ABERYSTWYTH Town’s hopes of reaching the last eight of the Welsh Cup were totally shattered as a hat-trick from James Stead capped an emphatic 5-1 win for Cymru Alliance leaders Prestatyn Town at Park Avenue.

An embarrassing Sam Rodon own goal had began Aber’s capitulation, and Noah Edwards’ strike before the interval, after another defensive blip, set the visitors up for a deserved win.

Luke Sherbon’s reply on 66 minutes was scant consolation for an Aber side that was well-beaten - on a day that saw four Welsh Premier sides crash out to lower league opposition.

Free-scoring Prestatyn had started on the front foot, with a cross from Jordan Davies being headed just over by Ben Maher, whilst Michael Parker also went close when his header was superbly saved by Chris Mullock.

At the other end Jamie Crowther released Cledan Davies down the left, and he crossed Chris Jones, whose shot was blocked, and Luke Borrelli fired a snap shot just wide of goal.

Stead then crossed for Jack Kenny to aim a header straight at Mullock, but Aber’s Elliot Scotcher crossed for Jones, whose effort then drew a smart save from visiting keeper Carl Jones.

Cledan Davies also released Borrelli through the middle, but his deft lob was just about saved by the keeper.

Aber’s dismay began on 30 minutes when Mullock threw a careless ball out to Sam Rodon who, under pressure from Jack Kenny, immediately passed it back into an empty net.

Aber countered with an effort from Borrelli being blocked by Jones, but Stead then saw a 25 yard strike well saved, and three minutes before the break it got even worse for the hosts.

A poor back header from midfield left Aber’s defence exposed and good work by Kenny saw the ball break for Noah Edwards, who burst between two defenders to smash the ball into the roof of the net for a 2-0 lead.

Matthew Bishop changed tactics after the break, but the visitors’ tails were well and truly up, and with the Prestatyn fans in full voice in the Dias Stand, they looked like the home side.

Always vulnerable to the fast counter-attacking visitors, Jordan Davies flashed a shot just wide, Kenny fired straight at Mullock and Edwards hit a rising drive narrowly wide of goal.

Aber’s defence was exposed again on 52 minutes when a right wing cross fell perfectly for Stead, in plenty of space to slot home his first goal.

Stead was at the heart of everything and his free kick was headed just over by Michael Parker, and then on the hour Stead strode onto an Edwards’ pass to drive home from 10 yards.

The Prestatyn chances kept coming as Ben Maher hit a superb first time volley just over, and then Kenny went close from another Edwards cross.

Aber responded as Dan Alfei sent in a right wing cross, which evaded Borrelli, but was acrobatically netted by sub Kostya Georgievsky, only for the linesman’s flag to deny him a goal.

Georgievsky, who was introduced to provide more attacking flair, went close again, but then on the hour Stead made it 4-0 when he strode onto a Noah Edwards pass to comfortably drive home from 10 yards.

Six minutes later Borrelli’s ball in was chested down by Rodon, for Sherbon to smash home a response.

Sub Jack Rimmer also played in Alfei down the right and his cross found Georgievsky, who was close again, but Prestatyn still looked dangerous.

Jordan Davies, a constant thorn in the side of the hosts, saw his shot tipped round the post, and Kenny and Davies also missed the target.

Stead, however, completed the scoring with nine minutes to go, having been once again set up by Kenny, to complete a miserable day for Aber.

ABERYSTWYTH: C Mullock, C Lewis, S Rodon, J Crowther, L Sherbon, L Borrelli, R Wollacott, K March, E Scotcher, D Alfei, C Jones. Substitutes: W Bell, J Rimmer, K Georgievsky, J Crowl, D Hopton.

PRESTATYN: C Jones, T Kemp, J Lewis, M Hart, R Fairhurst, N Edwards, M Parker, J Stead, J Kenny, B Maher, J Davies. Subs: P O’Neill, R Roberts, A Williams, R Weaver, W Adam. Attendance: 240.