BARMOUTH and Dyffryn United have a semi-final showdown to look forward to in the New Year, in the Cookson Cup, after their unexpected 2-1 win over high-flying Llanrwst United.

A brace of goals by Shane Jones provided early Christmas cheer for the Wern Mynach supporters, and there was also added praise for goalkeeper Tyler French for saving a crucial second half penalty.

Barmouth went into action as second favourites, having lost to Llanrwst twice in the Welsh Alliance, 2-1 at home in August and 3-1 away three weeks earlier, but they were in the right mood from the kick-off.

Near-misses were cursed, however, as Dave Harding fired over the bar from a good position and other home attempts were kept out by keeper Gwydion Owen.

The seemingly inevitable Barmouth goal arrived on 19 minutes, from Jones, who latched on to a cross by Dan Griffiths on the left to lob over Llanrwst’s Owen.

Barmouth were pressed back by resurgent Llanrwst at the start of the second half, with centre backs Steve Bratt, signed from Porthmadog, and Mike Irvine having to be at their best to deny the visitors.

Llanrwst were rewarded, though, on 47 minutes by Leighton Griffiths’s leveller and the situation could have got worse for Carl Ryan’s hosts on 58 minutes, when a penalty was awarded, but goalkeeper French dived full-length to deny Griffiths.

Barmouth’s thrilling winner, by Jones, was celebrated on 84 minutes, after build-up play by Paul Lewis, out on the right near the corner, and his quality cross enabled sharp-shot Shane to pounce close in.

Pwllheli, who had celebrated several Cookson Cup triumphs in the distant past, were denied progress to the semi-finals’ stage this time by rampant Llandudno Albion in a 6-2 drubbing.

Barry Evans’s team, still smarting from that 12-1 embarrassment in their previous outing in the Alliance, feared the worst again when swamped by the hosts’ four goals’ blitz midway in the first half.

Llandudno, who were very much at home on the 3G surface at Maesdu Park, imposed their authority with netted efforts by Callum Davidson on 12 and 14 minutes and Dave Maddox on 26 and 35.

Pwllheli stirred ever so briefly at the start of the second half for Lukacs Baltovic to reply on 48 minutes, but Albion proceeded to add two more goals, from Joel Lloyd’s penalty on 64 and Davidson’s hat-trick clincher on 76. It was all done and dusted when Pwllheli snatched a second reply through Mark Jones on 75 minutes.

Alliance title favourites Conwy Borough extended their winning ways in the Cookson Cup by beating St Asaph City, but the result was modest at only 2-1 and all the goals were crammed into the first quarter.

Jack Holt scored first on 11 minutes, but St Asaph’s Jake Walker equalised on 15 and the prolific Corrig McGonigle hit his 52nd goal on the season already on 20 minutes, with what proved the winner.