Franklin and Williams strike to give Nomads Welsh Cup glory

Harry Franklin’s composed finish and Josh Williams’ epic volley sealed The Nomads’ first JD Welsh Cup trophy win since 2018 as Neil Gibson’s side ran out 2-1 victors against The New Saints at Rodney Parade.

Franklin had his opener cancelled out by Saints defender Ash Baker, but Nomads quickly restored their lead as Josh Williams’ superb volley flew past Connor Roberts five minutes before the break.

TNS pushed for an equaliser in the dying stages of the second half, but The Nomads were able to hold on and claim their first JD Welsh Cup since 2018.

Team News
Neil Gibson stuck with the same starting eleven that faced The New Saints last weekend. The competition’s top scorer, Jordan Davies, started his final match for The Nomads as he joined Harry Franklin and Jack Kenny.

Michael Wilde was named on the bench for his final match in a Nomads shirt after the striker announced his departure earlier in the month.

Saints boss Craig Harrison made one just change as the injured Jordan Marshall was unable to make the squad, and therefore, he was replaced by Ben Clark.

The First Half
Kai Edwards nearly gave Nomads the lead inside just four minutes as Saints failed to clear a long ball into the box, which allowed Edwards to fire a fierce volley goalwards, however, his effort was blocked.

Jordan Davies’ low cross was then steered goalwards by Jack Kenny, whose effort trickled under Connor Roberts, but the attack was halted due to an offside.

The Nomads came close once again with 22 minutes on the clock as Josh Williams’ curling delivery narrowly averted Ben Nash, who made a darting run at the back post.

The Nomads continued to threaten, and eventually got their reward on the half hour mark through Harry Franklin. The attacker got in front of his marker, latched onto Declan Poole’s cross and guided the ball beyond Connor Roberts to send Rodney Parade into bedlam.

Saints drew level six minutes later through Ash Baker, who was not to be denied a second time. Danny Redmond’s pinpoint cross found an unmarked Baker, who timed his header well to grab the equaliser.

However, The Nomads quickly restored their lead as Josh Williams scored potentially one of the best goals ever in the JD Welsh Cup Final.

Declan Poole and Leo Smith were both involved in an aerial duel, which saw the ball fall kindly to Williams, who found the top corner with a sweetly struck volley as the midfielder wheeled away to celebrate.

The Second Half
The Nomads appealed for a penalty just two minutes into the second as Jack Kenny went to ground following a challenge from Danny Davies inside the area, but the referee instantly waved away the claims.

Saints began to enjoy more possession and posed their biggest threat of the match when Brad Young’s fierce effort across goal forced Andy Firth into a vital save. Leo Smith tried to tap home the rebound, but the midfielder was penalised for fouling John Disney when jumping for the ball.

The Nomads made their first change of the evening in the 71st minute as goalscorer Josh Williams, who worked tirelessly all game, was replaced by Callum Bartley.

Craig Harrison’s side continued their search for a leveller, but also continued to waste glorious chances in the final third. Danny Redmond and Ryan Brobbel both tried their luck from distance, but again Firth was alert to the danger and made the saves.

Two more substitutes were introduced for The Nomads as Jack Kenny and our first goalscorer Harry Franklin were replaced by Aron Williams and Michael Wilde, who came on for his final match in a Nomads shirt.

Saints were still enjoying most of their football down the right hand side, but tame efforts from Rory Holden and Brad Young in the area summed up their frustrating afternoon.

Despite a nervy nine minutes of stoppage time, The Nomads were able to hold onto their lead, which led to scenes of joy on the pitch, on the touchline and in the crowd as The Nomads overcame the odds to triumph in an unforgettable JD Welsh Cup campaign.

What’s Next?
Now that our domestic season has finished on a high note, The Nomads now look ahead to pre-season and another European campaign in the UEFA Europa Conference League Qualifying Rounds.

Pre-season details will be announced in due course, but for now, we will enjoy our celebrations with the JD Welsh Cup and reminisce on an unforgettable campaign.

Thank you to all of our supporters throughout this season and we are glad we could do you proud by adding silverware to our cabinet!

Match Photos

Match Report by Adam Angerer