Only two top-flight sides are heading into this season’s JD Welsh Cup quarter-finals following more upsets in Round Four.
JD Cymru South side Llanelli Town caused the first shock on Friday night as they triumphed 2-0 against Haverfordwest County, who sit third in the JD Cymru Premier.
The deadlock was broken two minutes before half-time when Bluebirds goalkeeper Zac Jones flapped at a corner and the ball found its way into the net. Llanelli’s place in the quarter-finals – for the first time in 13 years – was secured in the 79th minute as Ethan Cann broke through the Haverfordwest defence and coolly finished past Jones.
Caerau Ely also knocked out top-flight opposition on Saturday as Charlie Lewis’ stoppage time goal saw them triumph 1-0 at home against Bala Town.
The Lakesiders had beaten the Young Guns at the same stage last season, but Dean Wheeler’s side earned revenge in dramatic style as Lewis raced towards goal in the 91st minute and unleashed a shot from outside of the box which beat Joel Torrance via the post to spark wild scenes of celebrations at Cwrt yr Ala Road.
Denbigh Town reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their history with an emphatic 7-1 home win over Llanuwchllyn, as Owen Davies and Nathan Brown both scored hat-tricks.
The Reds were three goals ahead inside the opening 23 minutes as Brown’s cross looped over visiting goalkeeper Rob Dascalu and Davies grabbed a brace by heading in from Brown’s corner before rounding Dascalu to score. A stunning strike from Brown made it 4-0 by half-time, but Llanuwchllyn got a goal back soon after the break as John Evans headed home Ilan Hughes’ corner.
There was to be no comeback for the third tier side though, as Davies completed his hat-trick by smashing home from close range in the 65th minute and Iwan Roberts got in on the act by dispatching an 83rd minute penalty. Brown completed his treble to make it 7-1 two minutes later, finishing at the back post from Tomos Salisbury’s ball across goal.
Cup holders Connah’s Quay Nomads squeezed through to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 home win against fellow Flintshire side Mold Alexandra.
Mold had already knocked out one top-flight side in Briton Ferry Llansawel in the last round and made life difficult for the Nomads for much of the game. The decisive goal eventually came in the 70th minute when the visitors failed to deal with Callum Bratley’s cross into the box and the ball fell to John Disney to tap in from close range.
Nine-time JD Welsh Cup winners The New Saints had to come from behind to win 4-1 over JD Cymru North high flyers Colwyn Bay at Park Hall on Sunday.
An upset looked to be on the cards in the 26th minute when Craig Lindfield put the Seagulls ahead from close range after TNS failed to deal with Cai Owen’s free-kick into the box, but the Saints responded seven minutes later as Declan McManus tapped in following Remi Oteh’s header back across goal.
TNS were ahead for the first time in the tie just 15 seconds into the second half as Oteh coolly slotted past Rhys Williams after being played in by Adrian Cieslewicz. The hosts soon took firm control of the game when Cieslewicz found the net himself with a clinical strike in the box, before Oteh grabbed his second of the evening with another cool finish.
Holyhead Hotspur’s memorable run in this season’s competition came to an end as they were beaten on penalties away at Carmarthen Town. The tie finished goalless in 90 minutes, but Holyhead were frustrated not to win it as Carmarthen finished with nine men following red cards for Tyler Aylward and Liam Reed.
Lee Idzi produced two saves in Carmarthen’s shootout win over Penydarren in the last round and he did the same again here to help the 2007 cup winners into the last eight. James Dolman missed the hosts’ first effort, but Idzi denied Craig Whelan and Dylan Summers-Jones to allow Trystan Jones to score the winning spot-kick and send Carmarthen into the last eight for the first time since 2018.
Cambrian United also needed penalties to progress, following a largely forgettable 0-0 draw in 90 minutes away at fellow JD Cymru South side Afan Lido.
The Rhondda outfit actually missed first in the shootout as Dai Thomas was denied by Ben Haines, but Cambrian goalkeeper Morgan Davies saved efforts from Cory Woods and Sean Hanbury before Liam Thomas missed from the spot to allow Danny Birch to score the winning penalty and send Cam through to the quarter-finals for the first time in six years.
JD Cymru North leaders Airbus UK Broughton, finalists in 2016, booked their spot in the last eight courtesy of a 2-0 home win over Caersws.
After a goalless first half, Jordan Evans broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute and his strike remained the difference between the two sides until Airbus substitute Jake Eyre clinched victory in stoppage time with a finish from a tight angle.
The JD Welsh Cup Quarter-Final draw will be broadcast on RedWall+ at 8pm on Wednesday 18 December.
