CORE Sport: Caernarfon and Flint to face off for Europe
JD Welsh Cup Final - Caernarfon Town vs Flint Town United
Live on S4C, S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer and YouTube
CORE Sport Live Text: https://www.24liveblog.com/live/4086528814674615591
Chief Football Writer, CORE Sport
In many ways, this Cymru Premier season has been normal. TNS have lifted the trophy, Connah’s Quay are set for second and a newly-promoted team - Llanelli, this time - are heading straight back down.
Then, you have the upsets.
Barry Town winning the Nathaniel MG Cup, beating heavyweights TNS 2:0.
Bangor City 1876, a Tier 3 phoenix club, getting into the semi-finals of the Welsh Cup and pulling a remarkable attendance of 2,814 in their Quarter-Final.
And, now, two teams who haven't been in the Welsh Cup final, whether for decades (in Flint Town's case) or at all (in Caernarfon's case), battling it out for the ultimate honour, and a place in next season’s UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Caernarfon have been waiting for this moment for years. One of the best-supported sides in the Cymru Premier, the Cofis have long dreamed of winning the Welsh Cup, but have always fallen short of the final.
Sion Bradley is on loan from TNS to Caernarfon, after leaving the Cofis in 2024. Last year, he was on the bench as his side won the trophy; this year, he looks set to start in the final.
"It's a massive occasion, especially for this club getting there for the first time. The games against Flint this season have been tough and I think they're in a false position in the league as well. It will be a tough game regardless, but hopefully we can get the job done."
Flint Town, by comparison, have a packed trophy cabinet. A famous 2:0 win against Chester in 1954 - with a record crowd that remains the fourth-highest of all time - cemented their place in folklore.
Lee Fowler, Flint's manager, is facing a small crisis. Flint are 10th in the league but could go down next week if they lose to Cardiff Met and Bala Town beat Briton Ferry.
"This is a really good occasion that every one of us should be proud of. Maybe this has been at the back of their minds. Now we can fully focus on this game and then we can deal with the league next week."
Previous meetings between the pair have always favoured the Canaries. In 26 matches, Caernarfon have won 17, Flint have won 5, and 4 have ended in draws.
Whatever the result, these two teams reaching the final rounds off an unusual season in the Cymru Leagues. And with a European place on the line, the stakes could hardly be higher.
The last two Welsh Cup finals featured Connah’s Quay and TNS - the league’s dominant forces. New faces on the biggest stage, ahead of the Cymru Premier’s expansion next season, show that the league is only getting stronger.
Path to the Final
Caernarfon Town
Flint Town United
Round 2
Bow Street 0:3 Flint Town United
Round 3
Flint Town United 1:0 Airbus UK Broughton
Round 4
Flint Town United 2:1 Penybont
Quarter‑Final
Flint Town United 3:1 Trearddur Bay
Semi‑Final
Flint Town United 2:1 Bangor 1876
CORE Sport have live text coverage of the JD Welsh Cup final on 24LiveBlog. You can find that here: https://www.24liveblog.com/live/4086528814674615591
Comments
Post a Comment