Wrexham TNS fought Wrexham all the way but
bowed out of the FAW Premier Cup in the quarter-final stage at
Treflan.
Hector Sam gave the visitors the lead
after a quarter of an hour.
With 20 minutes remaining TNS thought
they had equalised, but the referee ruled that keeper Andy
Dibble stopped the ball from crossing the line.
The Red Dragons had to survive a few
more scares, before wrapping it up through Steve Roberts'
long-range strike 10 minutes before the end to the joy of the
Wrexham fans.
After the match, TNS manager Ken McKenna
was adamant that his side should have been awarded an equaliser.
He told the BBC - "The players are sure
that the ball crossed the line, crossed it twice, but again
we've had a big decision go against us," McKenna said.
"We are a good football team, we've got
some good football players and I think we've been a litle bit
unlucky.
"The pace, movement and passing that
Wrexham produced in the first 15 minutes caught us a little bit
by surprise.
"But we had a talk about that at
half-time and once we dealt with that I thought we came right
back into the game."
Wrexham manager Denis Smith paid TNS the
ultimate compliment by fielding a near full-strength starting
line-up.
Chris Llewellyn wasted a great chance
after nine minutes, somehow missing contact with Carlos Edwards'
fine cross with the goal-mouth gaping.
It wasn't all one-way traffic though,
and Welsh Premier leaders TNS had the Dragons defenders
stretching with first a free-kick to the far post, then from the
resulting corner kick.
But it was the visitors from the
Football League who took a firm grip on the game and it was no
surprise when they took the lead with 15 minutes gone.
Paul Edwards combined with namesake
Carlos Edwards to fire a dangerous ball across goal, which found
Sam diving bravely in the six-yard box to head home.
Sam should have claimed his second five
minutes before the break, but Tommy Holmes rescued things with a
superb sliding tackle.
Jamie Ward laboured manfully up front on
his own for the home side, but the TNS midfield was rarely able
to get forward and support him. Wrexham continued to dominate
after the break, but without getting the second goal that would
have made the game safe.
The visitors were nearly made to pay 20
minutes before the end, when Wrexham keeper Andy Dibble was
forced into a double save from point-blank range.
There were pleas from the TNS players
that the ball had crossed the line, but the referee and his
assistant were proved correct when even television replays were
inconclusive.
Spurred into action by their lucky
escape, the Dragons reasserted themselves and Roberts was
allowed to advance unchecked before firing a long-range shot
into the bottom corner.
Even then Dibble was forced into making
a couple of smart saves to keep TNS at bay, but it was Wrexham
who advanced into the semi-finals. Carlos Edwards was chosen man
of the match but Andy Dibble put a great performance, age isn't
on Dibbles side but he has put some very good performances this
season and frustrated the TNS front men.
So Wrexham go in to the semi final draw
along with Cardiff, and Rhyl who beat Newport and Barry Town,
with Swansea playing Caersws tonight.
