PORTHMADOG had to work hard to secure their place in the third round of JD Welsh Cup, but two goals in each half earned a solid 4-1 win at Llanfair United.

Goals from Shaun Cavanagh and Jay Gibbs laid the platform, but Llanfair replied, before goals from Sion Edwards and Dan Dascalu finally sealed victory."We were not at our best today, but the lads have done enough to win it," said Porthmadog boss Craig Papirnyk."It was comfortable in the end, but it wasn’t easy, and we are very pleased to be in the hat for the next round."Full credit to Llanfair, who turned it into a proper cup game and gave it a real go, and we wish them all the best this season.” Llanfair’s Karl Seliaerts fired an early effort over the bar, and keeper Paul Pritchard was forced into a good save diverting Toby Evans’ shot for an early corner.

Porthmadog, however, then took charge and after an early effort from Shaun Cavanagh had been deflected for a corner, they went ahead in the ninth minute.

When Sion Edwards broke into the box on the left he was brought down, and referee Cheryl Foster pointed immediately to the spot. Up stepped Shaun Cavanagh to fire his sixth goal of the season from the spot, to Mark Richards’ right hand side.

Soon after Iwan Lewis cracked one from the edge of the box, but Richards saved well, and Cavanagh a combined well with Gibbs, before forcing another good save.

The pressure mounted on the home goal, and it was no surprise when Jay Gibbs combined well down the left with Sion Edwards, before cutting inside and seeing his deflected strike beat Richards.

The home keeper did well to cut out Tomos Emlyn’s low cross and then, when Gibbs and Cavanagh combined well again, Richards kept out Cavanagh’s shot.

Cavanagh was in the action again, meeting an excellent Edwards back post cross, only to be frustrated by the woodwork.

In the closing minutes of the half, however, Llanfair’s Nathan Edgington drew a good save from Pritchard, and he then thundered a shot against the near post.

Llanfair continued to raise their game after the interval, and when Jay Gibbs lost his footing in the box, Josh Ashley put keeper Pritchard under pressure, but he recovered, before falling on the loose ball.

A low cross from Ben Jones only required a final touch, but kept tantalisingly out of reach of outstretched legs, but Port responded when a Jay Gibbs found Cavanagh at the near post, but the striker’s final touch took it inches wide.

Llanfair got back into the game when a throw from the left created panic in the Port rearguard and Alun Hughes headed home at the near post to make it 1-2.

Iwan Lewis saw an angled shot saved by the legs of keeper Richards, after cutting in from the right, but Llanfair again piled forward, and Toby Evans went through on goal, only to be ruled offside.

Paul Griffiths, when well-placed, also lifted his shot over the bar, but on 78 minutes, Port got their crucial third goal.

Edwards took advantage of a counter-attack engineered by Rob Evans and Iwan Lewis, chased down the through ball and rounded the keeper to finish in style.

Six minutes later, Edwards beat the offside trap and crossed for Dan Dascalu, whose first time effort from the centre of the box put the result beyond doubt.

In the last closing stages, Richards saved well from Jay Gibbs and at the other end Pritchard did the same from Toby Evans.

Cai Henshaw, a regular scorer for the Reserves, made his first team debut in the closing stages, but the downside was an unfortunate injury to Cavanagh, who has been in an excellent run of form, scoring five goals in the last four games.

PORTHMADOG P Pritchard, T Emlyn, C James, I Price (R Taylor 68’), G J Williams, I Lewis, I Emlyn, J Gibbs, S Edwards, S Cavanagh (D Dascalu 68’), R Evans (C Henshaw 88’).LLANFAIR: Richards, Al Hughes, M Bumford, R Bumford, Stephens, B Jones, T Evans, Astley, Seliaerts, Edgington. Subs: Griffiths, McVeagh, Gregory, An Hughes, Humphreys