In the latest JD WPL Development League round of games (MD5), the TNS Professional Phase squad faced Prestatyn Town at Park Hall. With the average age just 16, the ongoing trend of a young team continued.
Playing some – in the words of Steve Benyon – “fantastic one-touch football”, the team went into the break 6-0 up. Goals from Izzy Ozdemir (2), Tomos Williams (2), Matt Cole and Tom Gray gave The New Saints an impressive lead.
The second half was more of the same as Ozdemir and Williams completed their hat-tricks, with Dennis Bates, Andy Papirnyk and an own goal completing the scoreline of 11-0.
Benyon was glowing in his post-match reflections: “Credit to all the players who controlled the game throughout. They are starting to adapt to the different demands and training regime, with everyone contributing in a positive and effective manner.”
The squad will be back in training this week, ahead of Wednesday’s Category 1 game at home to Newcastle-Under-Lyme, followed by next Sunday’s trip to Caersws in the Welsh Youth Cup.
Full of praise for the whole squad, Benyon concluded: “Again what is pleasing is to see how many talented players have missed out on the squad who certainly deserve a place. Again though it goes to show the real strength in depth I have at my disposal, following a positive week’s training.”
Squad:
- Lewis Dutton
2. Matt Cole (x1)
3. Sam Finley
4. Liam Ihekwoaba
5. Lewis Kaye
6. Dennis Bates (x1)
7. Harry Bower
8. CJ Craven
9. Tomos Williams (x3)
10. Tom Gray (x1)
11. Ismael Ozdemir (x3)
12. Harley Steel
14. Andrew Papirnyk (x1)
15. James Gregory-Cork
OG
The New Saints Under 19 team maintained their 100% league record in style as they hit the goal trail with an 11-0 home win over bottom of the table Prestatyn Town Under 19 in their JD Welsh Premier Development League match at Park Hall Stadium on Sunday.
This latest win by Steve Benyon’s side takes Saints’ winning start to the season to 5 games and keeps them top of the table on goal difference from Bala Town, who won 2-0 at home to Llandudno.
Saints opened their account in the 4th minute when a long ball over the top on the right by Harry Bower found Tomos Williams who ran on before chipping advancing Prestatyn keeper Josh Ablett from just outside the box.
It was 2-0 in the 8th minute when Ismael Ozdemir fed Lewis Kaye on the left whose low cross into the box found Christopher Craven, whose right foot shot from 6 yards hit the bar with the rebound falling to Ozdemir who headed home from 2 yards.
It was 3-0 in the 19th minute when Matt Cole played a one-two on the right with Bower before running into the box and crossing low for Williams to fire his right foot shot from 15 yards into Ablett’s bottom right hand corner.
It was eventually 4-0 in the 38th minute when Dennis Bates took a short free kick on the left to Kaye, who crossed for Ozdemir to fire his right foot shot from 3 yards into Ablett’s right hand corner.
It was 5-0 in the 43rd minute when Bower ran down the right and into the box before crossing low for Tom Gray to fire his low right foot shot from inside the 6 yard box in off Ablett’s right hand post.
It was 6-0 half way through the 3rd minute of added time at the end of the half when Craven’s cross-field ball from right to left across the front of the box found Williams, who beat his man before having his right foot shot from 15 yards saved by Ablett with the rebound falling to Cole who fired his left foot shot from 4 yards into the corner.
Saints made a double change at half time with James Gregory-Cork coming on for Ozdemir and Harley Steel replacing Kaye.
It was 7-0 in the 48th minute when Williams squared infield from the left to Bates who chested down before sending left foot volley from the edge of the box into Ablett’s left hand corner.
It was 8-0 in the 56th minute when Bates won a challenge before sending a through ball to Williams on the edge of the box who ran into the front of the box before firing his low right foot shot from 10 yards into Ablett’s right hand corner to complete his hat-trick.
The goals continued to follow and it was 9-0 in the 64th minute when Gray’s cross from the left found Ozdemir who chested it down before firing his left foot volley from 11 yards into Ablett’s top left hand corner to complete his hat-trick.
Just 2 minutes later, it was 10-0 when Bates’ low through ball on the right found sub Andrew Papirnyk, whose low cross was diverted into his own net by Prestatyn defender Dan Ward for an unfortunate own goal.
The rout was complete in the 87th minute when a clearance by keeper Ablett was miscontrolled by a Town defender with the ball falling to Williams who ran towards the left of the box and beat his man before laying the ball back to Papirnyk, who sidestepped a defender before firing his left foot shot from the edge of the 6 yard box past Ablett.
Saints: Lewis Dutton, Matt Cole, Sam Finley, Dennis Bates, Tomos Williams, Christopher Craven, Ismael Ozdemir, Liam Ihekwoaba, Harry Bower, Lewis Kaye, Tom Gray. Subs: James Gregory-Cork (for Craven 46), Andrew Papirnyk (for Williams 61), Harley Steel (for Kaye 46).
Prestatyn: Josh Ablett, Callum Jones, Rhys James, Lewis Pierce, Dan Ward, Elliot Lloyd, Luke Caton, Macauley Taylor, Sam Herd, Jack Kelly, Ross Weaver. Subs: Ben Sedgwick (for Weaver 50), David Williams (not used), Connor Roach (for Herd 29), Lewis Thomson (for Caton 79).
The New Saints Under 19 team take a break from league action this Sunday when they are away to Caersws in the 1st Round of the FAW Welsh Youth Cup with a 1.30pm kick off.
Their next league game is on Sunday 8th October when they are away to the defending champions Bangor City (kick off 2.00pm).
City are currently 5th in the table with a record of 3 wins and 2 defeats from their 5 league games to date but they are always a hard team to beat, especially at home.
Saints’ last 2 league visits to Bangor have seen them lose 2-3 (last season) and 3-5 (the previous season) so Steve Benyon’s side will need to be at their best if they are to avoid a hat-trick of defeats on Bangor soil and maintain their place at the top of the table.
(Additional report from David Figg)
