Football: A fine win for Rhyl FC at Airbus in cup

Oct 1 2008 by Dave Jones, Denbigh Visitor

AIRBUS UK 0 RHYL 4

WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE CUP

FOUR fabulous goals carried the Lilywhites to a convincing victory at The Airfield last Tuesday which put them within sight of the quarter-finals.

It was a night where players who have struggled to command a regular first team place this season put themselves very much in the frame.

Striker Carl Owen went close three times before putting the visitors in front on 20 minutes.

The outstanding Gareth Wilson won the ball outside his own box, then carried it forward before launching a lovely pass down the left for Owen whose pace took him clear of the Airbus defence and he finished superbly from an acute angle.

Jimmy Kelly had a goalbound shot deflected wide, then on 29 minutes came a fantastic goal for the Lilies.

Kelly and Josh Johnson combined to find Chris Roberts on the edge of the box and his sublime chip with the outside of his foot over keeper Chris Doran flew into the net.

Two minutes later Trinidadian Johnson nutmegged not one, but two defenders before bursting into the box from the wide left and lashing past Doran with a tremendous finish.

There was no let up from Allan Bickerstaff’s side after the interval and only a succession of fabulous saves from Doran kept the score respectable.

But Rhyl’s inevitable fourth goal arrived on 72 minutes when Kelly fed Johnson on the left and his pinpoint cross was volleyed in by Owen.

RHYL: Paul Pritchard, Mark Connolly (Tom Roberts 72), Chris Roberts, Paul O’Neill, George Horan (c), Gareth Wilson, Jimmy Kelly, Carl Owen, Jamie Reed (Matthew Williams 52), Josh Johnson (Sam Heenan 77), Craig Jones.