VALLEY VICTORY BOOKS HUWS GRAY SEMI- SPOT

SATURDAY 17TH OF JANUARY 2015

HUWS GRAY SPONSORED MEGAN CUP QUARTER-FINALS

The two scheduled quarter-final ties in the HUWS GRAY Megan Cup, called off before Christmas, got underway today with Cemaes Bay and Valley both bagged four goals booking them a place in the semi-finals.

Bro Goronwy, League leaders, despite home advantage faced a tough tie with second placed Valley being the visitors. A competitive first forty five minutes ended in dead-lock, neither side having found the net though both teams had played their part in providing the spectators with an entertaining contest – lacking only goals.

The second half more than made up for it with six goals being scored. Just nine minutes after the re-start Valley took the lead , Tommy Jenkins doing the damage. Six minutes later Bro knew they would have their work cut out if they were to make the semi-final , when Adam Roberts strike doubled Valley’s advantage. The hosts now had to up the ante, throw caution to the wind if they were to get back into the game....and they did, much travelled striker, Ioan Hughes continuing his goal a game finding the net [68]. Valley didn’t panic and within three minutes Tommy Jenkins had restored their two goal advantage with his second [3-1] the visitors were now looking to kill the game off and Nathan Hughes did so when he hit goal number four on ninety minutes. Even then, Bro were not finished and Jordan Scott pulled another back in injury time[91]

Picture:
2 goal hero Tommy Jenkins lets fly with an effort.
[courtesy of Paul Scholes] and appended below -after the round-up is his report of the game which is much more detailed

Cemaes Bay also scored four goals, booking them their third semi-final place, and that is excluding the NWCFA Junior Cup where they are on course to make it four. Against a Llangefni Reserve team that never seemed to get going and who looked below par after the layoff, Cemaes did not seem to be in danger at any point in the game. Ricky Jones put them ahead in the twentieth minute and six minutes later Huw Torr made it two. Sion Wyn Griffiths effectively wrapped it up when he made it three nil [36], and Griffiths, who netted the winner last week in the eighty seventh minute showed that, whilst lightning may not strike in the same place twice, he can, as he struck his second, in the eighty seventh minute again. Cemaes will now host the winner of Trearddur Bay Reserves and Holy Isle.

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In the Bwlch Car-boot Trophy, Gaerwen Reserves played hosts to Llanfairpwll Reserves in a group Two fixture, and were another side that Struck four goals, with Greg Parry grabbing three to help himself to a hat-trick. Shaun Morris gave Gaerwen an early lead and Greg Parry rifled home the second to make it two nil at the half-time break. After the break, a corner kick floated over to Parry who headed home for his second [3-0]
Gaerwen looked to be well and truly in the driving seat when Parry completed his hat trick to make it 4-0, but Mark Jones team showed their fighting spirit and pulled back two goals that left them thinking what a difference it could have been if they had done so earlier in the game.

PAUL SCHOLES view of tjhe game

Saturday 17th January 2015
Huws Gray Megan Cup Round 2

Bro Goronwy 2 Ioan Hughes 68, Jordan Scott 91.
Valley Athletic 4 Tommy Jenkins 49 & 55, Adam Roberts 73, Nathan Hughes 90.

Billed as 1st versus 2nd in the league positions this cup tie promised to be a cracker and didn't disappoint with Valley defeating the league leaders by 2 goals for the 2nd time this season at Cae Nerys.
Having been dumped out of the Dargie Cup back in September at the 1st round stage Bro Goronwy had plenty of motivation going into this cup tie but as in the previous game they failed to threaten the Athletic goal enough and the visitors deservedly claimed a semi final spot at LlanfairPG reserves.
Immediately from the kick off Valley applied pressure in the hosts penalty area and it was to be a pattern of the 1st period as midfield duo Casey Boylan and Adam Roberts dominated in the key central midfield area.
With 17 goals to his name already this season, Shaun Jenkins would have been a marked man in Bro's pre match team talk and it was the striker that all the early chances fell to.
Boylan showed a touch of class in threading a ball into the marksmen only for his dink to marginally clear the crossbar and home custodian Jonny Sweetser Hawkes had to be on his toes to rush out and save with a sliding challenge.
At full back Nathan Hughes was not shy in pushing down his flank to threaten the home defence and after 18 minutes it was his looping delivery that bounced back off the crossbar only for Jenkins to fail to stretch enough to the rebound.
Bro's only threatening action in Valleys penalty box came from corner set pieces but the away defence coped well.
On 37 minutes Valley's pressure should have seen them go into the break ahead, Craig Brodie having to watch his fine shot saved only for Adam Roberts to blaze high over the target from close range.
Half Time 0-0.
If Valley were disappointed not to make their 1st half pressure pay it didn't take them long to take the lead in the 2nd period and this time it was to be Tommy, the elder of the Jenkins strike force that stole the cup headlines.
Failing to clear their back lines cost Bro dear as the ball came back into the penalty area where Jenkins didn't need a 2nd invitation to fire past Hawkes low down and put Valley 1-0 to the good.
Minutes later Bro had their best chance of the match and should have levelled the tie, youngster Gareth Jones swung in a teasing cross to the far post only for Andy Williams' strike to be saved at point blank by Justin Hughes.
Shaun Jenkins lost his man at the other end but had his head in his hands as he poked wide past the post but his team were jubilant moments later as brother Tommy showed him how to find the back of the net.
Turning acutely inside the area before placing a controlled finish into the back of the net gave Athletic a 2 goal cushion.
No action for 6 weeks over the winter break began to show on both sets of players on the heavy pitch as tired legs came into play but it was no such problem for Bro's Ioan Hughes as on 68 minutes he pulled Goronwy back into the tie.
Linking onto a Andy Williams pass he set off on an attacking run and as the space in front opened up he continued past defenders before rifling past Hughes.
With Bro now believing that they still had time to gain something from the match it was to be a cruel twist of play that comfortably swung the tie back in Valley's favour.
Midfielder Adam Roberts tried his luck from distance and Hawkes had it watched all the way until the ball unluckily diverted off the surface and over the stricken gloves man into the net for 1-3.
The tie seemed to be all over of action going into the dying moments but there was still time for both teams to get on the score sheet again, and both from distant strikes.
Firstly full back Nathan Hughes made it 4-1, dispatching a wicked shot that Hawkes could only push into the top corner and then with the last kick of the match Bro's Jordan Scott latched onto a fine bit of footwork from Rui Da Silva to arrow an effort over Hughes.
Full Time 2-4.