Welsh Alliance Cookson Cup: Hotspur edge past Blaenau in dramatic quarter-final

Holyhead Hotspur 4 (Alex Jones, Dan McGinness, Mike Kelly, Deian Parry)
Blaenau Amateurs 3 (Iwan Jones, Meilir Williams 2)

Hotspur needed a late Deian Parry winner to see off the brave challenge of Blaenau and record a 4-3 victory which put them into the semi-finals of the Welsh Alliance Lock Stock Cookson Cup tonight.

It looked to be going swimmingly for the hosts when an Alex Jones header and neat chipped finish from Dan McGinness handed them a two-goal half time lead.

However, the Quarrymen were far from finished and after the break hit back with goals from Iwan Jones and Meilir Williams to make it all-square.

It was a real battle now, and Hotspur’s Mike Kelly and Blaenau’s Williams exchanging goals to establish a 3-3 score entering the closing stages.

And it was Parry who delivered the decider, much to the disappointment of Ceri Roberts’ visiting side, who had given it everything.

Another big bonus for Hotspur was the emergence of under-16 player Phil Jones, who came on as a substitute and excelled at full-back.

Jones is the latest product of the club’s excellent reserves side to break into the first team.

The rest of the Cookson Cup quarter-finals will take place this Saturday: Denbigh Town v Bodedern Athletic, Llanberis v Greenfield, Nantlle Vale v Llanrug United.