Hunt for place to play pays off for the Tigers
DEAN REDMOND was a four-goal hero for a Menai Bridge Tigers side which breezed into the second round of the NWCFA Junior Cup with a 6-2 win over CPD Y Fali.
With Bridge top of the Gwynedd League, possessing a 100% record, and Fali fifth in the lower-level Anglesey League, a win for Sean Brett’s side was expected, but this cup can often throw up unexpected results.
After a frantic few hours on Saturday morning looking for a pitch to play on due to all the rain, both Menai’s home venue and nearby Treborth were deemed unplayable due to standing water.
The last chance saloon was Nantporth’s 3G pitch, which had now become available due to Bangor City’s home match being called off due to a waterlogged main field.
So the Tigers’ tie went ahead and the ‘home’ team were straight on the front foot.
Within three minutes, some brilliant interplay between Sion Hogan and Callum Graves down the right led to the ball being whipped into the box, where Redmond pounced and gave the keeper no chance.
Only some brilliant last-ditch tackles from Callum Hughes and Darren Jones stopped Fali getting close to the Menai goal before, on 35 minutes, red-hot Redmond bagged his second, the score remaining 2-0 up to half time.
A few minutes into the second half, Kevin Roberts scored a sweet half-volley from the edge of the box after Hogan had beaten a couple of players and created the opportunity.
Tigers continued to push for more success and, but for the Fali keeper and frame of the goal, there would have been net-finders for Hogan, Shaun Lock and Kelvin Frazer to name just a few.
Y Fali pulled one back when a deflected free-kick wrongfooted keeper Dave Clarke.
However, on 63 minutes, a short corner on the left was picked up by Callum Davidson on the edge of the box he rifled a shot home for 4-1.
Redmond completed his hattrick on 66 minutes when Hogan got the better of the full-back and squared the ball to the edge of the six-yard box for a straight- Richard Birch forward tap-in.
In the 70th minute, Redmond had the ball on the right wing when he weaved in and out and lost his marker before smashing a shot from the edge of the box, the power and flight beating the Fali keeper and ending up in the back of the net.
The visitors scored a late second, which proved no more than scant consolation.
Menai will be away to Denbigh Development of the Vale of Clwyd and Conwy League in the second round of the Junior Cup.
Conference date is Saturday, December 1.