DOLGELLAU Athletic made a positive start to the new campaign as they saw off visitors Llanfairfechan to make progress in the Welsh Cup.

In front of a healthy crowd at the Marian on Friday evening, Dol were in control throughout but the visitors kept themselves in contention through hard work and determined defending.

The hosts made the breakthrough on the quarter hour when Gerwyn Williams slotted the ball confidently past visiting keeper Gavin Lewis after good work by Wil Gruffydd.

Robert Evans’ charges soon doubled their lead 10 minutes later, provider Gruffydd turning goalscorer with a fantastic finish giving Lewis no chance; Dennis Bates with the assist.

But Llanfairfachan clawed one back through Harry Croston five minutes before the break, glad to be still in the hunt after Dol had worked some very good openings on the first stanza.

The Marian side upped the ante after the turnaround as they made it a mission to restore their two-goal cushion.

They managed that just before the hour mark when a deep switch by midfield creator Bates found Gruffydd who brought down the ball skillfully into his path on goal before pipping the keeper to the ball and tapping home.

A couple of saves, a smashed cross bar by striker Paul Lewis, who also had a disallowed goal, denied Dol further reward.

Credit to Llanfair, they kept plugging away to carve out an opening to get back into it but the dangers were thwarted by an aggressive Dol defence.

Dolgellau: Tyler Andrews, Gethin Evans, Ben Fisher, Dion James, Jake Jones, Ioan Roberts, Dennis Bates, Gerwyn Williams, Joey Thomas, Wil Gruffydd, Paul Lewis. Substitutes: Guto Pugh (62), Owen Rowlands, Aaron Young (62), Nathan Morris (59), Isaac Aldred (73), Darren Andrews, Osian Morris.