JORDAN SEALS SAINTS GLORY
JORDAN Williams scored twice in as many minutes as The New Saints completed a league and cup double at Cardiff City Stadium But there was almost a sting in the tail from battling Penybont, as they kept the JD Welsh Cup final on a knife edge right to the final whistle with a barnstorming second-half performance that saw them score twice in the final six minutes.
When the JD Cymru Premier champions raced into a 3-0 lead it seemed as though the game was done and dusted.
But Rhys Griffiths’ side fought their way back and were screaming for a penalty in the last move of the match to give them a chance of taking the game into extra-time.
Had referee Robert Jenkins been convinced that TNS keeper Connor Roberts’ clumsy challenge had been worthy of anything more than a cursory look, who knows what might have happened.
In the end, he was unconvinced and blew his whistle to end an enthralling contest.
Penybont came into the game on the back of a seven-match losing streak that had been brought on by injuries, sickness and suspensions. Even so, Griffiths was convinced his players could raise their game and halt another TNS victory march to the double.
With former Wales international Shaun Macdonald leading by example in midfield, Griffiths got what he wanted from his players. They paid for allowing TNS to dictate in the first half, but won the second hands down.
“I’m bitterly disappointed to have lost a cup final,” said Griffiths.
“They were dominant for large periods of the game and our game plan probably didn’t work as well as we’d hoped.
“The first goal looked like a foul to me, the second was poor for us and the third meant we had to push on.
“What I challenged the boys to do at half-time was go out and win the second half and we did that.
“I am so proud of them and it was a great final, largely because of our supporters.
“I am going to go out wearing my Penybont jumper tonight and wear it with pride because I thought we were superb.
“Ashley Evans, Shaun Macdonald, Keane Watts and Nathan Wood haven’t trained. Ashley hadn’t kicked a ball for eight weeks, but he went out there and I haven’t seen anyone as tired on a football pitch.”
TNS were fluent from the start and Williams opened the scoring with a rasping left-footed strike form 30 yards that curled inside the right-hand post.
Moments later he was at the back post tapping in a Ryan Brobbell cross that Ashley Morris failed to punch clear.
That made it 2-0 at the break and when top scorer Declan Mcmanus scored from the penalty spot on the hour mark the game looked over.
But TNS boss Anthony Limbrick wasn’t taking anything for granted against a side he has respected all season.
“We made it hard for ourselves at the end, but full credit to Penybont. They were absolutely fantastic and even at 3-0 we knew the game wasn’t over,” said Limbrick.
“We made sure we made the right substitutions and we saw the game out.
“We didn’t want it to be like that in the end, but we are very pleased.
“It has been an improved season for us and to finish strong at the end and to win a trophy like that is what we wanted to do.”
The late drama began when Macdonald struck a superb shot with his left foot from the edge of the area in the 84th minute.
Then Dan Jeffries headed home from a corner in the first minute of added time.
That made for a tense final few minutes for Limbrick and the TNS fans, but the early brace
from Williams and the Mcmanus penalty had given them a large enough cushion to hang on and bag more silverware.