Cefni up for massive Welsh Cup clash
LLANGEFNI Town will need no motivating ahead of this Saturday’s huge Welsh Cup third round clash at Lon Talwrn against Welsh Premier League visitors Llanelli Town (2.30pm).
It promises to be a massive test for the Welsh Alliance Division One leaders against opponents from two levels above.
Llanelli are next-to-bottom of the WPL, but their recent form is much improved, a 2-0 win over Cefn Druids followed by a 2-2 draw against Caernarfon Town at Stebonheath Park last Saturday.
Cefni, meanwhile, bounced back from their first defeat of the season in midweek - a 2-1 home loss to Llanrug United in the league - by pipping Llandudno Albion on penalties in the Cookson Cup three days later. It was, remarkably, Llangefni’s first away match since the end of August, having played 13 home games in a row in the ensuing three months.
Town came out of the blocks well but with only eight minutes on the clock an error in defence allowed Albion to go in front with a neat finish from Dave Maddock.
Four minutes later Cefni levelled when Liam Morris got on the end of a great cross from Cai-Powell Roberts.
It remained 1-1 up to half time, then there was controversy early in the second period when the Albion keeper clearly handled outside his area to prevent a goal, but was only shown yellow.
Iwan Jones made sure the visitors got some justice as he converted the resulting free-kick.
Llangefni were reduced to 10 men after Chris Saxon received a yellow card for what seemed to be a perfectly-timed tackle and then on 62 minutes lashed out in frustration and was sent off for a second caution.
Ten-man Town defied the odds when eagle-eyed Kevin Lloyd saw the keeper off his line and from halfway somehow found the back of the net to make it 3-1.
Albion rallied and Maddock scored again before a very late equaliser from Pete Jones forced extra time.
The added half-hour delivered no goals although Albion thought they had scored only for the referee to rule the ball had not crossed the line, so the quarterfinal would have to be decided on penalties and Cefni edged it 6-5.
In midweek, Llangefni led Llanrug 1-0 through Matthew Jones’ net-finder midway through the first half, but 10 minutes later home keeper Liam Ewing was redcarded after bringing down Carl Griffiths in the box.
Former Llanrug striker Alan Mark Owen came on to replace Ewing between the sticks, but his first job was to pick Jonathan Sadler’s spot-kick out of the net.
United brought on Aaron Hughes for Gavin Lloyd-Jones on the hour, and the substitute’s impact was immediate.
Within a minute, Hughes made it 2-1 with a superb finish into the top right hand corner.
Ten minutes from time, Llanrug’s Llion Jones was sent off, but the visitors held on for a famous win and ended Cefni’s 17-match undefeated streak.