Ceredigion League Cup Final 2017
Newcastle Emlyn 2 Crannog 1
A hotly disputed penalty conceded just a few minutes before the end of this disappointing cup final provided the biggest excitement of the afternoon.
Referee Llyr Evans did not hesitate when he pointed to the spot after substitute Daniel Davies had been upended by Mike Glover just inside the penalty box and man of the match Huw Jonah Jones duly dispatched his spot kick past Rhydian Morgan in goal.
This game was desperate for an injection of pace and called out for players prepared to take a risk and get past their markers and it was the introduction of twins Daniel and Dion Davies just before half time which changed this drab affair.
Crannog started reasonably well and created some decent chances early on with a superb shot from impressive defender Steffan Jones just inches over the crossbar
But they were dealt a huge blow in the opening quarter when influential midfielder Huw Reed suffered a blow to his head and was forced off the field. His absence was not initially felt but he was missed in the final half hour with his team ahead and needing to kill the game off.
At the other end Reds front runner Robbie Jenkins broke through for a one on one with the keeper but his first touch worked against him and the chance was lost. Crannog striker George Colven should have done far better when he had Gary Davies unmarked at the far post with the goal at his mercy but not for the first time in the match he shot into the side netting when a pass would have paid much greater dividends.
Colven who has been outstanding this season was marked out of the game by the combination of Huw Jones and experienced sweeper Steve Hicks and the pair were outstanding all through.
The introduction of the Davies brothers, the Newcastle Emlyn ones that is, made an immediate impact when they came on just before the break and they were to add more to the game in the second half.
The match then suddenly came alight a minute after the re start when Crannog midfielder Owen Thomas took a speculative punt from all of 35 yards and it caught out keeper Ian Hamilton and the Llangrannog men were ahead. Reds striker Peter Almond went close with a header at the other end but the game settled back into a shoot out between the two penalty boxes.
Jake Harries was unlucky not to score from a header on 75 minutes that was well saved by Morgan but it took another long range effort to eventually break the deadlock. Midfielder Sam Skinner who had been excellent alongside John Curran let fly from just outside the box and the ball deceived keeper Morgan who looked as if he had saved the shot but it managed to spin back into the net off a post.
This equaliser with only ten minutes to go sparked off the best passage of play from the Parc Emlyn outfit all afternoon and the pace and skill of the Davies duo started to cause a few flutters amongst the Crannog defence and with just six minutes to go Daniel Davies shaped to go past his marker Glover on the outside and then went down under the fairly light challenge and referee Evans who was reasonably well placed had no hesitation but to point to the spot.
The reaction of the Crannog players suggested that the official was very harsh with his decision but the arguments will go on for many a day and it was a tough call and minimal contact on Davies. What really mattered was that defender Jones whom had been superb throughout coolly tucked the ball away into the corner of the net to give his team the lead they probably just about deserved.
At the other end Owen went close again with a powerful shot from well outside the penalty box that only just missed the target whilst for Emlyn Robbie Jenkins almost scored with the last kick of the match with a scorching shot that whistled over the crossbar.
The final whistle sparked off jubilant scenes of celebration with the reds collecting the trophy for the first time in almost 20 years. For Crannog and manager Dylan Vaughan Evans it was a very disappointing afternoon as his team never really got into the game apart from the odd foray from Colven who very rarely escaped the shackles of Hicks and Jones and Crannog never seemed to have the desire to go on and kill the game at 1-0 but Emlyn to their credit were very well organised.
Not one of the most exciting finals but the Emlyn camp will not worry a jot about that as the trophy is now in their cabinet. There was a healthy crowd in attendance and a positive atmosphere and for once some decent grass on the Cae Sgwar pitch.
Very little to choose between the teams but Newcastle Emlyn just had that bit of extra flair on the day and a touch of good fortune too which eventually turned the game.
