BIRTHDAY BOY SMITH BOOKS FINAL PLACE
RHYL 4 (Connolly 8, Hunt 40, Smith 88, 90+3)
GAP CONNAH'S QUAY 0
LOOSEMORES LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL SECOND LEG
(Rhyl win 5-2 on aggregate)
RHYL reached their sixth League Cup Final in eight seasons after two late goals from substitute and 18th birthday boy Paul Smith completed a 5-2 aggregate win tonight at Belle Vue.
While the final score suggests this was a comfortable victory for the Lilywhites, that was not the case as at 2-0 up they had to endure a concerted spell of pressure from a Gap outfit desperately seeking a goal to force extra time.
Greg Strong's side made a lively start and in just the second minute Greg Stones looked to have scored from a low Tyrone Kirk corner, but somehow the ball stayed out (I didn't clearly see what happened!).
After eight minutes the hosts brought the tie level when Mark Connolly notched his 18th goal of the season with a cracking 20-yard volley on the run.
That makes it six in six games for Conno and he would have made it six scoring matches in a row tonight had he taken just one of those chances against Llanelli.
Earlier this season of course, the 25-year-old midfielder broke a modern-day club record by finding the net in eight successive games.
After falling behind Quay responded well, Danny Forde just clearing the bar before Stuart Scheuber should have done better from a free header.
Lee Hunt looked set to double the home lead when he slipped the ball past advancing keeper Terry McCormick, but from an acute angle the striker could only find the side netting.
Rhyl did manage to score again on 40 minutes when Hunt rose highest to nod in Martyn Naylor's brilliant deep cross from the right.
The visitors did plenty of attacking after the break but their shooting was awry, player-manager Mark McGregor typifying this when he scuffed a golden opportunity on 87 minutes.
And the Lilywhites made Quay pay when a minute later a delivery from the left by Phil Doran picked out fellow sub Smith who controlled, worked the ball on to his left foot, and applied a lovely finish.
In the 93rd minute Hunt helped on a cross-field pass from Gareth Owen and Smith raced clear to put away the fourth.
So it is now holders TNS or Port Talbot in the final for the Lilywhites who will be seeking to win the League Cup for the third time in their history.
RHYL: Pritchard, Naylor, Stones, Horan, Strong, Leah, C Williams (Doran 72), Connolly, Hunt, M Williams (G Owen 55), Kirk (Smith 65). Unused subs: Dowling, Coates.
MATCH FACTS
GOALS - Rhyl 4 Quay 0
ATTEMPTS - Rhyl 14 Quay 11
ON TARGET - Rhyl 8 Quay 2
CORNERS - Rhyl 3 Quay 3
YELLOW CARDS - Rhyl 3 Quay 3
RED CARDS - Rhyl 0 Quay 0
ATTENDANCE - 253
LO MAN OF THE MATCH
Paul Smith (Rhyl)
Happy 18th birthday - two goals in five minutes and brought something new to Rhyl when he came on.
RHYL FC RESULTS 2009/10
Aug 15 - Carmarthen Town (WPL - home) 2-1 (Strong, M Williams)
Aug 21 - Airbus UK Broughton (WPL - away) 2-2 (Hunt 2)
Aug 25 - Airbus UK Broughton (LC - a) 2-1 (Hunt, Owen)
Aug 29 - Port Talbot (WPL - h) 2-0 (M Williams, Hunt)
Sep 1 - Prestatyn Town (LC - h) 2-1 (Naylor, Connolly)
Sep 5 - Gap Connah's Quay (WPL - a) 2-0 (M Williams, Connolly)
Sep 11 - Bangor City (WPL - h) 5-1 (Hunt 2, M Williams pen, C Williams, Connolly)
Sep 19 - Newtown (WPL - a) 4-2 (M Williams 2, Strong, Connolly)
Sep 22 - Airbus (LC - h) 4-0 (Connolly 2, Kirk, Doran)
Sep 26 - Porthmadog (WPL - h) 4-0 (Connolly 3, Kirk)
Oct 3 - Llanfairpwll (WC-a) 3-1 (Connolly 2, Smith)
Oct 6 - Prestatyn Town (LC-a) 3-0 (Connolly, Hunt, C Williams)
Oct 9 - Bala Town (WPL-a) 4-0 (Smith, Doran, Horan, Hunt)
Oct 17 - Neath (WPL-a) 0-2
Oct 23 - Elements Cefn Druids (WPL-a) 1-1 (M Williams)
Oct 27 - Porthmadog (LCQF-a) 4-1 (Connolly 2, M Williams 2)
Oct 31 - Bridgend Town (WC-h) 4-2 (Connolly, M Williams, Strong, C Williams)
Nov 7 - Llanelli (WPL-h) 0-0
Nov 10 - Gap Connah's Quay (a-LCSF 1st leg) 1-2 (Connolly)
Nov 14 - Caersws (WPL-h) 3-1 (Connolly, Hunt 2)
Nov 17 - Gap Connah's Quay (h-LCSF 2nd leg) 4-0 (Connolly, Hunt, Smith 2)
GOALS (56): 18 - Mark Connolly; 11 - Lee Hunt; 10 - Matthew Williams; 4 - Paul Smith; 3 - Greg Strong, Chris Williams; 2 - Tyrone Kirk, Phil Doran; 1 - Gareth Owen, Martyn Naylor, George Horan.
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Dave Jones - For all the latest news from Rhyl Football Club, including match reports, news, views and features log on to Lilywhites On-Line hosted by Visitor sports editor Dave Jones.
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great result just a shame not to see sat man of the match even starting why, never even got on is this the welsh carling cup you play your fringe players who play superb then bomb them out on the last leg to gain glory???????????????????????????
A good job well done, great result good luck in the final
I thought Shaun Dowling may have come on for the second half with George Horan looking as if he might be heading for another red card, but Horan composed himself and had a good second half.
Dowling and Smith - fabulous prospects.
Glad Dave was able to 'dress up' in his report what can only be described as a nightmare display. Granted wet conditions coupled with a swirling wind did not help matters, however credit to Connahs Quay as they seemed to cope, playing at times some lovely football with only the end product missing rarely troubling Pritchard in the home goal. The only things Rhyl managed to 'trouble' was seemingly the floodlight bulbs as the ball spent three quarters of the match in the air. In fact it was exactly 30 minutes into the second half before Rhyl managed to put two passes together. Manager Strong must be distraught as apart from the welcome win he seems to be managing a Jekyll and Hyde team at present. Agree with Dave we seem to have unearthed a couple of gems in Dowling and Smith forget about 'ones for the future' these two in my opinion are ready now. Ironic that Smith was vote MOM (rightly so) when he only appeared for last 25 minutes say a lot about the rest?
I understand what you’re saying JDH... However, to win a game like that is still very good... even if they didn’t play well. As for Connahs Quay, it was there "final" so they are going to play their hearts out especially as it looks like they will not do much in the league.
Rhyl do need to be a bit more assertive in their general play if we are going to beat TNS this weekend.
Have to say I agree with JDH. The 2nd half display until the last 10 minutes was as poor as we've been all season. From Pritch's slow distribution, right through the side we seemed to lose the collective will to pass the ball. To see Lee Hunt, who I thought was tremendous last night, sole supply being aimless long punts from the Keeper was hugely disappointing. Kirk and Williams may as well have not played so rarely did the ball find its way out to them. As i've argued on many occasions unless you can gain midfield supremacy 2 out and out wingers can be a luxury. And last night was a case in point.
Still nice to see us bag 4 goals in a game we performed poorly in. Hopefully that will see a change in fortune in front of goal.
Agreed Smith was excellent when he came on and has to be a contender to start on SUnday
Smith's introduction late on in the Caersws game made a huge difference coupled with last nights showing has surely played him into Sunday's line up? Craig's right unless you play the ball through midfield rather than over it then Kirk and Chris Williams become a luxury. Worry for me is that recently Matty Williams has looked ineffective, touch and body language is poor, maybe he still not fit after recent lay off?
Rhyl do seem to turn up for the "big" games - maybe complacently did not realise that Neath was a "big" game. Incidentally, Smith did start in that Neath game and was substituted. I'm sure he's improving quickly though.