The New Saints come from behind to reach the semi-finals of the JD Welsh Cup

Match Report

Goals: Clark (63), McManus (71, 88), Brobbel (78), Young (90+1)
Yellow cards: Marshall (66)
Substitutions: Cieslewicz for Marriott (46), Smith for Brobbel (83), Redmond for J. Williams (83)

Match report by Sam Wood
Lead image: Brian Jones

The New Saints came from behind against Briton Ferry Llansawel to reach the semi-finals of the JD Welsh Cup for a third consecutive season.

After a goalless first-half, the home side took a shock lead four minutes into the second courtesy of Thomas Walters, but Craig Harrison’s side showed their resilience to hit back with five goals of their own.

Declan McManus scored a brace, while Ben Clark, Ryan Brobbel and Brad Young were also on target at the Old Road Welfare Ground.

It was all TNS in the early stages, and the first chance of the game went the way of the visitors with four minutes on the clock.

After the ball fell kindly inside the six-yard box, Brad Young got a shot away, but home goalkeeper, Rhys Wilson, pulled off a good save down low to deny him.

Craig Harrison’s side dominated the ball inside the opening quarter of an hour, but Briton Ferry almost took the lead against the run of play following a fast counter-attack.

From the right flank, Jasper Payne drove into The Saints’ penalty area, but following pressure from Connor Roberts, could only find the side netting with his powerful strike.

There was some excellent defensive work on display down the other end, and in the 17th minute, Ferry’s Kris Evans made a vital headed interception to clear Ryan Brobbel’s goalbound corner off the line.

The Saints continued to fashion chances as the half wore on, with Young testing the goalkeeper in the 31st minute after cutting inside from the right, and Hudson heading straight at the goalkeeper following a corner from the left.

Andrew Dyer’s side maintained their defensive shape well though, and went into the half-time break with the game scoreless.

Harrison’s side were forced into a change at the break, with Marriott injured, and Adrian Cieslewicz his replacement.

And just four minutes after the restart, disaster struck for the JD Welsh Cup holders, when Thomas Walters opened the scoring for the home side with a superb strike from the left.

The Saints didn’t panic, however, and in the 63rd minute, hit back through Ben Clark, who sent a perfectly executed volley into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area.

With 71 minutes on the clock, the JD Cymru Premier leaders flipped the match on its head, as Declan McManus slid in at the far post to turn Brobbel’s cross from the right into the back of the net.

After all of his creative work, Brobbel got on the scoresheet himself eight minutes later, turning home a cross from Jordan Williams at the back post in a similar fashion to McManus before him.

The Scottish striker then added a second goal two minutes before the 90, firing beneath the goalkeeper from a tight angle, before a deflected effort in the first minute of stoppage time saw Brad Young score TNS’ fifth.

That was it as far as the scoring was concerned, and Harrison’s survived the early second-half scare to become the first side to book their place in the semi-finals of this season’s JD welsh Cup.

The 5-1 win at the Old Road Welfare Ground was also The Saints’ 22nd consecutive victory in all competitions, meaning they continue to close in on equalling their own Guinness World Record.

There’s more Friday night football for the JD Cymru Premier leaders next week (February 23), as they travel to Caernarfon Town needing just eight more points to lift a record-breaking 16th league title.