Ebbe double puts Bala into Welsh Cup semi-finals
BALA Town reached the Welsh Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 triumph over Aberystwyth Town.
Dean Ebbe continued his good form while on loan from The New Saints, scoring a goal in each half to send the Lakesiders through to the last four as they stretched their unbeaten run to seven games.
Bala had to hold firm after Aberystwyth pulled a late goal back through Harry Franklin, a busy Alex Ramsay saving well from Jonathan Evans, but the 2017 Cup winners survived the late pressure to earn a crack at a repeat, with Penybont drawn as their semi-final opponents on Monday evening.
The two sides meet again in the final round of the league first phase on Saturday, though with far less at stake for both.
Colwyn Bay reached the semi-finals of the JD Welsh Cup for the first time in 30 years with a 2-0 win at Cymru Premier League side Connah’s
Quay Nomads.
Two stunning second-half goals from the Seagulls made it back-toback giant-killing acts as they added the Nomads to their list of triumphs, having taken down Cardiff Met 1-0 at home in the previous round of the competition.
The Seagulls’ goals at the Deeside Stadium came after goalkeeper Andy Coughlin had made a fine save from a penalty from Callum
Morris four minutes after the break.
Ryan Edwards hammered in the first goal of the game 14 minutes later.
James Kirby doubled the lead in the 66th minute.
“You play football for moments like this and it was nothing we didn’t deserve,” said Seagulls boss Steve Evans. “The penalty save was obviously a big moment, but credit to Andy and our goalkeeping coach Mike Price, who do their homework on these things.” Colwyn Bay’s semi-final opponents will be runaway Premier League leaders The New Saints, who stayed on course to clinch a league and cup double as they comfortably saw off JD Cymru North side Guilsfield 2-0.
The home goals came from Jon Routledge just before the break and Ben Clark in the 78th minute.
Elsewhere in the cup, Cymru Premier outfit Penybont had to come from behind to beat JD Cymru South side Taffs Well 3-2 at the SDM Glass Stadium in Bridgend.
Two goals in the 87th and 88th minutes from Sam Snaith and Dan Jefferies saved Penybont’s blushes.
The draw for the semi-finals, to be played on March 18-20, is: Penybont v Bala Town; The New Saints v Colwyn Bay.
Ties will be played at neutral venues.