‘Deserved’ – What Neil Gibson said after Connah’s Quay win Welsh Cup

Connah’s Quay manager Neil Gibson said he was lost for words after trying to describe winning the Welsh Cup after beating The New Saints at Rodney Parade.

The Nomads ended TNS’ 25-game winning run in the competition with a 2-1 win at Rodney Parade and picked up their second-ever Welsh Cup.

Gibson’s side were the last team to beat the holders in the competition when they won their quarter-final encounter in the 2017/18 season, the campaign the North Wales outfit went on to win the Cup. It was The New Saints’ first defeat in a Welsh competition in 442 days.

“I’m struggling to put it into words. It means absolutely everything,” Gibson said.

“We’ve been in since the first of June. It’s been a long hard season, the players have pitched up through the mill for us really. They’ve got what they’ve deserved today which is winning the Welsh Cup and taking some silverware.”

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The The New Saints came into the final unbeaten all season, winning both the League and Welsh League Cup and looked to complete a historic treble.

But Connah’s Quay stunned Craig Harrison’s side with the opener after 30 minutes from Harry Franklin steered home Declan Poole’s cross.

Ash Baker equalised six minutes later when he headed home Danny Redmond’s cross before Josh Williams’ superb half-volley earned the Nomads the trophy and inflicted the first defeat of the domestic season for TNS.

“Last week we felt we had a number of chances in the first 10 minutes we wanted to follow that and do the same and try and take them,” he added.

“Getting yourself ahead against TNS is key because if they get ahead you know you need two goals and it’s hard to score two goals against them, they’ll always score.

“The first is always really important and I thought to a man we were absolutely magnificent today. It’s a lot of credit of hard work of the players and staff put in.”

(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell)