EXCITEMENT is building in the Amman Valley for Cwmamman United and Ammanford as they get ready to take part in the third round of the JD Welsh Cup.
Both sides face Welsh Premier League opposition and the possibility of a cup upset has had many fans dreaming.
One of the ties of the round sees Cwmamman United travelling north to take on Welsh Premier League side Bangor City.
It is one of the biggest games in the clubs history and they will undoubtedly be looking to cause a cup upset.
They have already beaten Rhayader Town 3-1 thanks to goals from Colin Harris, Ryan Thomas and Ashley Curtis. In the second round they scored three again to beat Bridgend Street.
Curtis signed for the club at the beginning of the 2015/16 season and his previous clubs include Haverfordwest, West End and Garden Village. His powerful runs will no doubt cause problems for the Bangor defenders.
Manager Mark Snell has been behind the club’s rise to the first division of the Welsh League since taking over in 2014 and the club are now busy making improvements to their ground.
Ahead of the game on Saturday, Mark told the Herald: “Everyone involved with the club has really been looking forward to this as soon as the draw was made, yes of course we are massive underdogs and we have a lot of respect for Bangor as they are a massive force in Welsh football and have been for a long time, especially in this competition having won it the most times out of any of the domestic clubs.
“The last time they won this was back in 2010 after a retaining it for the third successive season and are due to win it again soon I’m sure, so they will be a force to stop especially under the guidance of their excellent manager Kevin Nicholson and the quality they boast throughout their squad.
“We are approaching the game understanding that we will need to be at our very best and for a lot of things to go our way to be able to achieve a cup upset, but we are not just turning up to enjoy the experience and have a Jolly over the weekend.
“We are travelling up today and staying the night just outside Bangor to allow us to prepare properly for the match. I have done a lot of homework on them as I do for every opposition.
“We are a footballing side who like to get the ball down and play, just like Bangor, who of course boast a lot more experienced players at higher levels. We will be going out to enjoy the occasion but will be fully focussed on trying to get through to the next round and create one of the biggest cup shocks in this great competitions history.”
Another big game sees Welsh League Division 2 side Ammanford taking on neighbours Carmarthen Town in what should be an excellent match.
The Old Gold have been struggling in the Premier League this season but if last Saturday’s performance against TNS is anything to go by, they could be on the up.
Ammanford will also be hoping they can cause a shock and their manager, Griff Harrison said: “We’re looking forward to it. We trained on Wednesday night and there was a good buzz about the place and we’re quietly confident.
“Carmarthen have not been in good form lately so we couldn’t have picked a better time to play them but there is no pressure on us.
“We know it is still going to be a huge task and there is a difference in quality between the two teams but the longer the game goes on if we’re still in it, the more pressure that will be on them.
“We’ve got one or two missing so we’re not at full strength but I’m more than happy with the players. The squad is made up of local boys so they will be giving it everything.”
Carmarthen sit rooted to the bottom of the Welsh Premier League but the cup games have provided some relief for the Old Gold as they previously reached the quarter finals of the MG Cup.
Manager Mark Aizlewood spoke to the Herald before the game saying: “We have a big injury crisis at the moment, last week we had two members of our staff on the bench and that problem hasn’t eased but that’s not an excuse.
“We’re looking forward to the game, it will be a really tough one, Ammanford are a good side and they will see it as their cup final. At the moment we are having a terrible season so it is a potential banana skin but there is nothing better for confidence than winning games and putting a run together and we’re hoping we can start that on Saturday.”
Ammanford have won both of their earlier games in the competition on penalties so will know what it takes should it come down to that. This game kicks off at 1:30pm.
Good luck to all of our sides involved on Saturday.
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