GRESFORD ATHLETIC U-12s 4

RUTHIN BLUES U-12s 1

A TOUGH cup test awaited Ruthin Blues U-12s over the weekend.

They went into their League Cup quarter-final knowing they would have to be at their very best to challenge a very strong Gresford side which sits second in the league having only lost two matches this season.

Ruthin forwards George Lawton and Will Morris started very positively and all the early pressure was applied by them.

One attack ended with a great save by the Gresford goalkeeper, which resulted in a corner being awarded.

This set piece was taken short by Will Hughes and Lawton's cross was met some six yards out by Peter Baldry, who finished expertly with his left foot.

Within a minute and it was almost 2-0 as Will Hughes' shot flashed just wide of the Gresford goal.

The hosts weren't fazed by being behind and after a great move in the 12th minute, their star striker was adjudged to have been fouled in the box by Isac Gwyn just as he was about to shoot.

He picked himself up to take the resultant penalty and confidently struck the ball to the right of Oliver Leech in the Ruthin goal.

For the next few minutes, Gresford really played well and by the 20th minute they were 3-1 ahead via two well-taken goals.

One of these was a great free kick from 20 yards which their star striker struck into the top corner.

The rest of the first half was very even, with Ruthin settling down to regain a foothold in the tie thanks mainly to the midfield of Peter Baldry, Will Hughes, Dan Woolam and man of the match Jayden Parry.

Gresford attacking down the hill on their sloping pitch after the break and Ruthin defended resolutely, with Dyfan Thomas and Isac Gwyn marshalling a back line that included Gruffudd Jones, Deian Roberts and Aaron Ellis.

Leech also played well and he was excellent in his sweeper-keeper role.

In the 46th minute, Gresford's star striker was to have the final say when it came to goals.

He broke away down the right and crossed into the dangerzone, with the ball creeping in at the far post.

By this time, substitutes Christian Astbury, Max Bartley and Tom Hunter had entered the fray and they all had a role to play in Ruthin's attempts to reduce the deficit in the last quarter.

Astbury provided some good moments down the left, one of which resulted in Hunter turning expertly, but unfortunately his shot went straight towards the Gresford goalkeeper.

Another moment of promise saw Morris connecting well with a shot that crashed into the side netting.

All in all, it was another workmanlike performance by the Blues which augers well for the future.