Sport

West Wales Cup Final Preview: Merlins Bridge v Carew

Published

6 years ago

May 3, 2019

ON Tuesday, May 7, Merlins Bridge will take on Carew in the Final of the West Wales Cup Final at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea.

In a historic night, it will be the first all-Pembrokeshire final and both will be keen to follow in the footsteps of Goodwick United who won the trophy in 2018.

This will be the fourth meeting between the two sides this season with the most recent coming in the Senior Cup Final on April 20.

Carew took the lead in that game, only for the Bridge to come back with two late goals to seal the win.

It was another close game, much like their two league encounters and, now the league season has finished, it will be a battle between the team who finished second in Merlins Bridge and the team who finished fourth in the table.

Route to the final

Merlins Bridge began their run to the final with a 1-0 win away to Kilvey Fords in October with Will Haworth grabbing the only goal to send them through to round 2.

The Wizards were again drawn away from home to last season’s beaten finalists Penlan Club but they again came back with a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Joe Leahy.

In the third round Merlins Bridge played Monkton Swifts and two goals from Nathan Greene and another from Leahy gave them a 3-0 win.

Leahy and Greene were at it again in the fourth round as they both scored to earn the Wizards a 2-1 win over Swansea side Llandarcy.

Merlins Bridge were drawn at home to Plough Colts in the last eight and earned a 5-2 win with Adam Hawkins scoring twice and other goals from Leahy, Greene and Dai Davies.

In the semi-final they took on rivals Hakin United in what turned out to be a thrilling game. Adam Hawkins levelled after Hakin had taken the lead and the game was forced into extra time.

Joe Leahy put the Wizards ahead only for Hakin to score again to score again and force the game into penalties. Gary Thomas was the hero for the Wizards saving the last penalty as they went through with an 8-7 shootout win.

Joe Leahy has scored in each round since the second round and having scored the two goals against them in the Senior Cup final, Carew will be well aware of his threat.

Having reached the last four last season, Carew received a bye for the first round and began their run to the final in round 2 where they were drawn away to Burry Port.

Two goals each from Jordan Richards and Scott Ferney and another from Lloyd Hughes saw them to a 5-2 win over the Carmarthenshire League Division 1 side.

In round three the Rooks took on Loughor Rovers and eased to an 8-0 win with Hughes scoring four and Jordan Richards scoring a hat trick. Ferney grabbed the other goal.

Shaun Whitfield, Sam Christopher, Scott Ferney and Jordan Richards each scored in round four to earn a 4-0 win for the Rooks away at Maltsters Sports.

In the last eight, Carew played Mumbles Rangers at home and they came from two goals down to win 3-2 with brothers Sam and Jack Christopher on the score sheet alongside Whitfield.

In the semi-final, Carew took on Giants Grave and they came from behind again with four first half goals to all but seal their passage.

Sam Christopher and Lloyd Hughes both scored twice in the game.

Christopher also scored against the Bridge in the Senior Cup Final and he along with the likes of Pembrokeshire League top scorer Jordan Richards and Scott Ferney will prove a big threat to the Wizards.

What the managers say

Merlins Bridge manager Matthew Divry told the Herald: “We trained on Wednesday at the Bridge Meadow which was a tactical session and we will be training on Saturday on the 4G surface at Caer Elen.

“We know the Liberty is a good surface so it was good to be able to train at these places.

“We haven’t done anything different, we’ve played a number of games recently so with the training we’ve had we’ll be ready to go on Tuesday.

“We’ve got a fully fit squad to choose from.

“We didn’t play to our full potential in the Senior Cup final so a lot of our training has been based on trying to get back to how we want to play.

“The Liberty is a big pitch and we are looking forward to it, it’s the first ever one for the club.

“We’ve got a few previous winners in our squad so we’re hoping those experiences will pay off for us.”

Carew manager Rob Scourfield said: “It’s a big game for the football club and we’re really, really looking forward to it. It’s the first time in the West Wales Cup Final so it will be a great occasion for the village and the club. We can’t wait.

“We played quite well in the Senior Cup Final in the but in the last ten minutes they were better than us.

“However, this is a totally different game and we’re just looking forward and concentrating on the game itself.

“We have a very similar squad to choose from that played in the Senior Cup Final and we have five subs this time so it will be good to get everybody involved.

“We’ve been watching Swansea at the Liberty, it’s a great stadium and it will be a great occasion, both for us and for Pembrokeshire Football.”

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St Ishmaels maintained their momentum in the second half, adding four more goals to cap off a stellar team performance. Adam Kingsbeer’s clever play set up Ieuan Hawkins for the third, before Tom Williams capitalised on another opportunity to make it 4-0. Devonald sealed his hat-trick in the 85th minute with an expertly taken goal, and Joel Mills added the finishing touch in the dying moments, courtesy of an assist from Sol Goodall.

Team line-ups

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St Ishmaels: Owen Thomas, Sol Goodall, Owen Lawrence, Finley Armstrong, Brennan Devonald (Captain), Adam Kingsbeer, Ieuan Hawkins, Joel Mills, Tom Williams, Daniel Coe, Nathan Thomas. Subs: Max Howells, Tyler Sheil.

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Dominant wins for Pembrokeshire sides in West Wales Intermediate Cup round 3

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Herald Sport

Goodwick United 7-0 Carew

Goodwick United put on a commanding performance with a 7-0 triumph over Carew. The home side proved too powerful for their opponents, with Rhys Dalling and Rhys Jones each bagging two goals. Matty Delaney, Will Haworth, and Daniel Bryce also got their names on the scoresheet. As one of Pembrokeshire’s top teams, Goodwick will aim to build on this dominant win as they progress to the next round.

Hakin United 13-0 Clydach Sports

Hakin United were in ruthless form as they dispatched Clydach Sports 13-0. Jack Britton led the charge with an impressive five-goal haul, while Liam Parks netted a hat-trick. Jack Griffiths, Jay Kilby, Kieran King, Justin Harding, and Mason Dolling all contributed to the comprehensive scoreline. Hakin, one of the premier teams in Pembrokeshire, will be keen to continue their pursuit of the cup after this emphatic victory.

Merlins Bridge 7-3 Treboeth United

Merlins Bridge secured a thrilling 7-3 victory over Treboeth United in an exciting encounter. Nathan Evans was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick, while Tom Jago, Jason Griffiths, Hayden Dimond, and Ashton Plunkett all found the back of the net. Treboeth’s Liam Manning, Cori Jones, and Matthew Colley fought valiantly but could not prevent the home side from taking the win. Merlins Bridge will be pleased with their attacking display and will look to build on this result.

Monkton Swifts 5-4 Clarbeston Road

In a dramatic local derby, Monkton Swifts edged out Clarbeston Road 5-4 in a high-scoring affair. Dylan Davies was the standout performer with four goals, and Liam Butland added another. Clarbeston Road fought hard with goals from Laurie Haworth, Matthew Davies, Greg Brown, and Ben John, but it was the Swifts who held on to secure the victory. Monkton will be happy to progress after such a closely contested match.

Neyland 1-2 Cwm Wanderers

Neyland were narrowly defeated 2-1 by Cwm Wanderers in a closely contested match. Ben Gale scored for Neyland, but goals from Joseff Shaw and Corey Raven-Sayce gave the visitors the edge. Despite a valiant effort from Neyland, Cwm Wanderers held firm to secure the win and advance to the next round.

Plough Colts 0-2 Pennar Robins

Pennar Robins comfortably saw off Plough Colts 2-0, with Kieran Smith and Jamie Wilkes scoring the goals. Pennar demonstrated their class and will look to carry this momentum forward into the next round.

Tenby 2-0 Blaen-y-Maes

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Analysis:

Pembrokeshire’s leading teams, Goodwick United and Hakin United, demonstrated their superiority with commanding wins, while Tenby showed their credentials with a solid 2-0 victory. With such dominant performances, Goodwick and Hakin are likely to be among the favourites to claim the title, with Tenby also emerging as a serious contender in this year’s West Wales Intermediate Cup.

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Fishguard Sports claimed a 3-1 victory over Camrose, with a clinical display of attacking play. Andrew John scored the only goal for Camrose, but Fishguard’s offensive strength proved overwhelming. Anthony Couzens, Luke Thomas, and Ieuan Llewellyn all found the net to guide their side to victory.

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Hakin United II earned a solid 2-0 win over Carew II. Rowan Dixon and Tom Edmonds were the scorers for the visitors, with Carew struggling to break down Hakin’s defense. It was a well-executed performance that saw Hakin advance with all three points.

Johnston P-P Merlins Bridge II

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Lawrenny 1-6 Narberth

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Analysis:

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