ABERYSTWYTH Town will have home advantage in the fourth round of the JD Welsh Cup after being paired with Welsh Premier outfit Cardiff Met.

Ashley Ruane scored a hat-trick as the Seasiders held off a spirited challenge by Welsh League division one outfit Cwmamman United to secure progress with a 4-3 win away from home.

Neville Powell - who has been awarded he Welsh Premier Manager of the Month award for November - said it was a job well done, as his side quickly turned their attentions to Friday night’s crucial league clash at Caernarfon.

“It was a banana skin, but the main thing is we are into the next round,” said Powell, who admitted that a late goal had meant a nervy finish.

“They’re doing well in their league, and you can see from their performance they have got some very useful players.

“It could have been all over by half-time, but we missed chances, and you can never relax in the Welsh Cup, even when three goals ahead.

“They managed to pull a couple of goals back, and it was a nervy ending, but the aim generally was to make sure that we are in the next round, and the boys did that.

“It was very difficult conditions, but we scored some good goals, and could have scored a few more. We’re just delighted to go through.”

The Seasiders, who reached the final last season before losing out to Connah’s Quay, will be relieved to have got a home draw in the last 16 of the Cup on 25 or 26 January.

Winning on a grass pitch will, however, also give Aber confidence as they look to maintain their eight-match winning run at the Oval.

“The pitch was heavy, but it was a real game of football and I’m sure that the players enjoyed it,” said Powell.

“It was end to end, and a proper battle. I wish them all the luck in the league, because they’re a good side.

“It was two good teams, but we got the result, and that’s all that matters. We all wanted to be in the hat, and expected a couple of teams to go out today, but we didn’t want to be one of them.”

Powell added: “Ash has claimed a hat-trick and he probably deserved it today.

“He got around the keeper a couple of times in the first half and probably should have scored. We said at half-time we’ve got to be clinical.

“In the first 10 minutes of the second half we were really clinical, but we did make hard work of it in the end.”

The Seasiders will be looking to take a big step towards securing a top six league position at the league split when they travel to face seventh-placed Caernarfon.

The well-supported hosts have made an exceptional start to life in the Welsh Premier after securing promotion with the Cymru Alliance title last term, but they are four points adrift of Aber.

“We’ve put the Welsh Cup to bed now until the end of January, and it’s a huge game next against Caernarfon,” commented Powell.

“If we can get a result there, it puts us in a really strong position. We’ll make sure we prepare properly for it, but know it’s going to be tough.”

Aberystwyth Town boss Powell and Caernarfon Town captain Nathan Craig have won the JD Welsh Premier League Manager and Player of the Month awards respectively for November.

Powell’s Aber were the only unbeaten side in November, winning three and drawing the other one of their four games, a run which included a 1-0 win at home to The New Saints.

Caernarfon also beat Saints 1-0 during November, a game in which Craig scored the only goal, one of four he got during the month, the other three all coming in a hat-trick away at Carmarthen Town.

Sean Eardley’s side have enjoyed a successful return to the JD Welsh Premier League after promotion from the Cymru Alliance last season. The Cofis currently lie in seventh place in the league table.

They also have top six aspirations themselves, lying just two points behind sixth placed Newtown.

The reverse fixture between the sides ended goalless on a horrendous night of wind and rain at Park Avenue back in October, and Friday’s clash is likely to be another hard fought affair. Kick-off at The Oval is at 7.45pm.