| Holders Llanelli made to fight all the way |
| Sunday 29 January 2012 |
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CUP holders Llanelli made into the quarter-finals, but were pushed all the way by Huws Gray Alliance high-flyers Rhyl in a thriller at Belle Vue. The home side's performance was all the more admirable because they played almost the whole game with 10-men, following the eighth-minute dismissal of Neil Coverley for a lunging tackle on Craig Williams. Undaunted, the Lilywhites took the lead five minutes later when the Reds' defence failed to deal with a Mike Pritchard cross and Tom Rowlands was on hand to drive home at the far post. Only an offside flag denied Rhys Griffiths an equaliser as Llanelli gradually began to take a grip and keeper Ben Jones produced a great save to claw out a Chris Venables header. Another Venables header drifted just wide of the far post but the home side's slender was erased just before half-time when Steffan Halewood brought down Kris Thomas and Griffiths despatched the resulting spot kick. Pritchard wasted a glorious chance to restore Rhyl's advantage before Llanelli took the lead when the home rearguard failed to deal with a ball in the box and Stuart Jones drove low past Jones in the 67th minute. Craig Richards made a fine save to keep out Paul Mooney's shot and then tipped over an excellent Scott Beckett effort but the Reds came close to putting the game out of sight when a Griffiths shot hit the post and was scrambled clear. The miss proved crucial as Dave Forbes set-up Ryan Williams who equalised from close range. Three minutes into extra-time, the Reds regained the lead when Venables volleyed home from close range after Griffiths had nodded down a Williams cross from the left. But Rhyl responded again and Jones brought down Williams who levelled from the spot to bring on the penalty shoot-out. Only Shaun Dowling was unable to convert, his weak effort being easily saved by Richards, and Williams gleefully swept home the winning kick. |