had chances to score in the 90 minutes, but a combination of tremendous saves and missed chances meant the game would be decided by penalties. Having saved one, Mitchell saved Tom Vincent’s penalty to seal victory for the Swans.
Swansea will face either TNS or Guilsfield in the final of the Nathaniel MG Cup.
Swansea City only kept two players in the starting eleven from the team that defeated Briton Ferry in the last round: Harry Jones and Joe Thomas.
Cardiff Met made two changes from their last game, which was a draw away to Barry Town. Kyle McCarthy and Fin Skiverton came in to replace Lewis Rees and Sam Jones.
As soon as the game kicked off, you could see the difference in stature of both sides. Met, from a physical perspective, towered above their counterparts in stature, but Swansea were looking to use their speed and guile to get in on goal.
For much of the first half, the quickness of the Swans had them on top. Kyrell Wilson and Cameron Congreve wriggled away from defenders on their way to the Met net, but Alex Lang, the former Swansea Academy keeper, was in fine form and kept them out.
The most guilt-edged opportunity for Swansea came from a Met error. Harry Owen, who had no pressure on him, launched the ball back towards Lang but only found Wilson, who was ready to pounce. Emlyn Lewis managed to spare Owen’s blushes, but it was a real let off for the Archers.
Then followed a long pause as Owen had to be taken off on a stretcher with an injury, but it seemed to galvanise Ryan Jenkins’ men, who ended the half on top. Tom Vincent headed wide from a Barnaby Soady cross, but from every corner, there seemed to be a Met head getting onto the end of a cross.
An even half, and perhaps unsurprisingly, both headed into the dressing room on level terms.
The visitors continued their dominance at the beginning of the second half, and they thought they found the opener from a Tom Price corner, but Remy Mitchell in the Swansea net clawed the ball off the line on the nick of time.
Back came the Swans, and it was captain Filip Lissah who took matters into his own hands. Going on a driving run through the middle of the pitch, he unleashed a ferocious shot from distance; and while it went just wide, it certainly had Lang worried.
For the remaining 20 minutes, the game lulled. Neither were able to get a stronghold in the tie, and everything turned scrappy. Price had a chance from a tight angle, but the ball flew over the bar, and soon after that, the whistle blew. It was to be penalties that would decide the winner.
Both sides missed early spot kicks, but after that, every penalty was perfect. But Mitchell proved to be the hero, as he saved Vincent’s penalty to send the Swans into the final.
Player of the Match: CJ Craven
While he was on the losing side, I thought Craven was superb. Never stopped running, his set pieces were always a threat, and he certainly challenged a very talented Swansea team.
Swansea City U21
Remy Mitchell, Harry Jones, Lincoln McFayden, Mitchel Bates, Filip Lissah ©, Richard Faakye (Glory Nzingo 58’), Joe Thomas, Dan Watts, Kyrell Wilson, Liam Smith, Cameron Congreve
Unused Subs: Charlie Veevers, Kit Margetson, Maliq Cadogan, Thomas Woodward, Yori Griffith, Jack Fanning
Yellows: Remy Mitchell (90’)
Cardiff Met
Alex Lang, Kyle McCarthy ©, Emlyn Lewis, Tom Price, Eliot Evans, Dixon Kabongo, Harry Owen (Barnaby Soady 24’), Chris Craven, Evan Cadwallader, Tom Vincent, Fin Skiverton (Haben Samson 67’)
Unused Subs: Ben Haines, Charles Bullock, Elliot Humphries, Alfie Jones
Yellows: Tom Price (14’), Dixon Kabongo (45’)
