PREVIEWS: 2025-26 JD Welsh Cup semi-finals – shocks in store or will the favourites prevail?

JD WELSH CUP SEMI-FINAL PREVIEWS

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

Flint Town United v CPD Dinas Bangor City 1876
Go Goodwins Stadium Llandudno 12.45 pm

One of the major questions surrounding Saturday’s Tier 1 versus Tier 3 clash at Llandudno is has any team ever had to work as hard to reach a Welsh Cup semi-final as Bangor City 1876 in 2025-26?
Michael Johnston’s side entered the competition in the very first qualifying round due to their T3 status in the Ardal North West League.
The Citizens have advanced through no less than SEVEN rounds to reach the last four.
Flicking through the history books, it does not appear that any semi-finalist has battled their way through seven stages of the national knockout before.
In the early days, there would never have been enough entrants to fill that large an amount of rounds.
When participation numbers flourished in the likes of the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s, those to make the semi-finals would not have been introduced into the cup until at least the last 16.
As the decades moved on and extra qualifying rounds were introduced, it has remained a very rare sight to see early round clubs still there in the latter stages.
In 2013-14, Holywell Town, the first Tier 3 club to reach the Welsh Cup semis, progressed through six rounds, having not entered until QR2.
This season Bangor City 1876 has become just the second third-tier team ever to make the last four, so their run of seven ties could be right up there among the most demanding Welsh Cup schedules ever.
Standing in the way of the Citizens and an unprecedented place in the final are the only club left in the competition to have won it before – the 1954 champions Flint Town United.
The Silkmen are having a decent season, currently lying third in the lower half Play-Off Conference of the Cymru Premier League. They are undefeared in their last six matches and have not conceded a goal in the 2025-26 Welsh Cup.

A sell-out crowd will be at the Go Goodwins Stadium, together with the live Sgorio cameras for what will be Flint’s biggest match in over 70 years. Back then the club overcame Cardiff City 2-1 in the semi-final before beating Chester City by the same scoreline in front of over 15,000 fans at Wrexham to lift the trophy.
Bangor have already knocked four Tier 2 sides out of the tournament, but Tier 1 Flint will be the toughest challenge yet in the Citizens’ bid to become the first third-tier finalists in Welsh Cup history.

PATHS TO THE SEMIS

Flint Town United

Oct 18 – R2: Bow Street (a) 3-0
Nov 22 – R3: Airbus UK Broughton (h) 1-0
Dec 13 – R4: Penybont (a) 0-0 (won 4-3 on penalties)
Jan 31 – QF: Trearddur Bay (h) 3-0

CPD Dinas Bangor City 1876

July 25 – QR1: Mochdre Sports (h) 3-1
Aug 23 – QR2: Conwy Borough Swifts (a) 12-0
Sep 20 – R1: St Asaph City (a) 6-0
Oct 18 – R2: Guilsfield (h) 1-1 (won 4-3 on penalties)
Nov 22 – R3: Holywell Town (h) 2-1
Dec 13 – R4: Trefelin BGC (h) 2-0
Jan 31 – QF: Caerau Ely (h) 3-1

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

CPD Y Rhyl 1879 v Caernarfon Town
Blue Turtle Arena, Colwyn Bay 1.30 pm

One of the hardest facts to digest about the Welsh Cup is that a team of Caernarfon Town’s stature has never won the competition before.
In fact, the Canaries have not even reached the final of the nation’s premier knockout. Six times in their history they have made the semis (four as Caernarfon Town, 1884-85 as Carnarvon Athletic and 1901-02 as Carnarvon Ironopolis), but never the final.
The FA Cup heroes of 1929-30 and 1986-87 have fielded some fantastic teams at The Oval across the decades, but the Welsh Cup has never quite fallen right for them. Of course for countless years. Football League clubs stood in their path.
However, Richard Davies’ side have perhaps their best chance yet to make the final when they meet Tier 2 CPD Y Rhyl 1879 in Sunday’s semi at Colwyn Bay.
Guaranteed top six status in the Cymru Premier for a seventh time in eight seasons and a shot at qualifying for Europe, Town are performing well as ever this campaign, currently lying fourth in the table.
Top quality players such as Brad Young, Adrian Cieslewicz and Sion Bradley have only added to the Cofis’ strength this term – and they have on the whole excelled during 2025-26 despite not playing at home, The Oval undergoing renovations meaning Town have had to host fixtures at Llandudno’s Go Goodwins Stadium.
Justifiably Welsh Cup favourites, Caernarfon face a tricky hurdle on Sunday against Rhyl 1879, a team currently sitting fifth in the Tier 2 Cymru North, a level they have reached for the first time this season since the phoenix club was formed in 2020.
The Lilywhites have upset the likes of title hopefuls Llandudno and Holywell Town in the league, while the Welsh Cup has seen them battle through five rounds, their most impressive performance a 2-1 victory over Cymru Premier Barry Town United in the quarter-finals.
That same Barry side have just beaten mighty The New Saints to lift the Nathaniel MG Cup and won 2-0 at Caernarfon in the league as recently as February 14.
So the Canaries know they can expect a fierce tussle against Paul Moore’s Rhyl outfit, a team high on confidence and belief whose fans will make a lot of noise at the Blue Turtle Arena – as no doubt will Caernarfon’s Cofi Army!

So, based on status, a Caernarfon Town v Flint Town United final looks the favourite, but neither underdog can in any way be dismissed.

PATHS TO THE SEMIS

CPD Y Rhyl 1879

Sep 20 – R1: CPD Pwllheli (a) 3-1
Oct 18 – R2: Brickfield Rangers (h) 1-0
Nov 22 – R3: Cwmbran Town (h) 3-2
Dec 13: R4: Porthmadog (a) 2-1
Jan 31 – QF: Barry Town United (h) 2-1

Caernarfon Town

Oct 18 – R2: Newtown (a) 3-0
Nov 22 – R3: Penrhyncoch (h) 4-0
Dec 13 – R4: Cardiff Met (a) 4-2
Jan 31 – QF: Colwyn Bay (h) 4-1

NORTH WALES – TAKE A BOW

Prior to this season, North Wales has produced all four Welsh Cup semi-finalists just once in the competition’s 149-year history..
Back in 1892-93 – 133 years ago – the last four featured Wrexham, Llandudno Swifts, Chirk and Druids. Wrexham defeated Swifts 2-1 and Chirk overwhelmed the Druids 6-1. In the final, Wrexham pipped Chirk 2-1.
Across all the many seasons since, no Welsh Cup competition has featured four northern semi-finalists until CPD Dinas Bangor City 1876, Caernarfon Town, Flint Town United and CPD Y Rhyl 1879 achieved it on Saturday, January 31, 2026.