JD Cymru North side Holywell Town caused the biggest upset of the Nathaniel MG Cup second round as they came from behind to triumph 2-1 over top-flight neighbours Flint Town United at the Essity Stadium on Saturday.Â
Flint debutant Darren Stephenson announced himself to the home fans with the opening goal in the 34thminute, but Holywell talisman Jamie Breese levelled the contest in first half stoppage time.
Breese then turned provider for his side’s winning goal midway through the second half as he found summer signing Fabrizio Murtas, who fired into the far corner to book the Wellmen’s spot in Round Three.
John Disney made a dream start to life as Connah’s Quay Nomads manager as his side stormed to an emphatic 9-0 win over Ruthin Town at Maes Tegid on Friday night.
The Nomads established a healthy three-goal lead at half-time as summer recruits Eddie Servuts and Harry Franklin all found the net alongside last season’s star man Rhys Hughes.
Franklin tucked away his second of the match from close range early in the second half, before fellow new arrival Zeli Ismail scored a header and penalty either side of setting up Declan Poole for a neat first-time finish.
Izaack Lambert’s own goal and a stunning strike from Servuts late on completed the rout, which goes down as the Nomads’ largest ever competitive win away from home.
Llandudno were also big winners as Mark Cadwallader’s hat-trick inspired a ruthless 7-0 home win over 10-man Gresford Athletic on Saturday.
Cadwallader scored twice in the first half to put the Seasiders in control, while Gresford saw manager Eddie Maurice-Jones sent off for dissent.
Adam, Tom and Callum Stephens all scored in the space of five minutes to make it 5-0 by the hour mark, before Gresford’s woes increased with the sending off of Paul Johnson.
Llandudno made the man advantage count by adding two more goals to their tally, with Cadwallader completing his hat-trick before summer signing Kieran Smith scored his first goal for the club in stoppage time.
Cup holders The New Saints reached Round Three in emphatic style with a 7-1 victory over Airbus UK Broughton at Park Hall on Saturday.
The visitors made a bright to the contest, with Nathan Williams’ header cleared off the line by Ryan Astles, but TNS scored twice in five minutes through Louis Phillips’ close-range finish and Rory Holden’s clever free-kick to take the lead into the break.
Holden slotted home his second of the afternoon before the hour mark, while TNS record signing Ben Wilson and Adrian Cieslewicz both provided near post strikes to extend the advantage further.
Remi Oteh bagged a quickfire brace to make it seven for the Saints, but they were denied a clean sheet by a consolation goal from Airbus substitute Sam Baker in stoppage time.
Nathaniel MG Cup
Last season’s finalists Aberystwyth Town were beaten 2-1 by Barry Town United at Jenner Park on Saturday.
Clever movement and a neat finish from Ollie Hulbert put the hosts in front on 25 minutes, while Ieuan Owen thought he had doubled the lead with a header late in the first half but the offside flag was raised.
A beautifully curled free-kick from Ben Guest brought Aberystwyth level in the 74th minute and the tie looked set for penalties until five minutes from time when Callum Sainty rose highest to head home Ryan Kavanagh’s cross and book Barry’s spot in the third round.
Wildcard entrants Swansea City enjoyed a comfortable passage into Round Three as they triumphed 5-0 against Afan Lido on Friday night.
A handball in the box gave the Swans the chance to go in front in the 35th minute, but Ben Haines saved Josh Pescatore’s penalty. The visitors were not left ruing that for long though as Kai Rhodes found the opener just three minutes later.
Quickfire goals from Dan Watts and Josiah Kallicharan opened up a three-goal cushion early in the second half, before Rhodes’ second of the night and Jak Carson’s own-goal completed the scoring.
While one wildcard progressed, the other were knocked out as last season’s semi-finalists Cardiff City suffered a 2-0 defeat away at Cambrian United, who reach the third round for the first time in six years.
The Rhondda side took just 12 minutes to break the deadlock as Jay Woodford rose highest to head home from Jarrad Wright’s cross.
That remained the difference for over an hour at the M&P Group 3G, until Tom Hillman sealed victory in the 75th minute. The visitors’ frustrations grew late on as manager Darren Purse received two yellow cards in quick succession.
Penybont began their domestic campaign in style exit as James Crole’s hat-trick helped secure a 6-1 win away at Trefelin on Saturday.
Two weeks on from their aggregate defeat in the UEFA Conference League, Bont were in front inside seven minutes at Ynys Park as Crole scored from the penalty spot.
Summer signings Ash Baker and Noah Daley grabbed their first goals for the club either side of another Crole penalty as Rhys Griffiths’ side opened up a comfortable 4-0 lead at half time.
Crole completed his treble just five minutes into the second half, and while Luke Bowen denied Bont a clean sheet with his consolation goal in the 74th minute, there was still time for Nathan Wood to add his name to the scoresheet for the visitors late on.
Haverfordwest County also put their European exit behind them with a 5-0 triumph over Newport City at Ogi Bridge Meadow on Saturday.
The Bluebirds found two quickfire goals in the final 10 minutes of the first half as Ben Fawcett tapped home the rebound from Elliot Scotcher’s saved header, before Dan Hawkins provided a simple finish at the back post from Iori Humphreys’ low ball.
Ben Ahmun built on his bright form in Europe to make it 3-0 just before the hour mark, while Fawcett grabbed his second of the afternoon on 73 minutes. Corey Shephard fired home his first competitive goal since April 2024 to round off the scoring soon after.
Caernarfon Town reached the third round with a 3-0 victory over Colwyn Bay in the only all-JD Cymru Premier tie of the weekend at the Go Goodwins Stadium on Friday night.
The key moment in the contest came in the 38th minute, when Seagulls defender Sol Forde was shown a straight red card for a poor challenge in the box and Zack Clarke – back on loan at Caernarfon from TNS – scored the resulting penalty.
Bay managed to stay in the game for much of the second half, until Adam Davies doubled the Cofis’ lead in the 77th minute. Victory was sealed in stoppage time by substitute Connor Evans, who had only come off the bench for his debut four minutes earlier.
Denbigh Town earned their spot in Round Three courtesy of an enthralling penalty shootout win away at Rhyl 1879 on Saturday, after a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes.
In-form Reds forward Nathan Brown opened the scoring on 63 minutes, before Rhyl defender Rocco Hewitt was sent off for a second bookable offence. But despite being down to 10 men, the Lilywhites equalised through Morgan Murray in the 72nd minute.
Keelan Williams thought he had grabbed a late winner for Denbigh with his strike in the 87th minute, but Rhyl substitute Leo Latter equalised in stoppage time to send the tie to penalties.
Remarkably, every player from both sides took a spot-kick, with the shootout at 10-10 after 13 attempts each, before Brad Barnes scored for Denbigh and Rhyl captain Reece Fairhurst blazed over the bar to finally bring the contest to a conclusion.
Bala Town also required penalties to progress away at Guilsfield on Saturday following a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes.
The Lakesiders got off to the perfect start in Steve Fisher’s first game in charge, as the returning Hussein Mehasseb finished from Liam Higgins’ low cross with just three minutes on the clock. However, Guilsfield were level in first half stoppage time thanks to James Smallwood’s deflected effort.
The cup shock was on when the hosts took the lead through Iwan Matthews’ low drive in the 81st minute, but Bala equalised just three minutes later when substitute John Owen tucked away the rebound from Mehasseb’s saved effort.
Bala’s first penalty of the shootout from Dom McGiveron was saved by Luke Evans, before Chris Cathrall converted to give Guilsfield the advantage. However Bala scored their next three penalties and the Guils missed all of theirs, sending the top-flight side through to Round Three.
2019 cup winners Cardiff Met progressed to Round Three with a comfortable 4-0 win over Pontypridd United at Cyncoed Campus on Saturday.
The Archers took just 11 minutes to open the scoring as Lewis Rees tapped home from new signing Fumpa Mwandwe’s low cross. Rees grabbed his second of the afternoon early in the second half as he raced onto Harri John’s smart through ball.
Sam Jones added a third from close range on the hour mark despite Kavan O’Leary’s best efforts of clearing off the line, while substitute Adam Roscrow completed the scoring from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
Llanelli Town bounced back from conceding an early goal to win 4-1 away at Ynyshir Albions on Saturday.
It was a frantic opening seven minutes at The Oval as the Buns took the lead through Calum Salter, only for Tristan Jenkins and Danny Williams to complete a quickfire turnaround for the visitors.
Jenkins set up Williams for a third goal on 50 minutes, before Alex Bonthron marked his Reds debut with a close range finish at the back post to secure his side’s spot in Round Three.
Newtown made it through to the third round for the first time in four years as they edged past Buckley Town 3-2 at The Globe on Saturday.
Steffan Jones’ close-range header earned a half-time lead for the Robins, before Devon Tory’s curling strike doubled the advantage just before the hour mark.
It remained 2-0 to the visitors until late on, when Luke Mariette halved the deficit for Buckley in the 89th minute only for Ollie Sharp to restore Newtown’s two-goal cushion five minutes later. Hugh Holland grabbed the Bucks’ second goal even deeper into stoppage time, but it was too late for the home side to find an equaliser.
Ruben Davies’ brace inspired Briton Ferry Llansawel to a comfortable 3-0 win over Trethomas Bluebirds at Old Road on Friday night.
Davies netted just once in nine appearances for Ferry last season but opened the scoring with a header in the 28th minute of this tie before doubling the lead at the near post just a minute into the second half.
The win was sealed late on by teenage substitute Ellis Sage, who latched on to debutant Sam Snaith’s defence-splitting pass and found the net.
Nathaniel MG Cup Round Two results in full
Northern Section
Ruthin Town 0-9 Connah’s Quay Nomads
Caernarfon Town 3-0 Colwyn Bay
Buckley Town 2-3 Newtown
Flint Town United 1-2 Holywell Town
Guilsfield 2-2 Bala Town (1-3 on penalties)
Llandudno 7-0 Gresford Athletic
Rhyl 1879 2-2 Denbigh Town (10-11 on penalties)
The New Saints 7-1 Airbus UK Broughton
Southern Section
Cardiff Met 4-0 Pontypridd United
Haverfordwest County 5-0 Newport City
Trefelin 1-6 Penybont
Ynyshir Albions 1-4 Llanelli Town
Barry Town United 2-1 Aberystwyth Town
Afan Lido 0-5 Swansea City
Cambrian United 2-0 Cardiff City
Briton Ferry Llansawel 3-0 Trethomas Bluebirds
