Let’s review the draw for the FAW Trophy last 16 and assess what faces North Wales sides

Let’s review the ties affecting North Wales clubs in the last 16 of the 2023-24 FAW AMATEUR TROPHY.

ROUND SIX TIES (to be played on weekend of January 20)

Llannefydd v Conwy Borough
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant v Holyhead Hotspur
Llanuwchllyn v Bow Street
Menai Bridge Tigers/Seven Sisters Onllwyn v Builth Wells
CPD Y Rhyl 1879 v Newport City

Currently leading the Ardal North West League by an eight-point margin, CPD Y Rhyl 1879 surely rank as one of the fancied sides to win the FAW Trophy.

And the Lilywhites have landed an attractive home draw in the last 16 with Newport City due to visit Belle Vue in the new year.

Presently third in Ardal South East, the club formerly known as Llanwern have been scoring plenty of goals this season and will no doubt fancy their chances of causing an upset in North Wales.

But Rhyl manager Gareth Thomas is very familiar with a national competition he won with Conwy Borough as part of the 2017-18 third-tier treble.

The only all-North Wales tie in round six brings together Llannefydd and Conwy Borough.

Boro have the more higher level experience, but Llan are currently performing the better of the two sides in Ardal North West.

After knocking out Risca United in the last round, Gwyndaf Pritchard’s Llannefydd have nothing to fear in the competition.

However, Conwy will have a psychological edge going into the tie in January as they whipped Llannefydd 8-3 at home in the league just last month.

Holyhead Hotspur would not mind one bit a repeat of the scoreline when they visited Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant in the Welsh Cup in 2011-12.

During a treble-winning season, Hotspur hammered the Powys outfit 6-1 away, Kenleigh Owen (2), Chris Saxon, Asa Thomas and Jon Peris Jones among the scorers that day.

Darren Garmey’s side would probably welcome a win of any kind when they travel to Llanrhaeadr again in the Trophy next month.

Llan are third bottom in Ardal North East, having been inconsistent this season overall.

Llanuwchllyn versus Bow Street has a look of one of the ties of the round.

Both teams are in Ardal North East, Bow in sixth and Llan 10th, but still unbeaten in the league having played fewer games than anyone else.

The teams drew 3-3 at Bow Street back in September, so this will be a hard one to call.

If they get past tier 3 Seven Sisters Onllwyn in a fifth round tie postponed last weekend, fourth-tier Menai Bridge Tigers will be home to Builth Wells of Ardal North East in the last 16.

Seven Sisters are eighth in Ardal South West and Builth fifth from bottom in ANE, although like Llanuwchllyn, a lack of games makes their current position deceptive.

If Tigers can get past them both, they will certainly have earned their quarter-final berth.

And why shouldn’t they! The Anglesey heroes have already knocked mighty Rhyl 1879 out of the Welsh Cup this term and turned over Ardal North East leaders Radnor Valley in the Trophy.