Covid cruelly cost Caernarfon Town or Cardiff Met a first-ever Welsh Cup final appearance 5 years ago

Caernarfon Town and Cardiff Met have never reached a Welsh Cup final before – but had fate not been so cruel one of them definitely would have achieved the feat in 2019-20.

The two Cymru Premier clubs clash in the last 16 of the 2025-26 competition on Saturday, kick-off 5.25 pm at Cyncoed Stadium, with S4C choosing it as their live game.

Whoever gets through will be determined to put right what was so painfully denied one of them at the turn of the decade.

The 2019-20 Welsh Cup had seen Met get past Pontypridd Town (1-0), Penybont (2-1) and Connah’s Quay Nomads (2-1) on the way to the semis, while Caernarfon sent tumbling Goytre United, Ammanford and Cefn Druids, all by 4-0 scorelines, to reach the last four.

The Canaries drew Met and The New Saints landed a meeting with Prestatyn Town in the semi-finals, due to take place in April, but in the March the Football Association of Wales terminated the competition because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The FAW’s National Cup Board decided to bring an end to the JD Welsh Cup, FAW Women’s Cup, FAW Amateur Trophy, FAW Youth Cup, FAW U16 Girls’ Cup and the FAW Regions’ Cup.

The Caernarfon v Met and Prestatyn Town v TNS semi-finals were not played because of lockdown.

With no winners declared for the 2019-20 season, the Europa League spot for the Welsh Cup was given to Barry Town, who finished fourth in the Cymru Premier.

2019-20 WELSH CUP SEMI-FINALS (never played)
Caernarfon Town v Cardiff Met
Prestatyn Town v The New Saints

Caernarfon Town reached the Welsh Cup semi-finals in 1957-58, 1982-83, 1987-88 and 2019-20, but have never made it to the final. Cardiff Met were last in the semi-finals as recently as 2023-24, losing 6-2 to The New Saints.

Who will emerge triumphant on Saturday and progress to the quarter-finals?