BALA Town avoided a potential banana skin as they booked their place in semi-finals of the JD Welsh Cup with a hard-earned 3-0 win at a blustery Guilsfield last weekend.

The Cymru Alliance side were unable to repeat the heroics of their fourth round win over Cardiff Metroplitan, as goals from Ryan Wade, Chris Venables and John Irving sealed a battling away triumph.

Colin Caton’s men will now face Caernarfon Town in the last four at The Corbett Sports Stadium in Rhyl, on 1 April (kick-off 5.15pm).

Playing with the elements in the first half, the Welsh Premier club had the majority of possession, and the wind tended to be more of a help than a hindrance.

Bala applied the early pressure and an early Anthony Stephens delivery needed to be tipped over the bar by Dave Littleford as it swerved towards the top corner.

Wade’s run then forced Guilsfield to clear, and a minute later Mike Hayes was deemed offside after a well-worked move.

Visiting keeper Ashley Morris has called upon to keep out a shot, and defender Stuart Jones hacked away a scramble in the six yard box, but Bala stayed on top.

Out-running his marker, Hayes went one on one with Littleford, but he drove his shot straight at the Guilsfield stopper.

Deliveries by Wade and David Thompson were cleared, before Mark Jones fired over from the edge of the 18 yard box.

Just minutes before the interval, successive corners led to a good spell of pressure, and a cross by Stephens was pushed out only as far as Wade, who drove the ball into the far left corner from close in.

Bala lifted their tempo in the second half and - helped by the fact that the wind had died down - a chance fell to Hayes, who saw his shot well blocked, before Wade blazed the rebound over the woodwork.

The introduction of Jordan Evans saw more pace injected into Bala’s play and the midfielder came close to scoring when he waltzed past his marker to go one on one with the keeper, but Littleford cleared.

Guilsfield saw a chance headed over the bar on the counter-attack, but it was Bala who doubled their lead on 75 minutes.

Venables drove his shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner, after great work between Wade and Keiran Smith.

Bala were looking comfortable as Guilsfield started to tire and the Lakesiders added their third goal in the 86th minute.

A fantastic team move from box to box was put on a plate for Irving to convert from three yards out, to secure the fourth Welsh Cup semi-final tie in their history.

GUILSFIELD: D Littleford, C Bromley, C Cathrall, A Ford, R James, J Henderson, J Crook, N Leonard (S Rogers 89), S Litchfield, G Jones (A Jenkins 72), L Irvine (16. J Richards 80). Subs not used: D Barton, , L Andrew.

BALA TOWN: A Morris, A Stephens, S Jones, S J Jones, J Irving, D Thompson, M Jones (J Evans 61), R Wade (M Connolly 86), C Venables,M Hayes (C Murtagh 78), K Smith. Subs not used: R Goldston (gk), R Valentine. Attendance: 221. Referee: K Parry.