Nathaniel MG Cup Final: Five things we learned as TNS thrash Swansea City 5-1
Ryan Brobbel of TNS celebrates scoring his sides first goal. The New Saints v Swansea City u21in the Nathaniel MG Cup Final at Jenner Park on the 20th January 2024.
TNS won the Nathaniel MG Cup for the first time since 2018, with a comfortable 5-1 win against a young Swansea City side at Jenner Park.
The Cymru Premier leaders lifted their first piece of silverware of the season, with them looking to add three more to the trophy cabinet this season. It was a valiant performance from the young South Wales outfit but were unable to get the better of their experienced opponents.
With that said, here is a look at five things we learned from the Nathaniel MG Cup Final.
TNS record holders
The victory saw TNS become 10-time winners of the Nathaniel MG trophy, which is the record for the competition. Since winning the title for the first time back in 1995, when they beat Ton Pentre 2-1 in Newtown, they have continued to be a dominant force in the competition, losing only one of the 11 finals they have reached, a penalty shootout loss to Carmarthen Town in 2013.
They showed their experience to get the best of Swansea, with forward Ryan Brobbel excellent in his man of the match performance, instinctively pouncing on an opportunity to open the scoring, alongside creating with slick attacking play.
It wasn’t only experience going forward, but also defensively as TNS didn’t allow Swansea many chances at their goal, and showing good game management to see the game out comfortably.
The Swans have great young talent
It wasn’t the result that Swansea City would have been hoping for in Barry, but they still have plenty to be proud of from their remarkable run to the final. The wildcard entrants making their debut in the competition, have showcased the young talent coming through at Swansea City, with the players involved likely to have successful careers with The Swans, or other EFL clubs.
Keeper Remy Mitchell, who was the hero in the penalty shootout win against Cardiff Met in the semi-final, had another great performance making a handful of great saves to stop TNS from further goals. Forward Cameron Congreve showed great footwork and looked like he could be a great threat going forward, alongside Ben Lloyd who netted the only goal for the losing side.
More wildcard entries in the future
With that being said, we are likely going to see further wildcard entries in coming campaigns. The addition of Swansea City and their rivals Cardiff City have been a breath of fresh air to the competition, and has brought further attention and eyes to the domestic game in Wales.
There is the possibility to have the two return for next season, or the possibility to look elsewhere, with Newport County, Wrexham, and Merthyr Town all possible entrants.
More competition needed
Despite the competition being highly entertaining throughout the season, the final has perhaps shown that there is a lack of opposition that can push TNS regularly within Wales.
With them being the only full-time side in Wales, making the final alongside an academy side that also plays full-time it shows that a professional setup makes a big difference. Seeing other Welsh domestic sides go full-time isn’t something we are likely to see anytime soon, but it is maybe something we need to see for a more competitive domestic game.
TNS to do the quadruple?
With one trophy down, TNS now have their sights set on a domestic quadruple. They are in a dominant position in the Cymru Premier, sitting 15 points ahead of Connah’s Quay Nomads in second place, and have a quarter-final tie against second-division leaders Briton Ferry Llansawel on February 16th.
The toughest of challenges will be their SPFL Trust Trophy semi-final tie away to Scottish Championship side Falkirk, which will be played on February 3rd. It is a real possibility that they could end the season with four trophies, in what would be a hugely successful season for the dominant side in Wales.
