Nomads in Cup final after 90th minute strike
CONNAH’S QUAY NOMADS booked their place in the JD Welsh Cup final after Aron Williams struck in the 90th minute to settle a scrappy semi-final clash with Bala Town 1-0 at Llandudno.
Williams converted Luca Hugan’s squared ball after a bit of individual brilliance from Harry Franklin had set up the chance.
Moments earlier Bala had been reduced to 10 men when Kieran Smith was given a second booking for bringing down Franklin.
Nomads boss Neil Gibson was pleased to see his players respond having lost three league games on the bounce leading into their cup semi.
“I’m really pleased, for the players and the staff more than anything,” he said.
JD WELSH CUP SEMI-FINAL Connah’s Quay Nomads 1-0 Bala Town
JD CYMRU PREMIER CHAMPIONSHIP CONFERENCE Caernarfon Town 1-2 Cardiff Met University
JD CYMRU NORTH LEAGUE Buckley Town 3-0 Llanidloes Town Chirk AAA 2-2 Caersws
Guilsfield 4-1 Denbigh Town
Mold Alexandra 1- 0 Gresford Athletic
ARDAL NORTH-WEST WEDNESDAY MARCH 20
Flint Mountain 6-1 CPD Rhyl 1879 SATURDAY
Bethesda Athletic 1-3 Llay Welfare Conwy Borough 1-1 Llangefni Town
CPD Rhyl 1879 0-0 Brickfield Rangers
Hawarden Rangers 0-3 Flint Mountain
Llannefydd 1-2 Holyhead Hotspur Nantlle Vale 3-2 St Asaph City Pwllheli 2-0 Llanrwst United Saltney Town 3-0 Y Felinheli
NORTH WALES COAST LEAGUES
WEST PREMIER
Aberffraw 0-5 Talysarn Celts Gwalchmai 2-2 Glantraeth Llanerchymedd 4-3 Pentraeth
“We started out the season with some targets in mind; we wanted to get ourselves to a final and try and win a trophy – and we want to get ourselves into Europe. It’s been difficult for the players over the past couple of weeks, as the performances and results haven’t been what they’ve been all season – and it’s amazing how quickly things turn and people forget how well they’ve done all season. But we don’t, we as staff back the players all week.”
Gibson’s side will face the winners of the other semi-final between holders The New Saints and Cardiff Met, which is being played at Newtown next Saturday. Rodney Parade is the venue for this season’s final on April 28.
Cardiff Met warmed up for their showdown with TNS by picking up a league 2-1 victory at Caernarfon Town in the Cymru
Menai Bridge Tigers 0-3 Trearddur Bay
Mynydd Llandegai 5-1 Nefyn United
Penrhyndeudraeth 1-3 Cemaes Bay
WEST DIVISION 1
Gaerwen 6-2 Holyhead Town Llangoed and District 2-1 Bethesda Rovers
Llanystumdwy 3-1 Blaenau Ffestiniog
Mountain Rangers 3-7 Cefni
EAST PREMIER
Abergele 3-3 Kinmel Bay Cerrigydrudion 4-1 Llansannan Llanfairfechan Town 0-3 Penmaenmawr Phoenix
NFA FC 2-1 Llandudno Junction EAST DIVISION 1
Bow FC 9-1 Betws y Coed
Glan Conwy 9-0 Prestatyn Wanderers
Rhyl All Stars 1-3 Llysfaen
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
GENERO ADRAN NORTH LEAGUE
Sunday
Llandudno 10 (ten)-0 NFA FC Llanfair United 0-3 Connahs Quay Nomads
NORTH WALES LEAGUE WEST Llanystumdwy 1-0 Trearddur Bay
FOOTBALL FIXTURES JD WELSH CUP SEMI-FINAL SATURDAY
Cardiff Met University v The New
Premier’s Championship Conference. Two goals inside the opening 15 minutes at the Oval ultimately proved decisive and put an end to the Archers’ run of 10 games league without a win.
Met were given the perfect start only five minutes in through Chris Craven. That lead was doubled on 13 minutes through Sam Jones who scored with a diving header. Zack Clarke pulled one back for Caernarfon on 84 minutes but Met held on for a morale-boosting and timely win.
Bangor 1876 had the weekend off but return to Cymru North action tomorrow night at Denbigh Town (7:30ko): the club is asking travelling fans to note that the ground will be enforcing segregation, with away supporters allocated behind the goal at the ‘school end’ of Central Park.
In the Ardal North West Holyhead
Saints
JD CYMRU PREMIER CHAMPIONSHIP CONFERENCE GOOD FRIDAY
Connahs Quay Nomads v Newtown
PLAYOFF CONFERENCE
GOOD FRIDAY
Barry Town United v Penybont Colwyn Bay v Aberystwyth Town Pontypridd United v Haverfordwest County
JD CYMRU NORTH
THURSDAY
Denbigh Town v Bangor 1876 GOOD FRIDAY
Buckley Town v Guilsfield Gresford Athletic v Ruthin Town Llandudno v Holywell Town Llanidloes Town v Chirk AAA Mold Alexandra v Caersws Porthmadog v Airbus UK Prestatyn Town v Flint Town United
EASTER MONDAY
Airbus UK v Buckley Town
Bangor 1876 v Llandudno Caersws v Denbigh Town
Chirk AAA v Porthmadog
Flint Town United v Mold Alexandra
Guilsfield v Gresford Athletic Holywell Town v Llanidloes Town Ruthin Town v Prestatyn Town
ARDAL NORTH WEST SATURDAY
CPD Rhyl 1879 v Y Felinheli
Flint Mountain v Llanrwst United
Hotspur’s 2-1 win at Llannefydd moved them up to fifth, though a late challenge for the playoff spot may now be out of reach due to the spectacular form of Flint Mountain, whose brace of wins last week including a 6-1 thrashing of leaders Rhyl 1879 puts them six points clear of Hotspur in second with four games in hand.
Bethesda Athletic remain in deep relegation trouble after a 3-1 home defeat to Llay Welfare; Llangefni Town, safe in mid-table, were held 1-1 at Conwy Borough.
Trearddur Bay cemented their lead at the top of the North Wales Coast West Premier with a 3-0 win at title rivals Menai Bridge Tigers: That left Bay four points clear of the Tigers with four games in hand; Tigers were hosting Glantraeth last night after The Mail went to press.
Holyhead Hotspur v Brickfield Rangers
Llangefni Town v Hawarden Rangers
Llay Welfare v Nantlle Vale Pwllheli v Llannefydd
Saltney Town v Conwy Borough St Asaph City v Bethesda Athletic
RUGBY UNION
INDIGO PREMIERSHIP
Cardiff 38-33 Swansea
Ebbw Vale 25-31 Newport Merthyr 36-34 Carmarthen Quins Neath 24-40 Pontypool Pontypridd 30-16 Aberavon
RGC 20-23 Bridgend
ADMIRAL NATIONAL LEAGUES 1 NORTH
Bala 20-18 Llandudno
Caernarfon 36-31 Bethesda COBRA 50-0 Llangefni
Dolgellau 6-38 Ruthin
Nant Conwy 55-14 Mold
Pwllheli 36-22 Wrexham
2 NORTH
Colwyn Bay 35-7 Rhyl & District Welshpool 24-14 Shotton Steel
RUGBY FIXTURES
INDIGO PREMIERSHIP Thursday
Newport v Llandovery
Saturday
Aberavon v Cardiff
Carmarthen Quins v Pontypridd Merthyr v RGC
Pontypool v Bridgend
Swansea v Ebbw Vale