East Gwent Senior League Benevolent Cup Semi-Final - Thornwell Red and White A 0 Undy Athletic 2

UNDY Athletic booked their place in the Benevolent Cup Final on May 6th with a 2-0 win over Thornwell Red and White A at the weekend.

They will take on Mathern FC Reserves A on Caldicot Town’s Jubilee Park ground after goals by Ian McCulloch – his first for the team – and Simon Owen clinched victory.

With constant drizzle rather than the heavy rain and frosts of recent days, players from both sides performed well in an evenly-matched game where neither team could say they had dominated their opponents.

Thornwell seemed just as ‘at home’ on the 3G as they would on their own pitch, but they paid the price for players being unavailable.

“I thought it was quite an even game,” Thornwell boss Terry Woodward said.

“We played some good football up to the final third but apart from chances from corners or free kicks, which we didn’t convert, we didn’t really create that much. 

“That’s been our problem - scoring goals.

“Undy took their chances well, especially the second and it’s a shame we struggled for players through injury and work commitments.

“But no excuses and good luck to the Undy boys in the final.”

Woodward added he enjoyed the game even though he was forced to sit with an ice-pack on a knee injury afterwards.

“When you get to my age that’s all part of it,” he quipped.

Meanwhile, Undy’s Ziggy Niblett, who is part of a three-man management team, praised the effort and commitment shown by the team.

“The lads put in a tremendous effort from the first minute to the last and thoroughly deserve their spot in the final,” he said.

Now, Niblett and the other members of the management team, Andrew Peacock and Gareth Evans, hope they can guide the team to victory

“This will be our third season on the trot that we’ve made it to a cup final,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll get to take home the silverware after being unsuccessful in the previous finals and continue the legacy left by Ben Garner who ran the club’s third team for eight years.”

The match was followed by a Gill Cup preliminary tie in which Caldicot Castle booked their place in the First Round Proper with a 2-1 win over Severn Bridge,

Sean Marsh netted twice for Castle while Bridge’s goal came from Dan Cole.

Meanwhile, Portskewett and Sudbrook earned a place in the draw for the Fishwick Cup First Round Proper with a 2-1 victory over Thornwell Red and White B thanks to goals by Steve Lovell and Mike Panacci with Harry Shepherd scoring for the visitors.