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Risca United comfortably beat Gwent Premier opposition, New Inn, 6-1 in a FAW Amateur Trophy qualifier.

The game always looked to be a mismatch, with the Cuckoos scoring early-on at the Centre for Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach.

The Ardal South East side soon had complete control, and were 5-1 to the good at half-time on Saturday August 3.

New Inn managed to keep it respectable in the second-half, but still suffered a 6-1 defeat which sees them miss out and Risca progress.

Kick-off

It was a fast start from the Cuckoos, who moved the ball with ease against lower league opposition.

Amongst a relatively inexperienced squad, club captain Finlay Wood looked to control the game from midfield and picked out some lovely passes from the off.

New Inn’s spirit and hard work made-up for what they were missing in quality. On a hot day they ran constantly, often without the ball.

Risca soon showed their class however, a break down the right saw three forwards in all kinds of space.

George Holland fed the ball to striker Lloyd Oliver who took the finish well and slotted it underneath Joshua Williams to make it 1-0.

Almost immediately after kick-off, Oliver was away again down the right. Skipping past the keeper this time, his effort went onto the post before falling to the feet of Cole Greenhaf.

He had the simplest of finishes into an empty net and it was 2-0 in the blink of an eye.

Risca had real confidence now. Greenhaf was terrorising the New Inn defence, and scored one of the better goals of the day soon after his first.

Picking the ball up in midfield, he dribbled past two or three before cutting inside and shooting. His effort was deflected, but it went in all the same. 3-0.

The game already felt over inside 20 minutes, but new signing William Francis-Obeng from Caldicot made sure his side kept at it.

The 34-year-old is a natural leader, and commanded well from Risca’s backline all game.

One player who caught the eye for New Inn on the rare occasions they could string a few passes together was Max Walker.

At only 17, Walker beat his man out wide a few times, and had a couple half chances that were gathered by keeper Kavan Williams.

With around 30 minutes played, it seemed the visitors had perhaps stopped the bleeding.

However, another brilliant move from Greenhaf soon led to another Cuckoos goal.

Allowing the ball to run through his legs so to get past his man, the forward was away down left and played a perfect cross to the feet of Callum Hutton in the box.

Hutton sat the keeper down and squared it to Oliver, who had a simple finish to grab his second and Risca’s fourth.

Greenhaf caused more problems down the left just before the half-time whistle approached, a cross to the back post almost picked-out Hutton.

Despite being intercepted, the ball wasn’t cleared and Hutton managed to tackle and poke home to make it five.

There was the smallest of glimmers of hope for New Inn, who managed to grab what already felt like a consolation goal.

A good move down the right, Roan Maloney entered the box and went to shoot before cleverly laying the ball-off to captain Alexander Davies who fired past K. Williams just before the half-time whistle went.

Second-half

Wood was one of several changes made at the half for Risca, clearly a chance for youth to have a run-out.

Much like the start of the first-half, New Inn looked well-up for it, and ran hard into tackles and to close passing lanes.

The Cuckoos had definitely taken their foot off the gas, but with an hour played they still manged to score their sixth on the day.

A ball down the right this time was cut back by substitute Harrison Shepard to fellow substitute Bradley Jenkins – who recently signed from Cwmbran Town.

Jenkins had a simple finish from the centre of the goal, and Risca could really relax now.

It got a little sloppy towards the end, New Inn definitely saw more of the ball as stray passes from the hosts stopped them getting out of their half.

Risca did manage to carve-out one more opportunity before the whistle. Hutton’s effort looked to have gone in but was saved well by J. Williams, who stopped everything he should have during the 90 minutes.

Full-time and a very comfortable win for Risca United, who needed that after a fairly indifferent start to their campaign with a loss, draw, and a win.

New Inn were never expected to get a result, but battled well until the end, and can take positives from their performance.