Brickfield Rangers v Saltney Town

Welsh F.A. Cup

2nd Qualifying Round

Saturday 24th July 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

Brickfield Rangers 0 Saltney Town 3, attendance 32

17’ 0-1

32’ 0-2

53’ 0-3

@ Clywedog Park

Homestead Lane

Wrexham

LL14 4HE

£2 Admission, including Programme, 20 pages. (Wrong date on cover)

I had seen Brickfield Rangers play home games twice before, both times for matches in the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division and both games ended in 1-2 defeats. On 23rd May 2001 I saw them play Penycae at New Broughton Recreation Ground, before seeing them host Brymbo Broughton on 1st May 2003, where the match was played at Court Road, Wrexham. They are now playing here at Clywedog Park, which is off the A525 when entering Wrexham from the A483 by-pass.

I was a bit concerned that I hadn’t noticed the Referee around twenty five minutes before kick off, but was told that he had phoned to say that he was running late, but would be here by twenty to two. He wasn’t, but he arrived at 14.01 and had the game underway just three minutes later. If he hadn’t turned up, we would have been ok, as both the No.10 and No.12 of Saltney Town could have done the job, as each combined the role of playing and refereeing for the entire 90 minutes!

As far as the game went, it wasn’t really a contest, despite both clubs playing in Ardal League North West (Tier 3). Saltney dominated from the off, scoring early with a shot into the top corner of the net from 12 yards, before adding a second just after the half hour mark, when the ‘keeper spilled a free kick and the rebound was tapped in from close range.Eight minutes into the second half it was 0-3, when a shot on the turn found the bottom corner and the game was safe. Saltney pushed forward at will and deserved a couple more goals, such was their dominance, whilst Brickfield just never looked like scoring.

There was just the one passenger today. He had already been to Brickfield, so I dropped him off a couple of miles away at F.C. Queens Park, who play at The Dunks, a ground I had already visited some years ago. It was nice to have a trouble free drive to Wales for a change, with traffic very light in both directions.