Denbigh Town’s greatest run in the JD Welsh Cup came to an end on Saturday as a stoppage time winner sent visitors Llanelli through.

A huge crowd of just short of 700 packed into Central Park to watch their side look to book a place in the Semi-Final, and with the game destined for a shoot-out a cruel blow saw the visitors through.

Dewi Llion named one change to the side that drew with Llandudno a week previous as Aaron Jones returned to the XI in place of Elijah Beattie.

In a tense affair throughout both sides had ample chance to take an early lead with Owen Davies’ effort met by the woodwork after dancing into the box on four minutes. A minute later Llanelli had a first glimpse of goal when Theo Wharton’s shot from the edge of the box rose over the crossbar. The chances kept flowing in the opening ten minutes when a great ball forward from Jones found Davies, who made inroads into the box before laying it to Nathan Brown who couldn’t beat the keeper.

The visitors felt they should have led on 14 minutes when they nicked the ball in midfield and put through Louis Caramella-Gerrard but he could only fire across goal.

Iwan Roberts was next to try and find the net but his effort on 26 minutes was never finding the target whilst on the half hour mark Ethan Cann’s header flew wide.

32 minutes in and Denbigh couldn’t believe their hard luck. Applying the pressure a ball was swung in to the box and met by the head of Dan Flanders, but his effort smashed the upright. Feeling some momentum Denbigh continued in search of the opener. Brown stood over a free-kick 30-yards out that was superbly stopped by goalkeeper Scott Coughlin.

When you’ve already found the woodwork twice you feel it’s inevitable that your goal is going to come, but things went from bizarre to ridiculous when a minute before the break Brown unleashed an effort from 30-yards and smashed the crossbar.

Half-Time: Denbigh Town 0-0 Llanelli Town

The visitors began the second period on top and applied plenty of pressure on Denbigh, but it was Town who carved out the first chance 11 minutes into the restart. Davies latched onto a ball down the right before squaring to Iwan Roberts, but his first time effort blazed over.

The game became scrappy as neither side could find any sort of clear cut chance and penalties looked like an invevitability. That was until a choatic final ten minutes.

Danny Williams tried from distance for the visitors which Jones did brilliantly to tip over the bar whilst as stoppage time ticked over Denbigh surely thought they’d won it. Breaking forward, Brown found Duffy with acres of space in the box but the forward couldn’t find the target, dragging it wide.

The difference in this game however came down to two chances. Town missing theirs and Llanelli making the most of it. On 96 minutes substitute Alex Giardelli smashed home a loose ball in the box to send the visitors through.

A performance against a quality opposition was one to be proud of for this young Town team who performed to their absolute limit, and did Denbigh proud in a historic afternoon.

Denbigh Town: A.Jones, Flanders, Lockley, Beaumont, S.Jones, K.Roberts, Pownall, Duffy, Brown, I.Roberts, Davies

Subs: Butler, James, Vaughan, Salisbury, Clarke

Referee: Thomas Owen

Attendance: 667

POTM: All of them - To a man, a performance to be proud of.