It’s time for the Quarter-Finals of the Welsh Blood Service League Cup, with this being the last regionalised round before the competition becomes an open draw.
The standout tie comes at the Hollingsworth Group Stadium on Saturday afternoon, where cup holders Airbus UK Broughton host Newtown.
The Wingmakers are currently top of the JD Cymru North following five successive league wins, while in this competition this season they have knocked out 2024 winners Mold Alexandra and promotion rivals Holywell Town.
Newtown will hope that the cup provides some respite from their struggling league form, as they have failed to win any of their last six JD Cymru North matches and have slipped 11 points behind the promotion places as a result. The Robins knocked out local rivals Caersws in the last round, after a penalty shootout victory over Llandudno in Round One.
Airbus triumphed 3-0 away at Latham Park in the last meeting between the two sides on Boxing Day, following a 2-2 draw in August’s reverse league fixture.
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The other tie in the Northern Section sees Guilsfield and Buckley Town go head-to-head at Clos Mytton on Saturday afternoon.
The two sides also met in the JD Cymru North last weekend, when Ryan Knott scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for Guils. That followed a 2-1 victory for Gavin Allen’s side away at The Globe earlier in the season.
Last weekend’s win took Guilsfield up to fifth in the league table and they may still harbour promotion ambitions as they sit 11 points behind the top three but with three games in hand. After kicking off their Welsh Blood Service League Cup campaign with a 5-0 home win over Flint Mountain, the Powys outfit triumphed 1-0 away at Rhyl 1879 in the last round.
Buckley currently sit eighth in the JD Cymru North, six points behind Guilsfield, having picked up just one point from their last five league games. However, Asa Hamilton’s side have secured away wins over Holyhead Hotspur and Ruthin Town in this competition to reach the last eight.
In the Southern Section, Treowen Stars host Llantwit Major in a Friday night clash at the CCB Centre For Sporting Excellence.
Only one point currently separates these two sides in the JD Cymru South, with the Stars sitting in ninth place and Major in 10th. It finished 1-1 when they met in the league at Bush Park in November.
Treowen head into the tie in impressive form, having won their last four league fixtures while only conceding one goal. Ben Murphy’s side have knocked out promotion-chasing pair Caerau Ely and Ammanford from this competition so far this season, so will have silverware in their sights in their first tier two campaign.
Wins over Trethomas Bluebirds and Pontypridd United have seen Llantwit Major reach this stage, but they have won just one of their last seven league matches. The return of Kris Evans on loan has been a boost, with the defender scoring in the 1-1 draw away at Carmarthen Town last weekend.
The tie between Newport City and Afan Lido has been postponed following the tragic passing of Afan Lido forward Ioan Evans.
Welsh Blood Service League Cup Quarter-Final Fixtures
Friday 6 February
Southern Section
Treowen Stars v Llantwit Major (19:45)
Saturday 7 February
Northern Section
Guilsfield v Buckley Town (14:00)
Airbus UK Broughton v Newtown (14:30)
