FAW Amateur Trophy; Penmaenmawr Phoenix set up semi-final against CPD Dinas Bangor City 1876

DRAGON SIGNS FAW AMATEUR TROPHY QUARTER-FINAL – FEB 28

Penmaenmawr Phoenix 1 (Evans 20)
CPD Llannefydd 0

Phoenix advanced to the FAW Amateur Trophy semi-final where a meeting with fellow Ardal North West club CPD Dinas Bangor City 1876 awaits later this month.

This was the second time Pen and Llannefydd tried to complete this last eight tie, the original attempt seven days earlier at Cae Sling being abandoned in the second half with the visitors one-up as the pitch had become unplayable.

After the first fixture had been halted in the 68th minute, Phoenix arrived at alternative venue Llandudno on Saturday knowing there would be no saving grace. Turn up, battle hard, find a way to win. If not, the strength of the Llannefydd side would send them packing.

With both teams struggling to get a foothold in the opening quarter, the constant was Jay Sutton’s pace for Phoenix. He continuously beat his man in behind and was a worry for Llannefydd’s defence.

And it was that speedy outlet that led to Pen getting the all important deadlock breaker.

A corner was won by Sutton and Toby Jones’ kick delivered the ball on a sixpence for Dan Evans to nod home.

Play remained scrappy until the closing stages of the first half. Firstly, Leon Atkins did brilliantly in the opposition box to keep the ball under control and unleash a rifle of a volley on the Llannefydd goal which keeper Dylan Jones did well to keep it out.

Llan then attacked, forcing a fantastic save from Cameron Darling to protect the Phoenix lead. A speculative curling effort from Evans whiskered wide and it was half time.

The visitors came out strongly for the second half, only a tremendous one-on-one stop from Darling denying them an early leveller.

A change in formation from the hosts did not provide immediate respite as Pen’s Dean Wright was called upon to make a superb goal-saving sliding challenge.

The game then reverted to the scrappy nature of the first half with Phoenix getting more of a foothold. Llannefydd were still on top but not constantly creating chances.

More substitutions were made as Phoenix attempted to batten down the hatches.

Late on Toby Jones produced another sublime dead-ball delivery which the keeper claimed before bizarrely spilling, however the ball agonisingly trickled away from the Phoenix men occupying the box.

Sending the goalkeeper up in a last-ditch effort to take the game to extra time, Llan had a chance which was rifled into the side netting – it would not have mattered however as the linesman had his flag up. With that, the win was in the bag for Phoenix.

So it is Bangor next for Azz Keating’s side, with the other semi being between Pontardawe Town and either Bridgend Street or Porthcawl Town Athletic, whose quarter-final was postponed for a second time.