Three years is a long time in football, especially for Newtown

THREE YEARS is a long time in football and so it has proved for one club.
The season of 2011/2012 was a dark, dark campaign in the proud history of Newtown Football Club.
It began with a manager moving on after 17 days, and another experienced coach coming in.
When he joined the club he had less than five players to work with, but steadily built a side, however worse was to come.
Docked three points for fielding an ineligible player, a rock bottom finish, and them three points still wouldn't have saved them from propping up the table.
However the gods shone down on the Robins, and they were given a reprieve, and anyone looking from the outside would have seen that as a turning point.
Since then they flirted with relegation, secured two top six finishes against the odds, and now they are left with a chance to put their names in Mid Wales footballing history.
The side came from behind to beat Bangor on Saturday and book their place in the Welsh Cup Semi-Final for the first time since 1998, when ironically they lost to Bangor in extra time.
However the win is a monumental achievement for a side that has been gelled together, put in consistently good performances, and improved immensely, and that all on a shoe string budget.
Credit should go to everyone in that side for the work they have done, and determination that has been shown to create a great team their own way, not throwing huge amounts of money at it like other clubs.
It started with McNally, who gave youngsters a chance and set a good platform up for Chris Hughes, who has taken the mantle, and moved Newtown on to a place that they could not have envisaged being in three years ago.
They face Rhyl in the semi-final, which on paper, they should be favourites for, and if they could upset the apple cart and snatch a famous Welsh Cup victory, it could go down as the highlight in the famous history of one of the Welsh Premier League's biggest clubs.

In other results this week, it was poor, a dour game in fact at Deeside between GAP and TNS, and that was summed up in Craig Harrison's post match comments.

He said that to say it wasn't a classic cup tie was an understatement, and he was right.

The Saints should have had it all but wrapped up by the break, but the second half was awful.

It went off with the feeling of a pre-season friendly. There was no urgency and no go in either of the sides in the swirling Deeside wind.

However as people know, it is a results business, and the Saints got the result and put themselves in the hat for the last four, and will now take on Airbus in another cup semi-final.

The sides were separated by two goals a week last Sunday, but this time it could be different, because in terms of performance, the sides are evenly matched.

And it is a one off game and anything can happen.

In the other semi-final, Rhyl will take on Newtown, so their could be an interesting possibility of a Mid Wales derby.

Attentions this week will turn back to Saturday and Bala as the Saints look to wrap up the title by mid March.

A win will secure the title against Bala, their main rivals, and it will secure the Oswestry sides second trophy out of three in one of the best seasons the club have ever had.

Bala have matched TNS this season, drawing at The Venue so it could make for an interesting affair.

I spoke about it last week and I will again this week. Guilsfield are totally flying, and a win at the weekend could have seen them on the brink of history.
But what a season it has been for the small village club from Mid Wales.
Again they have done things in a similar vein to Newtown, but on a smaller scale.
Kept a good core of players over the years, built themselves up, step by step, and now the current crop and manager Mike Parry are reaping the rewards.
Ten points behind with two games in hand on Llandudno, who they drew with on Saturday is no mean feat for again, a side on a shoestring budget.
It has shown that you don't have to throw stacks of cash to get places in football.
A solid club foundation, with a host of players of want to play for the shirt has seen them fly this season, while other clubs, who will remain nameless, have suffered from big players on big wages not performing.
Even if they don't overturn a 10 point lead that Llandudno have it will go down as one of the best seasons the club have had.
They are still in two cups, one being a final, and the credit must go to everyone at the club for the terrific season they have had.

And a small mention for another Mid Wales side Llanidloes, who seem to have all but been dragged out of the mire by Mike Barton.
When he joined the club were adrift in the bottom three, and staring relegation in the face, but he has solidified the side, and despite losing to Conwy this weekend, they are six points clear.
They should stay up now, and it will be a superb achievement if they do.

Williams flying, McNally mystery and Guilsfield purring

The main talking point for myself and the team on the radio last week was how well Airbus played, and the fact that the Wingmakers should have taken something from the game.

They were the better side in my opinion in the second period, and deserved a point, and some people may have argued three.

Andy Preece's men have been off the boil compared to other seasons, but Sunday's performance from them showcased that TNS can be matched and can be rattled.

However no team can do this over a season, and the class finally shone through, as Adrian Cieslewicz made his goal in the dying moments look all so easy, and it added to Matty Williams' early strike.

Williams has been in fine form of late, and I for one was questioning the decision from Craig Harrison to leave him out for sustained periods this season.

The former Manchester United midfielder has been at the club since I first covered a TNS game at the age of 15, and he has always been a standout player for me.

He has spent most of the season on the sidelines, but two key games I watched him play this season saw him produce two of the best passes you are likely to see in a Welsh Premier League game.

The one to set up Greg Draper's opener against Port Talbot at The Venue was sublime and it showed why he should be in the starting line up.

But I am no football manager.

He and Chris Seargeant seemed to have switched roles of late, with the latter having to settle for minutes off the bench, but yet again it shows the talent that is on show.

Williams' tenacity to grab the opener on Sunday showed why TNS will be crowned champions when Bala come to Oswestry a week on Saturday.

In other news in the league, journalists, fans, players and officials alike were shocked to hear that Bernie McNally has left his post as manager of Port Talbot Town.

After a superb rise into the top six, McNally lost key men in January (the Thomas brothers) and with that shipped 15 goals and scored none in three games.

Following that he 'resigned' and the club said it was due to travelling commitments and other reasons.

Looking into the issues I spoke to fellow members of the press and to players, and it seems that player power spoke at the Genquip Stadium last week, and it rose above the power of the manager.

A board member spoke on Sgorio following the game, and said he had resigned, but said there were other reasons, so it remains to be seen if that comes into the public.

I would like to wish Bernie all the best in the future, having worked with the man at Newtown, and I have no doubt he will land another top job in the near future.

And in my final mention I would like to say well done to the men from Guilsfield, who are flying in the Alliance, and reached the League Cup Final last week by beating Holyhead.

I have a lot of friends who play for the club, and on a tight budget, against some high rollers they are having a magnificent season. Keep it going.

I will be back live on TNS Radio with Stewart Bloor bringing you commentary of Saturday's Welsh Cup Quarter Final tie at the Deeside Stadium against GAP Connah's Quay from 2.15pm.