JD Welsh Cup: news on quarter-final draw and round of 16 reports

Holyhead Hotspur keeper Guto Hughes in action at Carmarthen. All pictures: LEWIS MITCHELL/FAW – many thanks indeed

Get ready for what promises to be a very interesting draw for the JD Welsh Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday night.

Only two Cymru Premier teams feature among the last eight sides left in the 2024-25 competition.

The draw will be broadcast on RedWall+ at 8pm on Wednesday 18 December.

LAST EIGHT TEAMS

Airbus UK Broughton
Caerau Ely
Cambrian United
Carmarthen Town
Connah’s Quay Nomads
Denbigh Town
Llanelli Town
The New Saints

JD WELSH CUP ROUND OF 16 REPORTS

Carmarthen Town 0 Holyhead Hotspur 0 (Carmarthen won 4-3 on pens)

Hotspur (stripes) battle for possession at Carmarthen

Heartbreak for Hotspur as they exited the Welsh Cup on penalties after being unable to capitalise on their opponents being reduced to nine men for the final half-hour.

Holyhead edged past Caernarfon Town and Trearddur Bay on spot-kicks in the previous two rounds, but it was sadly not three in a row as the Old Gold prevailed to take their place in the quarter-finals.

Aiming to reach the last eight for the second time in their history, Hotspur nonetheless did tier 3 proud by making the last 16.

The tie finished goalless in 90 minutes, but Holyhead were frustrated not to win it as Cymru South outfit Carmarthen finished with nine men following red cards for Tyler Aylward and Liam Reed after 62 and 71 respectively.

Holyhead Hotspur supporters cheer on their team at Richmond Park

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 quarters.

James Dolman missed the hosts’ first effort, denied by Guto Hughes, but Idzi saved from Craig Whelan and Dylan Summers-Jones to allow Trystan Jones to score the winning kick and send Carmarthen into the last eight for the first time since 2018.

In the tie itself, Hotspur keeper Hughes produced two superb stops to thwart Noah Daley, while the closest call for the vsitors came after Town were down to nine men, Idzi palming onto the post from Whelan.

Airbus UK Broughton 2 Caersws 0

JD Cymru North leaders Airbus, 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 substitute Jake Eyre clinched victory in stoppage time with a finish from a tight angle.

Caerau Ely 1 Bala Town 0

Misery for Bala as underdogs Caerau Ely knocked out top-flight opposition on Saturday.

Charlie Lewis’ stoppage time goal saw the Cymru South outfit triumph 1-0 at home against the 2017 winners from the Cymru Premier.

The Lakesiders had beaten Caerau 4-1 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.

Connah’s Quay Nomads 1 Mold Alexandra 0

Holders Nomads squeezed through to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 home win against Cymru North underdogs 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 – and it was controversial.

Alex failed to deal with Callum Bratley’s cross into the box and the ball fell to an offside-looking John Disney to tap in from close range.

Denbigh Town 7 CPD Llanuwchllyn 1

Nathan Brown and Owen Davies both grabbed hat-tricks as ruthless Denbigh advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time in their 144-year history.

Iwan Roberts (penalty) added to the Town total, John Evans with a consolation for third-tier Llanuwchllyn.

This match was reported on in depth by Grassroots North Wales on Saturday.

The New Saints 4 Colwyn Bay 1

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 through Declan McManus.

TNS led just 15 seconds into the second half as Remi Oteh coolly slotted past Rhys Williams.

Adrian Cieslewicz added number three before Oteh grabbed his second.