On Saturday afternoon four clubs will compete in the semi-finals of the Nathaniel MG Cup as the leaders of both the JD Cymru North and JD Cymru South look to cause an upset against top tier opposition.
Saturday, 6 December
The New Saints v Llandudno | Saturday – 14:30
The New Saints are the current holders of the Nathaniel MG Cup and the most successful club in the history of the competition having lifted the trophy on 11 occasions.
In last season’s final, Aramide Oteh scored the only goal of the game at Latham Park as The New Saints claimed a 1-0 victory over Aberystwyth Town.
The Saints were also the winners the previous year, after beating Swansea u21’s in the final, which means that Craig Harrison’s crew have won 13 consecutive matches in the competition.
Unlike the Saints, Llandudno have never lifted the Nathaniel MG Cup, nor have they ever reached the semi-finals in the past.
But Jordan Hadaway’s side are enjoying a remarkable season as Llandudno have not lost any of their 18 games in all competitions this season (W16, D2).
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Llandudno are currently at the top of the JD Cymru North and are aiming to return to the top-flight for the first time since their relegation in 2019.
To reach the semi-finals this year, the Saints have defeated Airbus UK (7-1), Connah’s Quay (1-3) and Caernarfon (3-0), while Llandudno have beaten Gresford (7-0), Denbigh (3-1) and Newtown (3-6).
Llandudno’s experienced forward Mark Cadwallader has scored five goals in the Nathaniel MG Cup this season, including a hat-trick against Gresford, while Adam Stephens has scored in every round to date.
As well as reaching the semi-finals of this competition, Llandudno have reached the fourth round of the JD Welsh Cup after beating Connah’s Quay less than two weeks ago, and so the Seasiders will not fear their JD Cymru Premier opposition.
This will be the first match between the clubs since March 2019 when Greg Draper scored five goals for the Saints in a resounding 8-1 victory at Parc Maesdu in the quarter-finals of the Welsh Cup.
With the Saints disappointed to be out of the Welsh Cup so early this season, the full-time outfit will be determined to seal their place in the Nathaniel MG Cup final to take a step closer to achieving a domestic double for the fifth successive season.
Cambrian United v Barry Town United | Saturday – 17:15 (Live online)
Barry Town United are the second most successful team in the history of the League Cup, as The New Saints (11) are the only club to have lifted the trophy on more occasions than the Dragons (4).
Barry Town United lifted the cup for four consecutive years between 1996 and 2000, and Steve Jenkins’ side are hoping to reach the final for the first time since 2016/17.
Barry Town United have reached the semi-final for the second successive season but fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to The New Saints at this stage of the competition last year.
Cambrian United are hoping to reach the final of the Nathaniel MG Cup for the second time in their history, even though the club have never played in the top tier.
Cambrian United managed to reach the final in the 2018/19 season after defeating Barry Town United on penalties in the first round before going on to beat Aberystwyth, Newtown and The New Saints, before eventually losing 2-0 against Cardiff Met in the final.
This year, Cambrian United have beaten Treowen Stars (p 2-2), Cardiff u21 (0-2), Cardiff Met (p 1-1) and Briton Ferry Llansawel (1-0) to reach the semi-finals, while Barry Town United have seen off Aberystwyth (2-1), Llanelli (1-0) and Haverfordwest (0-2) to get to the final four.
Cambrian United currently sit at the top of the JD Cymru South and are in a strong position to secure promotion to the JD Cymru Premier for the first time in their history.
One of the main reasons for Cambrian United’s success this season is the performances of forward Liam Eason, who has scored 18 goals for his new club since arriving from Llanelli over the summer.
But it will be a tough test against Barry Town United who are on an impressive run of eight games without defeat in all competitions and have kept six clean sheets during that period.
The highlights of the games will be available on Sgorio’s social websites and the best of the weekend’s action on S4C on Monday night.
