Pen-y-bont v The New Saints | Sunday – 16:00 (Cardiff City Stadium)
This Sunday, Pen-y-bont and The New Saints will go head-to-head at the Cardiff City Stadium in the 2021/22 JD Welsh Cup final.
Pen-y-bont have reached the Welsh Cup final for the first in their history, and Rhys Griffiths will be determined to cause an upset to win the cup and secure European football.
Pen-y-bont will be the 53rd club to feature in a Welsh Cup final, and could become the 35th team to lift the trophy.
But after securing the title for the first time in three years, Anthony Limbrick will be targeting a league and cup double in his first full season in charge of The New Saints.
The New Saints are the current JD Welsh Cup holders after winning the competition for the 7th time in the most recent final which was in 2018/19.
The Oswestry outfit have reached the final without facing a top-tier side as they’ve seen off Llanrwst, Conwy, Carmarthen Town, Guilsfield and Colwyn Bay without conceding a single goal.
Pen-y-bont have beaten Undy Athletic, Cambrian & Clydach, Caernarfon Town, Taffs Well and Bala Town in the JD Welsh Cup this season.
The four league meetings between these teams this season have been very tightly fought with two of the matches ending in draws – but The New Saints have never lost against Pen-y-bont (won nine, drawn two).
If momentum is a real factor in football then the Saints will certainly have the upper hand as Pen-y-bont have lost their last seven matches, scoring just one goal (vs TNS).
And although Rhys Griffiths opted to play his youth team against Bala Town last Saturday, the 11-0 drubbing did not put the club in a good light.
The New Saints on the other hand have lost just once in their last 21 games in all competitions (vs Newtown), and after clinching the Golden Boot last weekend, Scottish striker Declan McManus will be eager to add to his 30 goal tally on Sunday.
As the Saints have already qualified for Europe by winning the league, a victory for them would secure Newtown’s place in Europe as the next highest finishers in the league (3rd).
All the action will be live on S4C at 15:40 with Dylan Ebenezer, Sioned Dafydd and Gwennan Harries, with English language commentary available with former cup winners Mark Jones and Tomi Morgan.
