DENBIGH TOWN 0

AIRBUS UK BROUGHTON 2

THINGS went to form as one avenue towards silverware has been closed to Denbigh Town.

Denbigh welcomed Huws Gray Alliance league leaders Airbus to Central Park for a League Cup quarter-final clash over the weekend.

With Airbus being unbeaten in the league this season and holding a 100 per cent winning record, Denbigh went into the tie as the underdogs, especially considering their heavy 6-0 league loss at Porthmadog seven days earlier.

Yet, for much of the game, Denbigh were the better team and they played good one-touch football which had the league leaders on the back foot for a large part of the afternoon.

With central defender Curtis Langton having picked up a leg injury the previous week, Miles Todd moved into the centre of the defence and he had an outstanding game.

Todd put in some great challenges and formed a strong partnership with captain Tony Davies.

Lewis Sirrell returned to the team at left back with Bailey Jackson still suffering from a hamstring injury.

Mark Roberts also returned to the team and midfielder Pat Hinchcliffe made his first start for the club.

Andy Thomas merited a call-up as a substitute from the reserves as he had excelled the night before in scoring seven goals in the 8-0 win over Penmaenmawr Phoenix.

Denbigh started the tie by playing into the sun, with Miles Todd and Tony Davies both called upon to clear their lines as Airbus applied early pressure.

With 11 minutes gone, Airbus were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position some 25 yards out.

Both Leo Riley and Matty McGinn shaped up to take the kick, with three men in the Denbigh wall.

Riley’s run was a decoy and it was McGinn who shot around the wall to beat an outstretched Craig Vernon in the Denbigh goal to give Airbus an early lead.

Denbigh had a chance to respond quickly when McGinn made a poor pass just inside his own half.

Sam Downey capitalised on this, but his through pass to Jake Walker was a touch too hard and Airbus number one Roberts was able to collect.

Denbigh enjoyed a good spell in the game with plenty of possession, but they were unable to put in that final decisive ball in order to produce an equaliser.

Mark Roberts and Jake Walker linked well and the former to in a dangerous cross which Airbus keeper Roberts gathered from the advancing Walker.

For their part, Airbus were continuing to make forays into Denbigh's half, especially down their left wing.

Left back Curtis Strong was the instigator of most of the Airbus attacks and he made several dangerous runs, which resulted in excellent crosses, with Town being thankful to clear.

As the half developed, Mark Roberts had a chance from the edge of the box which went just wide of the post.

Airbus should have had a second goal on the half-hour when Strong's cross found Lewis Buckley in the six-yard box, only for the striker’s shot to somehow go over the crossbar. Strong was also the provider for James Hooper just before half time, but he also could not finish from close range.

The second half saw Denbigh have more of the play.

Substitute Sam Jones played a cross to Mark Roberts, who just volleyed over the bar.

Lewis Sirrell was having success down the left flank as Town looked for an equaliser and he linked well with Sam Jones to put in an excellent cross, which just evaded the Denbigh attackers.

Airbus should have put the game to bed with a quarter-of-an-hour left, but a fantastic instinctive save from Craig Vernon kept Denbigh in it.

As the tie became more open, Sam Jones volleyed wide from 12 yards for Denbigh, before Airbus hit the crossbar at the other end.

A further Town chance came from Lewis Sirrell's free kick, which was saved by Roberts.

Airbus eventually made the game safe in injury time.

McGinn's free kick from the edge of the box took a deflection to wrong foot Vernon and the ball went into the net.