Football: Barry demolish Cardiff's dream

Cardiff City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Barry Town. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

BARRY TOWN, the champions of the Abacus League, shocked Cardiff City by winning the Allbright Bitter Welsh Cup at the Arms Park, Cardiff, yesterday.

The Second Division team were hoping to win the trophy for a 23rd time, and qualify for a third successive European Cup-Winners' Cup campaign. Instead, battling Barry, with their first victory in the tournament since 1955, became the fourth non-League Welsh club - after Bangor City, Borough United and Merthyr Tydfil - to gain entry to the Cup-Winners' Cup.

Barry had five former Swansea City players in their line-up, and two of them, David D'Auria and David Hough, scored the goals that crushed Cardiff's European dreams. The underdogs took the lead after 40 minutes when the experienced Keith Bertschin went round Mark Aizlewood and hit a firm, angled drive which Steve Williams, in the Cardiff goal, could only push out. D'Auria, lurking at the far post, tapped in.

Cardiff equalised after 51 minutes with Phil Stant's 22nd goal of the season but nine minutes later Alan Curtis, the former Welsh international, swung over a corner, Barry's player-manager, Andy Beattie, flicked it on and Hough beat Williams from close range.

Bangor City will qualify for the Uefa Cup if they draw or win their final game in the Konica League of Wales tomorrow, at Porthmadog. They trail the leaders, Inter Cardiff (who have completed their fixtures), by one point. Thanks to Saturday's 9-0 win over Haverfordwest, Bangor have a + 54 goal difference, compared with Inter Cardiff's + 53.