After the high of Saturday and being crowned National Champions, Airbus turned their attention to another chance of reaching a cup final. They faced Corwen FC at The Globe, the home of Buckley Town.

As expected, there was a few changes to the team that started against Trefelin, with Sam Fenney, Louis Holden, Tom Dougherty, Louis Bebbington-Rogers, Toby Vickery, Sam Rickett, Sam Baker and Oli Lanceley all coming in to the starting line-up.

Oli Lanceley got us underway on a lovely sunny Spring evening.

For the first ten minutes, both teams were enjoying some possession also getting used to the bounce of the ball on a hard bobbly pitch.

On 12 minutes, Corwen played a long ball which bounced in between Tom Dougherty, Sam Fenney and the Corwen forward. Fenney made the decision to come out and clear the ball and resulted in Dougherty unable to continue. Cam Meredith was introduced to the game earlier than expected.

Airbus were rewarded a free kick for a foul on Kaiden Cooke shortly after. Louis Holden delivered an inch perfect cross which Scott Evans had no choice but to head clear for a corner.

Holden was involved once again with another great delivery on 24 minutes, which was a dream for an attacker, but it was slightly ahead of Lanceley to make any contact to divert the ball goal wards.

8 minutes before half time, Corwen took the lead. A ball over Holden by Leslie Brophy found Calyn Spencer in a bit of space and he was able to carry the ball towards goal and finish low across Fenney, who managed to get a hand to the shot but unfortunately it wasn’t strong enough to divert it wide.

Airbus got themselves level four minutes later through Kaiden Cooke. Lanceley did well to hold the ball up and flick the ball into Cooke’s path and his first touch allowed him to set himself and place the ball past Tyler French to make it 1-1.

Due to the injury Dougherty there was 5 minutes of time added on in the first half.

It was Corwen who had the late flurry of chances, and they were 2-1 up as we went into injury time. Fenney failed to keep hold of the ball from a back post header from a Corwen corner. Airbus managed to clear the ball but only to Spencer on the edge of the box, who volleyed in a thunderous effort into an empty net.

Just before the whistle blew for half time, Corwen had a strong chance to make it 3-1, as shot from Evans looked destined for the top corner, but Fenney had other ideas as he got a strong hand to the shot and pushed it away to safety.

Corwen got us underway in the second half as they looked to preserve their 2-1 lead.

It was Airbus with the first effort of the second half, as Danny Warren found space on the edge of the area, but his effort was always rising.

Fenney made another fantastic save on 49 minutes, as he dived to his left to deny Evans from short range.

On 53 minutes, Corwen did have a third when another diagonal ball allowed Dafydd Evans to sneak in at the back post and send an effort across Fenney and it settled in the back of the net.

Just before the hour, Academy player Ieuan Jones-Wellstead replaced Louis Holden as Airbus looked to get themselves back into the game.

Patrick Hinchcliffe found a yard of space at the back post shortly after, but his effort found the side netting with Fenney having it covered.

78 minutes on the clock and Danny Warren stood over a free kick on the edge of the box, he curled an effort towards French’s goal, but it had too much power and not enough placement to trouble the Corwen goalkeeper.

Mark Allen took his last throw of the dice when he made a triple substitution with 10 minutes of the 90 remaining. Warren, Cooke and Baker making way for Hugh Holland, Franek Sadzcuk and James Allen.

On 83 Holland had an instant impact to the game when a teasing cross from Jones-Wellstead found the oncoming Holland as he tapped the ball in to make it 3-2.

Bang on 90 minutes, Airbus had their equaliser, as Holland with some great work allowed the young winger to play the ball into Lanceley who made no mistake in guiding the ball into the back of the net.

With the Airbus equaliser this ensured the game went into extra time.

Meirion Williams had the first real effort of extra time when he was allowed space down the right, but this final touch was too heavy and Fenney was able to smother the ball to end the danger.

Corwen created another chance shortly after as Hinchcliffe guided a header towards Fenney’s goal, but it lacked direction as it sailed over.

In the second half of extra time, Corwen created another chance but a fantastic last ditched block from Sam Rickett denied them and shortly after Josh Stevenson through his body in front of a shot to keep the score at 3-3.

With no breakthrough in extra time, we went into penalties.

Toby Vickery, Joshua Stevenson, Oli Lanceley, Franek Sadzcuk all converted their penalties in reply to Corwen. Spencer stepped up take the 5th and last penalty for Corwen and his effort come crashing of the underneath of the crossbar. This left Ieuan Jones-Wellstead the opportunity to put Airbus through and he made no mistake.

Airbus will now play Holywell Town in the NEWFA Senior Men’s Challenge Cup. The date and kick off time will be confirmed in due course.