BLAENAVON Blues advanced to the second round of the JD Welsh Cup for the first time in their history thanks to a 4-1 home over Cardiff outfit Canton on Saturday.

With heavy rain making for tough conditions, a five-minute spell midway through the first half put paid to the visitors, Nathan Watts opening the scoring on 24 minutes from a long clearance out of defence, collecting the ball on the left hand-side of goal and sqeezing home from a tight angle.

And the hosts doubled their lead two minutes later from another long clearance, this time down the right, as Alex Berrow picked up the afters from a saved Blues shot and fired home from close range.

Berrow only needed three more minutes to grab his second and make it 3-0, pouncing on a defensive error to turn his defender inside out on the right-hand edge of the box and blasting home with a left-footed shot.

The visitors pegged one back ten minutes before the break when a 25-yard shot was saved by keeper Luca Bullock only for the rebound to be played back in for Rameer Outlaw to lob the keeper.

But just three minutes into the second half, good work by Watts set up Blues’ Mike Baugh to smash the volley past the visiting keeper from 25 yards.

The visitors had one ruled out for offside, and also had a penalty brilliantly saved by Bullock.

But with time running out Canton lost skipper Curtis Griffin to a red card, and Blues were unlucky not to add to their tally of four.

And they will be hoping for home advantage again when the draw is made for round two tonight (Thursday, September 25), live on the @_fa_wales Red Wall this Thursday evening at 8pm, when the Cymru Premier teams join the competition.

Ardal South East local rivals Abergavenny Town and Goytre were without a game on Saturday.

But the Pennies' second string beat Lliswerry U21s 3-0 away on Sunday thanks to goals from Joel Ali, Morgan Dinis and Matt Price, leaving them second on goal difference to Trethomas Bluebirds in FAW Cymru Reserves South.

Blaenavon Blues 2nds were blitzed by the Lizards 2nds 5-0 away in the Gwent Premier Combination League though.

And Crickhowell suffered the same reverse at home to Ffostrasol Wanderers as they returned to the Mid Wales Emrys Morgan Cup for the first time in three decades.

The Central Wales (South) outfit scored in the third minute after breaking down the right with the cross converted by Keane Moore.

Visiting skipper Lewis Jones then headed home from Iwan Lloyd's sixth-minute corner, before a Lloyd pullback from the byline was converted by Moore just before the break.

A fourth followed on 75 minutes when a low Rogers cross from the right was fired in by Steffan Evans at the far post.

And the scoring was concluded with four minutes left when Rogers latched on to a pass from substitute Dafydd Phillips before lifting the ball over Crickhowell goalkeeper Alex Horsley.

But Clydach Wasps were 5-3 winners at Marshfield in the Gwent Premier top tier, coming back from 3-1 down with 20 minutes to play, with Corey Paton firing a hat-trick and Jordan Jones a brace.

Brynmawr United were in 11th heaven hammering visitors Pontypool Town 11-0 in GP1, Charles Davies scoring four, backed by Jack Williams and Liam Davies with braces, while Usk Town beat Oak 2-1 at home thanks to two Jordan Loydall strikes.

Glascoed were also in seventh heaven, winning 7-1 away to Pontnewynydd 2nds in Gwent Central One, Gary Phillips with a hat-trick and Andrew Lewis with a brace.

But Forgeside 2nds were on the end of a 10-0 pummelling at Penygarn & Trevethin in GC2.

Abergavenny Town host Abercarn and Goytre are home to Croesyceiliog this Friday night (September 26), while Blaenavon Blues host Risca on Saturday (September 27) afternoon.

Other Saturday fixtures include – Brynmawr United v Abertillery Excelsiors, Clydach Wasps v Panteg, Crickhowell v Caerleon, Usk Town v Cwmcarn Athletic (all Gwent County Motors Cup), Abergavenny Town Dev v Cardiff Met 2nds, Mardy v Albion Rovers, Alway v Nantyglo, PILCS 2nds v Clydach Wasps 2nds, Panteg 2nds v Crickhowell 2nds, Pontnewynydd 2nds v Mardy 2nds, Clydach Wasps 3rds v Sebastopol 2nds, Fairfield Utd Dev v Usk Town 2nds, Forgeside 2nds v Prescoed.