ST CLEARS booked their place in the third round of the West Wales Cup on Saturday (Nov 6) as they beat Felinfoel 3-2 after extra time.

Felinfoel had not lost in any league or cup game prior to Saturday’s match but Nathan Evans’ goal gave the Saints an excellent win in tricky conditions.

Rain battered the pitch for much of the game but it did not dampen the spirits of the Felinfoel supporters who had come to support their team.

It was the Saints though who had the first real chance of the game as Nico Setaro sent Ashley Williams through on goal but his effort was well saved by Felinfoel keeper Anthony Andrews.

Sadly for Williams he was forced off moments later with an injury and was replaced by Steve Thomas.

Felinfoel then had a great chance to score as Chris James looped the ball over the defenders for Jordan Badman but his shot was beaten away by Saints keeper Jason Jones.

Nathan Evans and Ben John then linked up well down the right and they set up Jon Seeley but he saw his shot saved.

With 26 minutes gone the visitors were awarded a free kick and James curled the ball superbly into the top corner of the net.

The Saints responded well to going behind as they won a corner. Evans sent the corner into the box and Nick Squire headed down towards goal but after his header was blocked the ball fell to Danny Peters who tried to turn the ball in. There were shouts for a penalty but the referee waved away the appeals.

David Owens then saw a shot saved for the visitors before James saw a header go wide.

At the other end John’s cross found Steve Evans but he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and the ball was pushed out for a corner.

Nathan Evans took the resulting corner and Kyran Lewis ran in at the front post to smash a header home to level the game.

It was a deserved equaliser and they nearly took the lead just a minute into the second half but John’s long range effort was tipped over the bar.

Just four minutes later though Felinfoel were back in front. The Saints attempted to pass the ball out from the back but when Martin Thomas missed the ball, Tom Roberts took the ball and fired it into the bottom corner of the net.

Twenty minutes into the second half the Saints were level once more. Will Evans, who had only come on as a sub just a minute earlier, ran down the right and cut in from the byline and his cross hit the Felinfoel keeper and bounced just over the line before it was kicked away.

The Saints were now on top and they came close to scoring from a corner soon after. A shot was blocked wide for another corner but Saints players were convinced the ball had hit a hand. Their vehement protests were waved away by the referee.

There was another chance for Nathan Evans as a free kick was played short but his shot was blocked before being tipped over by the Felinfoel keeper.

Will Evans then cut inside from the right and curled the ball towards goal but he watched agonisingly as his effort went inches wide of the angle of crossbar and post.

He had another chance to win two minutes before the end when the ball fell to him at the back post but he shot into the side netting.

That was the last of the action in the 90 minutes and it meant extra time would be needed to separate the sides.

The home side had another penalty appeal waved away early on in the first period of extra time but neither were able to find a goal.

In the second period of extra time, Steven Evans played in Nathan Evans whose shot from the edge of the box went in off the post.

Felinfoel looked for a late goal which would have taken the game to penalties but James saw a free kick go over the bar.

Nicky Morgan then won a free kick for the away side wide on the left, despite Jason Baxter appearing to get the ball, but they were unable to find the net.

Craig Lewis saw a shot go wide for Felinfoel who then sent up keeper Andrews for the resulting corner.

However, they were unable to score as the Saints held on for an excellent win.