On Friday night Aberystwyth Town will face The New Saints in the final of the Nathaniel MG Cup at Latham Park, Newtown.
Aberystwyth Town v The New Saints | Friday – 19:45 (Latham Park, Newtown)
The New Saints are aiming for the domestic treble this year as they are closing in on the JD Cymru Premier title, and have also reached the Welsh Cup semi-final.
The New Saints are the most successful club in the history of the League Cup (Nathaniel MG Cup) as they’ve lifted the trophy on 10 occasions including last season when they won 5-1 against Swansea City u21’s in the final.
The Saints won the trophy for four consecutive seasons between 2014/15 and 2017/18, and the Oswestry outfit have won their last nine matches in the competition.
It’s a very different story for Aberystwyth Town as they are making their first appearance in the final and have therefore never lifted the cup in the past.
Aberystwyth Town reached the semi-finals in 2019/20 before losing 2-1 against STM Sports from the second tier, and since then the Black & Greens had not gone further than the third round until this year.
Aberystwyth Town are having an extremely disappointing season, sitting at the bottom of the JD Cymru Premier table and heading towards relegation for the first time ever.
However, lifting the Nathaniel MG Cup would be a historic moment for the club and could be a well-needed boost for the squad for the remainder of the season.
It’s no surprise that the head-to-head record favors the Saints as Craig Harrison’s side have won their last six contests against Aberystwyth Town including sweeping victories of 11-0 and 6-0 at Park Hall.
Aberystwyth Town were original members of the JD Cymru Premier in 1992, and the Saints were promoted to the top tier a year later, and so the clubs have competed together in the League Cup for over 30 years, but surprisingly this will be the first meeting between the two in this competition since the 1995/96 season.
Aberystwyth Town have knocked out Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Connah’s Quay and Cardiff City u21’s to reach the final this season, beating a young Cardiff team on penalties in the semi-final.
The Saints have seen off Flint Town United, Airbus UK, Bala Town and Barry Town United to reach the final for the 12th time in their history.
Carmarthen Town are the only club to have beaten TNS in the final of the League Cup, and that happened at Latham Park in the 2012/13 season when the Old Gold won on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time.
Since then the Saints have won five Nathaniel MG Cup finals conceding only once, beating Bala Town (3-0), Denbigh Town (2-0), Barry Town United (4-0), Cardiff Met (1-0) and Swansea u21 (5-1).
The final will be live online and the highlights will be available on Sgorio’s social websites.
