The unbeaten Welsh Cup run continues

The 3-1 victory against Cwmbran Celtic means that the impressive unbeaten run in the competition continues for The New Saints.

The last time the current holders were beaten was on March 6, 2018, and with this season’s semi-finals scheduled for the weekend of March 3-5, will we make it five years?

 

Made to work hard in Cwmbran

With Cwmbran Celtic sitting mid-table in the JD Cymru South and The New Saints flying high at the top of the JD Cymru Premier, it was just a case of turning up wasn’t it?

Well, although that may have been the thoughts of some neutrals, as far as the TNS camp was concerned everyone was totally focused and knew that it would be a tough game.

That proved to be the case and certainly at half-time, with the score at 1-1, Cwmbran showed that they weren’t there just to make up the numbers.

They battled well and had plenty of energy, looking to take the game to the visitors whenever possible.

 

A strong starting XI

You could see the respect that Craig Harrison was giving to the opposition from the eleven players that took to the pitch.

It was a full-strength team that also showed the professionalism that is at the club, which is to go out and win every game.

Even when you consider the substitutes that came on – Gwion Dafydd, Dan Williams and Adam Wilson – you can see that there was no taking the foot off the pedal.

 

Another visit to Celtic Park and another hat-trick

Our previous visit to Celtic Park saw Chris Seargeant score a hat-trick, in the December 2018 3-0 JD Welsh Cup victory.

This time round, it was Ryan Brobbel’s turn to find the net on three occasions, as he scored once before the break and twice after to secure a semi-final place for the visitors.

He’s now scored 18 goals in all competitions this season – 13 in the league and 5 in the Welsh Cup – as he continues to impress and contribute to the team’s success on the pitch so far.

 

An impressive performance between the sticks

More often than not, in top-flight football Connor Roberts isn’t called into action too often. As we said to Craig Harrison in the post-match interview, he’s often a pedestrian or a spectator.

However, he was certainly tested in south Wales and although beaten on one occasion, he played a big part in the victory by pulling off some excellent saves.

Even right to the very end he kept focused and denied the home side a way back in, when he kept the goal-bound shot out with his knees.