Port Talbot Town 7-0 Denbigh Town - Welsh Cup 3rd Round Match Report

Despite being without a number of key players, Port Talbot Town started this Welsh Cup match as the better of the two sides and that was how it stayed as Nicky Tucker’s side dominated the match. Darren Davies opened the scoring on 15 minutes as his floated free-kick drifted into the top corner of the net and on 32 minutes James Burgin doubled the advantage with a fine individual goal to compensate for the chances that the side had missed since the opening strike. Two minutes later Martin Rose broke free of the visitors defence and finished in style to make it 3-0 but the game was made safe as Drew Fahiya increased the advantage on 44 minutes and then on 45 minutes as he and Martin Rose combined well to hand Tucker’s side a five goal lead at the break. Denbigh had offered little in the opening half and within two minutes of the second half Fahiya claimed his hat-trick as he flicked a ball into the area into the corner of the net. Nicky Tucker then made a double substitution in the space of six minutes as Under-19 player Chris Thornton and Shelton Payne were introduced in place of Leigh De-Vulgt and Drew Fahiya respectively while Gareth Phillips was replaced at half-time by on-loan Swansea City midfielder Scott Evans. Port Talbot Town continued t o dominate throughout the second half and on 80 minutes the excellent work from substitute Shelton Payne was rewarded when his strike hit the post and rebounded off the visiting keeper to score the seventh goal of the game for Port Talbot Town and with it round off a thoroughly deserved victory.

3rd November 2008 - Evening Post
Hat-trick for Drew as Port Talbot ease past Denbigh
Drew Fahiya produced a formidable display to register a hat-trick as Port Talbot swept aside Denbigh Town in their Welsh Cup third-round tie. With Matthew Rees, Lee Surman and Lee John all suspended following Port Talbot's self-destruct exercise a week ago at Caersws, Gareth Phillips, David Biggs and Lee MacLachlan were drafted into the starting line-up. Leading striker Martin Rose was unable to make a fourth-minute impact, toe-poking the ball wide from 10 yards following an opening created by James Burgin. Alarm bells were again ringing in the Denbigh defence after Jamie Hobson had halted Fahiya's progress. Darren Davies delivered the free-kick into the goalmouth, only for Rose's glancing header to go narrowly wide. After 15 minutes Davies took another free-kick from the identical position, this time the former Tottenham and Dover player flighting the ball directly over the top of keeper Jamie Hulse and into the top corner of the net. The Cymru Alliance league side broke the stranglehold in the 26th minute and created a chance when Hobson swept the ball into the penalty area, only for Kristian Rogers to be aware of the threat and gather possession under the close attention of Ian Evans. Port Talbot added a second goal just after the half hour, Swansea City loan player James Burgin on target, darting forward to latch on to a Rose pass after Davies had made swift inroads from halfway. Port Talbot struck once more two minutes later, Rose netting his eighth goal of the season following an angled delivery from Burgin. Although Denbigh's attacking options were contained for long periods, Rogers had to be at full stretch to turn around the upright a fierce shot from Ian Evans on 42 minutes. The action switched to the other end and Rose's low shot was fumbled by Hulse, and Fahiya was swift to react to plant the ball into the unguarded net. And Fahiya found the net again in the final minute of the half with a left-foot shot to establish a five-goal interval lead. Two minutes into the second half Port Talbot won a corner after Mark Orme had turned behind a delivery from Burgin. Davies took the flag kick, Matthew Walsh gained control, found Fahiya in space and the striker lifted the ball over the top of Hulse and into the net. Denbigh introduced former Bangor City player Kenny Burgess in place of Matthew Harrison after 59 minutes, and it took the newcomer six minutes to threaten, only for his shot to shave the outside edge of the crossbar. Port Talbot were in seventh heaven 10 minutes from the end when Rose outpaced the Denbigh defence. Shelton Payne's rising effort cannoned off the bar to then bounce off Hulse and drop over the goal-line. "I'm thrilled to bits with the result with a reshaped side brushing aside the nightmare of having three players missing following last weekend's performance at Caersws," said Port Talbot manager Nicky Tucker. "The players were focused throughout the 90 minutes, giving 100 per cent commitment. "We had four players missing, and I thought that their absence would go against us, but at the same time I was confident that the players available could do a professional job, and that's what they did. "It was a classic display from Drew Fahiya. He's enjoying playing in cup matches, having netted five goals in three league cup outings, and to now add three more in this match was simply brilliant."

Port Talbot Town

1. Kristian Rogers
2. Leigh De-Vulgt (c)
3. Darren Davies
4. Gareth Phillips
5. David Biggs
6. Lee MacLauchlan
7. Drew Fahiya
8. Matthew Thompson
9. Martin Rose
10. James Burgin
11. Matthew Walsh

Subs

12. Scott Evans
(rep Phillips - 46)
14. Shelton Payne
(rep Fahiya - 58)
15. Chris Thornton
(rep De-Vulgt - 52)

Yellow Cards
None

Red Cards
None

Goalscorers
Darren Davies (15)
James Burgin (32)
Martin Rose (34)
Drew Fahiya (44)
Drew Fahiya (45)
Drew Fahiya (47)
Shelton Payne (80)

Denbigh Town

1. Jamie Hulse
2. Matthew Harrison
3. Kevin Jones
4. John Roberts (c)
5. Mark Orme
6. Jamie Hobson
7. Liam Byrne
8. Chris Williams
9. Ian Evans
10. Gareth Martin
11. Kevin Evans

Subs

12. Kenny Burgess
(rep Harrison - 59)
14. Steve Jones
(Unused)
15. Jamie Evans
(rep Hobson - 66)

Yellow Cards
Kevin Jones (54)
Chris Williams (55)
Gareth Martin (82)

Red Cards
None

Goalscorers
None

Attendance
138

Referee
Mr Lee James