The New Saints U19s 3-1 Hawarden Youth
FAW Youth Cup first round
Played at Park Hall Stadium, Oswestry
Sunday 14th October 2024
Match report by Statto
The New Saints Under 19s made it safely through to the second round of the FAW Youth Cup with a 3-1 home win over Hawarden Youth in their first round clash at Park Hall Stadium on Sunday.
Saints had gone into the game on the back of a 5-0 away win over Newtown in the FAW National Academy North Development League the previous Sunday, which had seen them bounce back in style after their 0-4 home defeat by Lithuanian side FK Žalgiris in the UEFA Youth League first round second leg the previous Tuesday.
That win over Newtown, plus results elsewhere, left Saints top of the table with a 100% record, level on points with 2nd-placed Connah’s Quay Nomads but with a superior goal difference and three games in hand over the Flintshire side.
Meanwhile, Hawarden went into the game on the back of a 0-1 home defeat by Broughton United in the North East Wales Junior and Youth League the previous Sunday, which had ended a run of four straight wins in all competitions.
That defeat by Broughton plus results elsewhere had left Hawarden in 3rd place out of 10 in the table, three points behind both leaders Coedpoeth United and 2nd-placed Broughton United (with Coedpoeth ahead on goal difference) with both 4th placed Brickfield Rangers and 5th placed FC Coedpoeth a further three points behind.
Saints eventually took the lead in the 31st minute when Oli Blayney’s short corner on the left found Jake Humphries, whose return ball found the overlapping Blayney and he crossed into the middle for Leighton Brewer to fire his left foot shot from four yards into Hawarden keeper Mason Griffin’s left hand corner.
Saints doubled their lead in the 43rd minute when Jake Morris’ cross from inside the right hand edge of the box to the far post found Caleb Afful, who fired his first time right foot shot from 10 yards high into the centre of the net.
It was 3-0 just before the end of the 53rd minute when Owen Whiteley’s cross from the left found Brewer, who sent his header from six yards into Griffin’s right hand corner for his 2nd goal of the afternoon.
Saints made their first change in the 54th minute when Hadif Hizamshol came on to replace James Nuttall.
Then in the 56th minute with Saints on the attack, Alex Thompson’s low diagonal ball from inside the centre circle in the Hawarden half found Morris on the right, who took a touch to control before laying it back to Thompson who ran into the right of the box before being brought down by Hawarden defender Oliver Jones.
Referee Nick Davies said penalty and after the fuss had died down (including Jones being shown a yellow card), Brewer stepped to take the resulting spot kick just into the 57th minute. However, he spurned his chance of completing a hat-trick when his kick was saved to his right by Griffin.
Hawarden made a double change deep into the 66th minute when Lewis Cooke came on to replace Jones and Riley Taylor came on to replace Luke Farron.
Saints made a double change of their own in the 67th minute when Charlie Horton came on to replace Whiteley and Tom Blaze came on to replace Afful.
Hawarden made another change just into the 72nd minute when Callum Cartwright came on to replace Dan Evans.
The visitors made a double change with Zak Talbot coming on to replace Ryan Evans right at the end of the 79th minute and Owen Williams coming on to replace Connor Parry a few seconds into the 80th minute.
Then in the 82nd minute, Hawarden pulled a goal back when Charlie Story picked up a loose ball halfway between the halfway line and the edge of the Saints box on the left and made a diagonal run to his right before having his right foot shot from 25 yards saved onto the underside of the bar by Saints keeper Rhys Jones, with the ball dropping down over the goal-line for a great strike to give the visitors a partial late lifeline.
However, a well-marshalled Saints defence held firm for the last eight minutes plus added time to ensure there was to be no late dramatic comeback by the Flintshire visitors.
Then after an eventual total of two minutes 59 seconds of added time at the end, the final blast of referee Davies’ whistle brought the game to a close and confirmed Saints’ win and a place in the second round of a competition they won in 2022 and 2023.
Saints: Rhys Jones, Jake Humphries, Alex Thompson, Owen Whiteley, Caleb Afful, Oli Blayney, Jack Airlie, James Nuttall, Luca Meek, Jake Morris, Leighton Brewer. Subs: Ellis McCue (not used), Charlie Horton (for Whiteley 67), Hadif Hizamshol (for Nuttall 54), Tom Blaze (for Afful 67)
Hawarden: Mason Griffin, Dimitri Carter, Olaf Sarnecki, Haydn Cartwright, Oliver Jones, Charlie Story, Dan Evans, George Savage, Ryan Evans, Connor Parry, Luke Farron. Subs: Callum Cartwright (for Dan Evans 72), Riley Taylor (for Farron 66), Zak Talbot (for Ryan Evans 79), Owen Williams (for Parry 80), Lewis Cooke (for Jones 66)
