Football: Holyhead Hotspur FC's cup dream is over

Feb 3 2010

LLANELLI 4 HOLYHEAD HOTSPUR 0

DESPITE their dreams of Welsh Cup progress ending at Stebonheath Park, Hotspur did both Anglesey and the Cymru Alliance League proud with their effort against the Welsh Premier title contenders.

The Harbourmen were relieved to play the tie at all as on arrival two inches of snow had fallen on the pitch. It was only the stirring work of the Llanelli groundstaff that prevented a postponement and the prospect of an expensive return trip to South Wales for Mark Williams’ men.

Hotspur started well with Mike Edwards testing home keeper Ashley Morris early doors before visiting custodian Mike Doutch was forced to save smartly from Antonio Corbisiero and smother a Jordan Follows attempt.

The deadlock was broken on 26 minutes with a well-worked move which saw Chris Venables play a neat one-two with Jordan Follows before driving the opener past Doutch.

Holyhead responded with some good football, but the final ball was lacking.

Chris Saxon’s long range effort skimmed the bar, but on 36 minutes it was 2-0 when Rhys Griffiths and Corbisiero combined to put Follows through to finish.

It could have been three before the break when Doutch failed to hold Craig Jones’ effort but Barry Jones cleared off the line.

The tie was settled in the first seven minutes of the second half.

Simon Holloway and Venables were involved before Griffiths received the ball in the box and rounded Doutch before netting from an acute angle.

Corbisiero then rounded off the scoring with a crisp finish after Craig Jones’ initial shot had been blocked.

Hotspur kept on battling, determined to have something to show for their long journey, and Mike Edwards went close to capitalising on a loose ball in the box before Mel McGinness just failed to get a touch to a cross.

The Cymru Alliance side’s best effort, however, saw Mike Edwards let fly with a cracking shot which forced Morris into a tremendous save.

Holyhead’s appeal against a three-point deduction for failing to fulfil a Cymru Alliance League fixture at Llangollen in November has been rejected.

The club had appealed to the Football Association of Wales on the grounds that their transport company had let them down at the last minute.