ABERYSTWYTH Town have been handed an away draw at Carmarthen Town in the quarter-finals of the JD Welsh Cup, after their excellent 1-0 fourth round win at Cardiff Met last weekend.

The Seasiders will travel to face their west Wales rivals at Richmond Park on the first weekend of March, and manager Neville Powell feels that his side has a decent chance of reaching the semi-finals of the competition.

Aber’s win over the Cardiff students came courtesy of a first half Malcolm Melvin header, but they could take heart from a solid defensive display, despite the loss of skipper Jonny Spittle to Connah’s Quay and John McKenna, who has left for New Zealand.

With defender Ryan Wollacott returning to the side, and Ashley Young dropping into a central defensive role, Aber could take the positive of keeping a clean sheet against the lively students.

“We had rode our luck a bit in the first minutes, but they had played last week against TNS in the League Cup Final, whereas we’d had a week off,” said Seasiders’ manager Powell.

“We always thought they were going to come at us 100 miles an hour, and they did, but we weathered that.

“In the second half, I thought we were the better side, and we really could have got a couple more goals to have put the game to bed quicker.

“But this was a massive victory for us, a proper Welsh Cup game, and we are made up to be in the last eight.”

Powell, who won the Welsh Cup in three consecutive seasons as manager of Bangor City, including the 2009 final against Aber, is hoping that his good fortune in the Cup continues.

It was their second scalp against a top six side, having beaten Bala 4-0 in the previous round, and the Seasiders are just two wins away from only their fourth ever final appearance.

“I just love the Welsh Cup,” said Powell. “I think we went 28 games without a defeat in the Welsh Cup when I was the manager of Bangor City over four years, and it’s 10 years since I first won it against Llanelli.”

Aber kick-off the second phase of their Welsh Premier League campaign in the bottom six at Barry Town on Saturday, and Powell says that his side will push on for a play-off place.

The Seasiders had finished the first phase seven points clear of second-from-bottom Prestatyn, and just six points adrift of seventh-placed Llandudno, whom they must climb above.

“We’re still learning and there’s no reason why we can’t go into that bottom six and do well,” said Powell.

“If we compete in every game, as we have been, we wont be far off a play-off place at the end of the season.”

The Seasiders had began their season with a 1-1 draw at Jenner Park, before the honours were shared again between the two sides in a goalless draw at Park Avenue in early October.

Just five points separate the two teams, and after a stunning win over second-placed Connah’s Quay in their last league outing, the Seasiders are looking to maintain momentum.

Aberystwyth’s Under-19s development squad is also providing real optimism at Park Avenue, with Bari Morgan’s side winning 3-2 at Cambrian and Clydach Vale to consolidate second spot in the Southern table.

A brace from top scorer Liam Doherty and a Jack Rimmer goal maintained winning ways for the Seasiders, who are just one point behind Swansea City, with a game in hand.

“I’m really proud of the boys,” said Morgan. “They really dug deep in tough conditions to get the points.

“It’s always a really hard place to go, and the players showed great fight and character to get this win.”

The young Seasiders are due to travel to take on league leaders Swansea City next Tuesday, 6 February.

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