HAY St Mary’s took a break from league action to book a place in the last-four stage of the Central Wales Challenge Cup.

The Saints defeated Ceredigion League First Division opponents Ffostrasol Wanderers 5-2 under the Forest Road floodlights on Wednesday evening and will now face Cymru North club Caersws in the semi-finals of the competition.

It was the hosts who opened the deadlock in the opening minute of the tie when Jack Cripps was able to turn the ball into an empty net after Jack Biggs' through ball caused some confusion in the Wanderers' rearguard.

The visitors were back on level term eight minutes later when a cross from the right was only partially cleared and Steffan Jackson's shot from the edge of the penalty area took a deflection and found its way past Gabriel Moore in the home goal.

 

Hay St Mary's had to wait until the 50th minute to regain the lead courtesy of Cripps' second goal of the evening before Biggs' shot on the turn increased the advantage 17 minutes later after an initial cross from the right was not cleared by the Wanderers' rearguard.

 

Jack Cook beat Steffan Jones in the visitor's goal following a low cross from the right in the 77th minute before the Parc Troedyrhiw outfit reduced the deficit four minutes later when substitute Bleddyn Jones was on hand to convert a Cian Edwards cross from close range after the home defence was unable to clear their lines.

The Saints completed the scoring in the second minute of stoppage time when Taylor Maddy slid the ball past the advancing Jones after being picked out by fellow substitute Noah Cripps with a precise through ball.

Hay St Mary's were unable to build on Wednesday evening's cup win when they went down to a 4-1 reverse at the hands of Tredegar Town in Friday night's Floodlight and Electrical Services Ardal South East fixture at Forest Road.
 

The visitors broke the deadlock in the sixth minute when Tye Duggan was on hand to convert a low Owen Thomas cross from the right-hand side of the penalty area.

The lead was doubled eight minutes before the penalty area when Andrew Martin drove into the penalty area and rolled the ball past Tom Lewis and into the far corner of the Hay St Mary's goal.

The Saints halved the deficit in the 43rd minute when captain Jack Biggs converted a penalty.

 However, disaster struck for the Breconshire hosts, when they conceded a third goal just two minutes later as Tomas Lynch headed home from a Martin corner.

Tredegar Town netted their fourth goal of the evening as Lynch squeezed his shot past the goalkeeper.