The New Saints U19 14-0 Canton U19s
FAW Youth Cup second round
Played at Park Hall Stadium, Oswestry
Sunday 19th November 2023
Match report by Statto
The New Saints Under 19s continued their defence of the FAW Youth Cup they have won for the last two years in style as they stormed to a 14-0 home win over Cardiff-area side, Canton, in their second-round clash at Park Hall Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Saints had gone into the game on the back of a season-long winning run of nine games in all competitions, plus another five straight wins at the back end of last season since a 3-4 away league defeat by Connah’s Quay Nomads U18 in the Cymru Premier Development League North on 26th March.
The most recent of those wins (6-0 at home to Aberystwyth Town in the league the previous Sunday) left Saints top of the table, nine points clear of 2nd placed Newtown, albeit with Newtown having a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Canton went into the game on the back of a 1-2 home league defeat by Blaenavon Blues Youth in the FAW Welsh Youth League South East in their most recent game on 5th November, which ended a season-long seven-match winning run in all competitions.
That defeat by Blaenavon has left them top of the table level on points with 2nd placed Risca United but ahead on goal difference (albeit from having played a game more), with both 3rd placed Abergavenny Town and 4th placed Cwmbran Celtic six points behind.
It was expected to be a potentially tough game for The Saints, but it was the hosts who took the lead through Owen Davies in the 16th minute.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men just two minutes later when Canton keeper, Lewis Crowe, was shown a straight red card by referee Johnathan Griffiths for upending Owen Davies a yard outside the box when Davies was through clear on goal. Defender Jim Madell took over in goal.
Luke Johnston (26) and Gwion Dafydd (27) extended the lead to 3-0 before Tom Jones made it 4-0 45 seconds into added time at the end of the first half.
Davies’ second made it 5-0 in the 53rd minute and after Dafydd (with the help of a heavy deflection off Louie Crowe) had taken the tally to 6-0 just into the 62nd minute, Johnston’s second made it 7-0 just into the 68th minute.
Substitute Cian McIntosh (on for Alfie Clark in the 62nd minute) took the tally to 8-0 in the 70th minute before fellow sub Louis Crofts (on for Jones also in the 62nd minute) scored a quick-fire hat-trick with three goals in the space of one minute 38 seconds (75, 75 and 76) to take the tally to 11-0.
Saints still weren’t finished and sub Ieuan Jones-Welstead (on for Davies in the 62nd minute as part of a quadruple substitution) made it 12-0 in the 78th minute.
Johnston completed his hat-trick to make it 13-0 in the 88th minute before McIntosh’s second of the game two minutes nine seconds into added time at the end took the final tally to 14-0.
Saints: Jack Edwards, Gwion Dafydd, Ryley Oakley, Owen Davies, Tom Jones, Alfie Clark, Dan Byron, Luke Johnston, Tyler Roberts, Nathan Doforo, Paris Gray. Subs: Charlie Murphy (for Dafydd 62), Ieuan Jones-Welstead (for Davies), Ciam McIntosh (for Clark 62), Louis Crofts (for Jones 62).
Canton: Lewis Crowe, Covei White, Josh Chinn, Jim Madell, Saul Tanhai, Louie Crowe, Thierry Otu, Daniel Rodriguez-Carrillo, Jack Watts, Bradley Park, Noah Debattista. Subs: Rashiq Ernest (not used), Rio Crowe (for Otu 53), Ali Elshishy (not used), Aidan Camilleri (for Watts 53), Callum Bridge (for Rio Crowe 53), Kevin Musinga (for Debattista 73), Iwan Hardy (not used).
● The New Saints Under 19s travel to Flint Town United in the league a week this Sunday (3rd December) with a 2:30pm kick-off.
Lead image: Andrew Donnison/F28.Online
