Six Of The Best As The Saints Go Marching On

Match Report

The New Saints of Oswestry Town 6 Penrhyncoch 0

Alex Darlington, one of six changes to the starting line-up from Tuesday’s win at Cefn Druids, repaid Scott Ruscoe’s faith in him by scoring a hat-trick, as TNS had a comfortable passage into the JD Welsh Cup fourth round draw.

With three goals in each half, the home side went close in the 8th minute as Ryan Pryce and Blaine Hudson were involved, with Wes Fletcher getting the final touch, that went wide.

A couple of minutes later, a good ball from Ryan Leak found his namesake Brobbel who was denied by the player ahead of him. Playing with an ever-increasing confidence as the games go by the teenager, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, has established himself at the heart of the Saints’ defence.

Attacking the Whittington end, a good effort from Fletcher was pushed over by Jenkins as last season’s beaten finalists threatened to break the deadlock. The wait lasted less than sixty seconds, as Hudson found the back of the net with in the 17th minute.

Clearing the ball off the line initially, the Penrhyncoch defence was then unable to prevent the towering centre half from finding the net at close range.

Looking to extend the lead, Fletcher had three opportunities including striking the woodwork, as the score remained just 1-0 with a third of the game gone.

However, in the 36th minute, the goal that was a long time coming finally arrived. The impressive Ben Clark, one of the six changes in the starting line-up, saw his shot saved. With the ball falling to Darlington, the experienced TNS man slotted away as the home side doubled their lead.

Looking to pull one back in the dying minutes of the first half, penalty appeals in the Saints’ box, rather than see David Morgan point to the spot, led to a yellow card for Sion James.

The drama was far from over though, as Aeron Edwards fired TNS into a 3-0 lead in the 45th minute. This was followed immediately by a red card for the Roosters’ Rob Muffet, as they ended the half with ten men and a mountain to climb in the second period.

The lively Fletcher looked to increase the lead with just five minutes gone in the second forty-five, only to see his shot deflected for a corner.

The gap was extended another five minutes later, not by the former Burnley striker though but by Darlington, as he grabbed his second of the game and the home side’s fourth, as the game was well and truly put beyond Penrhyncoch’s reach.

In with the substitutions made by Scott Ruscoe, immediately following the goal Aaron Jones made his club debut, as Paul Harrison made way for the young keeper to get his first taste of senior football at Park Hall.

The action continued to be at the other end though as Jenkins pushed away a curling ball from Robbie Parry, followed by the winger hitting the side netting from inside the area as Brobbel fed him, following good work down TNS’ left.

After several attempts to get his name on the scoresheet, in the 73rd minute Fletcher finally got his own personal breakthrough. A right-footed shot in the box and the lead was extended to five.

Entering the final quarter of an hour, a good turn in the box by on loan Shrewsbury Town defender Callum Roberts saw Jenkins save at the expense of a corner. The relentless TNS pressure continued right to the end as with just one minute to go Brobbel found Parry, only for his curled effort to go wide.

Just as the dying embers of the first half produced an dramatic finale, it was a case of deja vu for the second period as well. In the 90th minute, a penalty awarded to the home side meant only one player was going to take the resultant spot-kick.

Stepping up to the mark and on a hat-trick, Darlington’s attempt to chip the keeper didn’t come off. Instead, Jenkins’ personal silver lining in a corporate cloud was that he saved a penalty at the home of the Welsh champions.

Two minutes later though Darlington made amends by heading last season’s beaten JD Welsh Cup finalists into the next round, as the game ended 6-0.

Goals: Darlington (36, 55, 90+2), Hudson (16), Edwards (45), Fletcher (73)

Substitutions: Routledge for Edwards, Jones for Harrison

Cards: Parry (yellow)

 

 

Photo gallery. Credit: Phil Blagg