CYMRU C 1 ENGLAND C 0
SION BRADLEY’S freekick lit up a sodden Llanelli night as Cymru C lifted the inaugural Anthony Hughes Trophy.
The Welsh winger curled in on the stroke of half-time for what proved to be the winner as Non-League’s Three Lions battled in vain for a leveller.
It takes Mark Jones’ side – made up of players from the Cymru Premier – level with England’s two wins from the five games played so far in this annual fixture.
But it’s the first time silverware has been presented with a touching tribute to Hughes, who is so fondly remembered for the impact he had on both sides of the border.
A boyhood Merthyr Town fan, Hughes was Southern League chairman and
FA council member when he passed away in January.
His family presented the special cup to captain Clayton Green and boss Jones couldn’t have been prouder of their performance. “It’s fantastic,” Jones said. “To see a team put in the effort like that – it was an incredible performance by a group of boys who deserved to win.
“We get a lot of credit as managers and coaches, but the boys with the shirts on were incredible. We ask them to win personal battles – I just said to them, you’ve won 11 out of 11 battles. If you do that, you win football matches.”
Whether Wales should have had 11 men on the pitch was open to debate after Green flew into a challenge on classy midfielder Ed Francis on 43 minutes.
Green appeared to get something on the ball but the follow through left a nasty gash on the Gateshead midfielder’s shin. Referee Steve Gregg gave a yellow card but, just a few minutes later, it was a soft free-kick decision on England skipper Chris Bush, who looked to have won the ball, that brought the game’s key moment.
Just outside the left of the penalty area, Bradley lined up his shot and sent a curling effort up and over the wall past Elliot Justham.
The Dagenham stopper, a late call-up after Grant Smith had to withdraw with Bromley’s National League match at Wealdstone re-arranged into midweek, had earlier made a fine save to push Bradley’s swerving shot behind.
Solihull Moors’ Callum Maycock was denied by a brilliant block by Wales defender Emlyn Lewis at the other end with few clear chances in the opening 45 minutes.
While Wales have largely picked a consistent side, Fairclough’s squad had 15 new caps – only Southend United’s Gus Scott-Morriss wasn’t making his debut – and the short turnaround from meeting up in the hotel on Sunday perhaps showed.
Maidenhead United’s Reece Smith impressed on the left, as did Ollie Harfield, but it wasn’t until the last 20 minutes that England really started to make in-roads.
Worthing hot-shot Ollie Pearce came off the bench and looked like he belonged at the level from the off – soon jinking his way into space for a shot that was well saved by Kelland Absalom.
The home side defended resolutely, once again marshalled brilliantly by Lewis.
But in stoppage time Pearce was practically running off in celebration when he fired a low shot at goal – Absalom had other ideas, making a brilliant save down to his right to deny an equaliser.
Although disappointed by the result, Fairclough felt there were positives to take as he soon looks to shape his squad for May’s clash with Nepal at Aldershot Town.
“I was just really pleased with the way we continued to pass the ball – how we never scored I don’t know,” Fairclough said. “I thought there were some really good, strong performances. There was no one you could say had a bad performance, in my opinion.
“I don’t think we did enough to win it. But we certainly deserved more than what we got. Especially in the last 15 minutes. So there were lots of really good things that came out of the game.
“But, and the lads will tell you, I said a goal would come from a free-kick.
“I said you will be physically challenged. That’s the message that came out from the players – they said at halftime, they want us to be in a fight, we’ve got to play our football. Which we ended up doing.
“I will never compromise my playing style. I’ve never done that. But, look, the Welsh are very good at it, it is one of their strengths.”