Cup Final Tickets

Fuck me, I'm no fan of Rhyl but that's a bitter fucking pill they've had to swallow there, compounded by the fact that their game was five minutes behind the rest. Fucked by almost literally the last action of the season.

Stick to the gee gees Bert.
You couldn't tip shit out of a bucket when it comes to football.
Neither TNS or Cefn managed a win.

Ryhl fucked by a last minute penalty.
Cruel.

Nobby Cheese wrote:Ryhl fucked by a last minute penalty.
Cruel.

Bangor only equalized forty seconds before that, Tone. Rhyl were safe by two points, then 2 goals GD, then fucked, all inside a minute

Nobby Cheese wrote:Stick to the gee gees Bert.
You couldn't tip shit out of a bucket when it comes to football.
Neither TNS or Cefn managed a win.

HBF.

Have had a fair run this season on the WPL, tbh. Been cruelly fucked by any number of 1-1s, though...

Welsh Cup Final has thrown up a bizarre set of circumstances

If Newtown win...
Newtown go into Europe
Aber will play Port Talbot
Airbus will play either Connah's Quay or lucky loser Rhyl (they effectively get in as Newtown's playoff place means everyone below shifts up one) - GCQ and Rhyl will play off on Monday 4th for a shot at Airbus the subsequent weekend

Winners play off for Europe at the top placed side's home.
-----
If TNS win...
Airbus go into Europe (cup runners up no longer do - hope Villa are aware)
The fifth play-off berth is lost (TNS elides it)
Aber will play GCQ
Port Talbot will play Newtown

Winners play off for Europe at top side's home
-----

Which means with the season over
- Aber have a home game but they don't know who against
- Port Talbot could be both home or away to a side either below or above them respectively
- Airbus will either go straight to Europe or have home advantage throughout the playoffs. They will be shouting for TNS in the WCF
- Newtown will go straight to Europe or otherwise will most likely have to play away twice to get to Europe
- GCQ have three games (one home, two away) or two games (both away) to play to get to Europe
- Rhyl will have to play three games, all away, to make Europe, or will take no part at all and watch it on Livescore. They will be shouting for Newtown in the WCF

Amazing scenes in the League of Wales where Cardiff Met were set to finish second until tonight, and where Haverfordwest (who last season managed the technical term of "shitting it" by losing four of their last eight and completely blow promotion as the only viable) were going to safe but lowly Aberdare needing to win by 5 to nick second and promotion by virtue of goal scored.

Aberdare 0 Haverfordwest 5

Bent heat

Newtown did for Port Talbot in the last minute of extra time for a Europa League playoff final place today.

Connah's Quay go to Aberystwyth tomorrow and I'd fancy the winner to do for Newtown. If it's the Nomads, it'll be the jailbreak of the century to finish seventh in the first place and then to do two sides away from home, one game less than usual because TNS won the cup.

Nomads manage to lose in normal time from 1-2 up with 6 minutes to go

One of the comebacks of the year fucked up in the last six minutes. Who says Welsh football is dull...?

Bala (a side I have a soft spot for, as you know) have drawn Differdange of Luxembourg in the Europa League first qualifying round.

They will play the second leg at Rhyl

Rhyl has a population of c. 25,000. Its ground holds 3,000
Differdange has a population of c. 22,000. Its ground holds 2,400
Bala has a population of <2,000. Its ground has Highfield Road's old seating, hard standing and trees at one end and a play park at the other. It does not meet all-seater standards for European football, hence Rhyl.

They will be charging £10, £5 and £3. Brilliant. This sort of thing restores your faith in football. West Ham meanwhile will go to Andorra

Some good Europa fun ahead!

Well you fucking bastards.

Bala went to Differdange and lost 3-1 in the first leg of the Europa qualifiers. I fancied the return leg but couldn't make it for 6pm as I believed it to be. I also fancied Bala to nick it so backed the 2-0 for an away goals win, especially at a tidy 18/1.

Firstly, it was a 7pm kick off, which I could have made. I ended up tuning on BBC Radio Wales as a poor substitute. Secondly, well, I don't really do it justice. See for yourself.

http://www.livescore.com/soccer/europa-league/qualification/bala-town-vs-fc-differdange-03/1-1994989/

In case you're wondering, +5 of 4 added. Last fucking kick.

Welcome to my world.

Indeed, Tone. Bit of a blow for Bala as well since the next round would have been worth serious extra money to them (I think it's €130k) - that's a fucking dear nudge home.

The Huws Gray Cymru Alliance started yesterday

Prestatyn 2-1 Mold Alexandra

Some pretty scrappy stuff, a lot of air ball but when Town got the ball on the deck, they looked as tidy as they usually do. They strung together two decent moves on the floor in the first half and scored from both. Mold split them with one where they managed to get in behind the left back, which is something they'll have to address as Jacko is tidy going forwards but he can't cover the entire flank on his own.

Chris Davies (RB) is back from Aberystwyth, which I consider a huge plus - he was never suitably replaced IMO, and this league will struggle to find a better pair of attacking full backs. As a side they look hugely different but at the same time, they're playing as a unit and they've had an outsanding preseason as well.

The return to the top flight begins. I got the bottom of the jug with the curry as well, which meant the raisins and a bigger portion. Excellent as ever.

FWIW, the WPL starts Friday coming (Rhyl v Bangor, which is a big game to start, possible four figure gate)

Connahs Quay have bought a clutch of players and I think are a cracking shout for European places outright - they have Bangor folk hero Les Davies, Ashley Ruane from Rhyl (who had half a season and a lot of success there coming from Warrington in the window) and Callum Morris from Bangor, whose goals quite simply kept them up although he's not a striker. They've bought another five as well from English sides and they're a fucking huge price to topple TNS, finish second to them or even third to TNS and Airbus.

Might have to have a small interest

In that case.....so will I.

Rhyl drew 1-1 with Bangor in front of 1200+, the biggest gate in the WPL for three years.

NOW...

First game of the season, Connahs Quay as previously said need to hit the ground running if they're to realise the investment in them and winning against Newtown today would be step one of that. Odds against is, IMO, big.

The other game I'd want onside for interest is Port Talbot v Bala. Port Talbot have taken Cortez Belle back from Carmarthen and have kept hold of last season's 32-goal striking pair of Martin Rose and Luke Bowen. They are a decent side at home and suck a big fucking dick away. So 3/1 on their own midden, irrespective of last season's runners up Bala, is huge IMO.

Wouldn't want a house on it but singles and upwards of 7/1 for the pair is somewhat fancy.

Port Talbot had the better of the Bala game. Connahs Quay were roundly held by a well-marshalled Newtown. They're a funny fucking side, Newtown (they can concede hatfuls against Town when they were struggling for goals but repeatedly shut out TNS) but I'm not laughing...

Town, after going to Caernarfon and getting a fucking A1 result (they were in the promotion battle season long with Llandudno last year), took on Llanfiar on Saturday. They were dire, losing 1-4, and laid siege all the second half. They should have converted at least five corners (two cannoned off the bar) but that illustrated how poor Llanfair were more than the other way around. They barely strung two passes together and were the better side in the same way Chesney Hawkes has a "least worst" album.

Cefn Wednesday is a big 'un

Who will win Wednesday Bert?

They've had a cracking pre-season and first two games, Tone, and Saturday they stunk the place out and could have still scored six.

Cefn never had the better of them in three of the four games last season (the 0-4 at home was the most ridiculous result I've ever seen, the 1-1 was attack v defence for the last half hour or so, and a charmed life for Cefn, and the win that all but sent Cefn down at The Rock was well earned). The fourth game on Hallowe'en they were three down in nine minutes and were twatted out of sight by Lee Healey. He left in the Christmas window last year. They're a better side than Cefn. However...

Dave Hayes (skipper, centre back) was missing Saturday and Michael Parker had to play deeper. They're a different side when that happens, and not for the better. At full strength, they should have too much for Cefn IMO. They might struggle if not as I'd have Cefn as more of a threat than Llanfair were Saturday...