Penycae Football Club C.I.C.

The Quarter Final of the u19 NEWFA cup pitted us against Isa who are currently top of the Flintshire u19 league. The challenge got even tougher as we had the bare eleven with most the lads playing 90 minutes on Saturday.

We started off well with Natty Davies & Harry Bowen winning the midfield battle, and early chances fell to Austin Owen and Alex Rowlands. 

It was Mynydd Isa who took the lead though as we switched off in defence to allow the striker to get goal side and put them ahead on 24 minutes. Isa were reduced to 10 men on 30 minutes after their player reacted to Morgan Daykin. We had the majority of the possession but the Isa defence was well organised and resilient.

Second  half the lads battled as much as they could, with Natty Davies battling through the pain of shin splints for the 90 minutes, the character shown was very impressive. We had a few half chances and just when it looked like we were going out a pin point cross form Kyle Jarvis was met by Natty Davies to head home on 86 minutes.

In to extra time and the lads battled on and very harshly had a goal ruled out when Natty Davies won a 50/50 with the keeper and Josh Mazzarella converted only for Davies to have be judged too have fouled the keeper. Anywhere else on the pitch and the tackle stands.

We seemed to be heading to penalties but as the physical & mental fatigue of 210 minutes of football in 24 hours took hold a we allowed Isa to take the lead with six minutes remaining. Kyle Jarvis connected well with a Alex Rowlands cross only to see his chance go agonisingly close.

The u19's experience has been great for the club and the players in out maiden season. Luck just hasn't fallen on us though, in two of the four games we've played we've had bare eleven due to knocks picked up on a Saturday etc. Next season we will becoming in to the competition with more qualifying players and I have no doubt that this squad can go far in both the FA Wales Youth Cup and the NEWFA u19 cup.

The competition has given us some proud moments as a club though, from the 6-1 & 4-1 demolitions of Porthmadog Academy & Coedpoeth u19's respectively, hearing the clubs name on the the Welsh FA twitter feed during the Live draw to the karaoke on the bus back from Llandudno. All in all I'm immensely proud of the squad for the efforts they have put in. 

Now time to concentrate on the league and League cup.