Although the Wingmakers have been absent from the top flight of Welsh football for a while, the most recent meeting between the sides was in January of this year. On the 26th, The New Saints travelled to Flintshire for a JD Welsh Cup tie.

With seventeen minutes on the clock, the visitors had a comfortable cushion as an opener from Danny Redmond, followed by a Blaine Hudson header from a corner, put Scott Ruscoe’s side in the driving seat.

However, almost immediately, Airbus were back in the game. In difficult conditions, Paul Harrison failed to hold on to a ball that was played into the box and in the resultant scramble, Chris Marriott put the ball in the net, to give the home side a lifeline.

The two-goal lead was restored however, just four minutes into the second period, as a cross from Adrian Cieslewicz was met by the head of Dean Ebbe who nodded home.

With a quarter of an hour to go, Airbus were back in it again though, as this time Lewis Buckley let fly to reduce the deficit.

However, the comeback wasn’t to be, as Greg Draper – on his way to a second JD Cymru Premier Golden Boot – made it 4-2, with six minutes remaining.

Then, in the third minute of added time, after Draper was brought down in the box, up stepped Cieslewicz to slot home, as The New Saints ran out 5-2 winners.

The victory put TNS into the quarter-finals of the competition, a trophy that they would then go on to lift come the last game of the 2018/2019 season, beating Connah’s Quay Nomads 3-0 in the final.

Lead image courtesy of Brian Jones.