BALA Town avoided a potential banana skin on a day of upsets in the Welsh Cup as they came strong in extra time to book their place in the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Welsh League side Penybont.

Rhys Griffiths, the Welsh Premier’s second highest-ever goal scorer, had forced extra-time when he netted an equaliser in the 88th-minute, after Kieran Smith had given the Lakesiders a 22nd minute lead.

Colin Caton’s men, however, held their nerve to triumph in extra-time, with winning goals from Ian Sheridan, an Anthony Stephens penalty and Mark Jones setting up a last-eight showdown at Guilsfield.

Their quarter-final opponents were one of four Cymru Alliance clubs to take Welsh Premier scalps at the weekend, and Welsh League outfit Penybont had also threatened to cause upset at Maes Tegid.

Marcus Griffiths pulled a shot wide for the visitors, but at the other end Mark Connolly and Ryan Wade offered threats as Bala started to get a grip on the game.

Keiran Smith drove a volley high over the bar after a quick break down the right, but he opened the deadlock on 23 minutes with a spectacular 25 yard effort into the top right corner of Rhys Wilson’s goal.

Bala stepped up with chances falling to Mike Hayes, Wade and Chris Venables before the interval, but the visitors were still very much in the tie at the half-time break.

After the interval a half chance from Stuart J Jones was cleared away, namesake Stuart Jones had a header saved and a fine cross by Wade skimmed the face of goal.

Bont, however, upped their pressure in the closing stages and it paid off when a corner was whipped into the box and player-manager Griffiths back-heeled the ball over the line in the 88th minute.

Bala resumed control in extra time and they retook the lead in the 107th minute when the ball arrived to sub Ian Sheridan on the edge of the 18 yard box, and he placed the ball into the bottom far corner.

The second period saw Penybont tire and Bala took full advantage when Wade was brought down in the box after turning his man, and Anthony Stephens stepped up to coolly dispatch his spot kick into the right hand corner of the net for a 3-1 lead.

Connolly then saw his looping effort miss the target, before another chance a minute later went just wide of the post.

The last minute of play, however, saw Bala add a fourth goal when Mark Jones saw Wilson off his line, and he impressively lobbed the ball into an empty net to seal the Lakesiders’ place in the last eight.

BALA TOWN: A Morris, A Stephens, S Jones, S J Jones, J Irving, M Connolly, R Wade, C Venables, D Thompson, M Hayes (I Sheridan 70 minutes), K Smith (M Jones 75). Substitutes: R Goldston (g), S Fisher, L Owens.

PENYBONT: R Wilson, I Emanuel, K Owen, K Howard, J Parry, R Griffiths, O Warlow, C Kinsella, B Borge, M Griffiths, J Hopkins. Subs: H Collins, K Thornbury, B Webster, T Atyeo.