PHOTOS:

Merlins Bridge




Hakin United




Match officials: Gareth Elliott, Tom Bevan, James Olyott and Sean O'Connor.

 

Senior Cup semi-final:

Hakin United 2 - Merlins Bridge 6

A hat-trick from Will Haworth helped Merlins Bridge into the Senior Cup final as they produced a rampant final 20 minutes to see off old rivals Hakin United at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium on Wednesday.

An action packed and predictably feisty affair saw referee Tom Bevan dish out nine yellow cards and one red, to Hakin’s Daniel Armstrong, at which point The Wizards were leading 2-1 after Haworth’s first half brace had seen them recover from Ben Aldred’s early goal for Hakin.

Ben Steele levelled for The Vikings with 20 minutes left – but it was then that Nathan Thomas’ side really seized the initiative, and Joe Leahy struck twice before Luke Hayward and Haworth again completed a comprehensive win.

As the rain teemed down in the early stages, Hakin left back Bradley Barrett had a low free kick comfortably held by Bridge keeper Gary Thomas – and at the other end, Steve McNabney pounced on some hesitant defending but failed to get a clean connection with his left foot shot.

Aldred pounces

However, it only took nine minutes for the opening goal, and it went the way of The Vikings as Nicky Woodrow’s cross was only half cleared into the path of Aldred, who drove a powerful low shot home from 15 yards out.

But The Wizards responded as Dai Davies flashed a shot across the face of goal – and then after just 16 minutes, they were level. It was left winger Haworth who turned marker Ricky Diamond, cut down the left hand side of the area and slid a low left foot shot into Manson’s far corner.

And 11 minutes later he struck again, latching onto a Leahy flick on and steadying himself before finishing clinically past Manson.

Daniel sees red

Just after the half hour mark things got worse for The Vikings and again Haworth was the instigator as he beat Armstrong to a loose ball and went through on goal – only to be taken down by the Hakin centre back just outside the area. Referee Bevan adjudged Armstrong to be the last defender and had little hesitation in awarding a straight red card.

From the free kick, Leahy forced Manson into a sharp save before The Vikings regained a foothold, and Ryan Wilson flashed a shot just wide of the near post before heading wide from an Adam John cross.

The early stages of the second half didn’t match the pace and intensity of the first, but it was Bridge who threatened first when McNabney drove an angled shot into the side netting, before the touch of the otherwise outstanding Haworth let him down in front of goal.

Bridge were then indebted to a great block by centre back Sion Price as he threw his body in the way of Woodrow’s close range shot, and moments later the Hakin skipper just failed to get his effort away after being teed up by Steele’s header from an Aldred free kick.

Then came one of the more light hearted moments of the night as referee Bevan realised he’d dropped his yellow card elsewhere on the field when trying to book Hayward – but shortly after the official managed to recover the item, things got serious again as Kristan Bennett’s men levelled.

Steele levelled matters

On 70 minutes, Steele controlled a high ball in the area before turning past Bridge midfielder Peter Thomas and finishing emphatically with a shot into the roof of the net.

At that point the momentum appeared with The Vikings, but instead, it was The Wizards who proceeded to run riot in the closing stages.

Leahy strikes rwo quick fire goals

Just three minutes after Steele’s equaliser, Hayward’s through ball put Leahy in on goal, and he clipped his shot into the bottom corner to regain his side’s lead.

And within 60 seconds the same player struck again after McNabney had beaten Bradley Barrett down the right wing, before squaring for his strike partner to effectively seal the win from eight yards out.

Bridge continued to expose the gaps in the Hakin defence and Haworth should have had his hat trick when he was put clean though by Davies, only to drag his shot wide.

But with eight minutes left, The Wizards did get number five when Hayward’s seemingly harmless free kick from out wide was misjudged by Manson – who could only turn in despair as the ball sailed over him and into the net.

Still The Wizards pressed and Haworth skipped past Ewan Findlay and Barrett before being denied by the onrushing Manson, before Leahy narrowly missed his treble when his shot rebounded off the post.

Hat-trick hero Haworth

 But in injury time, Bridge did make it six and fittingly, it was Haworth who finally grabbed his third from close range after substitute Andrew John and Leahy combined to set him up.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” said Bridge manager Thomas afterwards.

“We’ve lost to Hakin twice in the league this season and paid the price for not being fit enough – but the boys have worked really hard in training recently and tonight shows you only get out what you put in.”

Thomas added he was pleased with how his side kept their shape and composure against the ten man Vikings in the second half, especially after they levelled with 20 minutes left.
“We had a bad start but really grew into the game, and we kept our heads second half. We’ve got some experienced players in there which helped, and once they went three at the back late on there was always going to be gaps for us.”

Ironically, Bridge will now face Clarbeston Road in the final – 30 years after The Wizards themselves became the only second tier side in the history of the competition to lift the trophy.

And Thomas, who played in each of the Bridge sides that were beaten in finals in 2009, 2010, and 2014, said he was well aware of the need for the club to re-address the balance of recent years.

“I played in three finals and lost – I don’t intend to lose another one,” he said.
The final will take place on Saturday, April 22nd, with a 2.30pm kick off at The Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium.

Hakin United: James Manson, Ricky Diamond (Ewan Findlay 68), Daniel Armstrong, Jonathan Bennett (Craig Nicholson 68), Bradley Barrett, Ben Aldred, Steve Mathias (James Stanmore 60), Ryan Wilson, Adam John, Ben Steele, Nicky Woodrow.

Merlins Bridge: Gary Thomas, Matthew D’ivry (Andrew John 83), Chris Ormond, Sion Price, Simon Thomas, Peter Thomas (Scott Murray 81), Luke Hayward, Dai Davies, Will Haworth, Steve McNabney (Jordan Raymond 83), Joe Leahy.

Referee: Tom Bevan.

Assistants: Sean O’Connor and Gareth Elliott.