Brecon Corries 3 - Aberbargoed Buds 0

THE romance of the Welsh Cup was certainly being felt by everyone at the Corries in the past week.

The presence of the FAW filming the Corries in midweek and the most competitive fixture in almost a generation set the scene for a truly special afternoon at the Rich Field. As the lowest ranked team left in Welsh football’s most prestigious competition, the Corries attracted a bumper crowd as they looked to cause a major upset by knocking out Aberbargoed Buds from Welsh League Division 1.

A flawless display of teamwork, togetherness, desire to win, and displays of deadly goal scoring saw the Corries deserved 3-0 winners and into the last 32 of the Welsh Cup.

In a game of real quality from both sides, it was the Corries that largely dominated the first half. Never has the Corries defence look so assured, with the impressive Austin Mellor, Adam Tebbitt, Joe Sissons and Oli James providing Corries Captain Stephen ’Becksy’ Price with little to do for the opening 45 mins.

But it was the Corries attack that was catching the eye with the direct play of Paul Keddle and Brian Keddle causing former Premiership and Welsh International defender, Darcy Blake, all sorts of trouble.

The superb Gareth Aplin was very creative down the right flank, and it was his link-up play with Austin Mellor that created the opening goal. Mellor’s pinpoint cross was met by the head of Rob Chesters who steered to ball into the top corner to send the home crowd ecstatic.

Less than 10 mins later it was 2-0 to the Corries as some great play by Brian Keddle saw him round the keeper and score from the tightest of angles. At halftime it was the Corries that were on their way to the lucrative third Round.

There’s a cliché in football that a two nil lead is a dangerous lead, and this was certainly on the minds of every Corries fan in the ground. With Aberbargoed pushing hard to get back into the game, the Corries were on the ropes for the early part of the second half, adding to the tension.

But in a display of total discipline and confidence they weathered the storm and put the game to bed. The ever dependable Oli James delivered the perfect cross for Man of the Match Brian Keddle (sponsored by Royal Air Force Sgt Barry Jones) to send his thunderous header into the net and the Corries into the next round of the Welsh Cup.

Corries Coach Wayne Pritchard: "I’m so proud of what the lads have just achieved. Everything we’ve worked on in training in recent weeks came together perfectly today. The work rate, desire and willingness to do it for each other was what set us apart from Aberbargoed."

Corries Chairman Barry Jones: "Today’s superb result and the media exposure during the buildup to the game has put the Corries on the map, and it’s what this club, squad and supporters deserve.

"There is amazing potential here for this squad of players to build on this success and create something really special. Brecon Corries is certainly creating a buzz around Welsh football at the moment, our social media is off the hook. A big thank you goes to Barry Acton of ’Source’ Supply Chain Solutions for sponsoring the match."

The draw for the FAW Welsh Cup third round was made on Monday November 2 with the Corries being drawn away to Caerau Ely from Welsh League Division 1, to be played on Saturday December 5.