A FINE second-half revival at Richmond Park last night, highlighted by late goals from Raith Plant and Mike Fowler, gives the Crows a fighting chance when the team meet again in the Loosemore's League Cup quarter-final second-leg in two weeks.

Cwmbran were on the ropes at the interval when former Crow Mattie Davies had completed a hat-trick, two of the goals coming after goalkeeper Gareth Wesson's departure with a problematic back strain.

But Cwmbran refused to let their heads drop after the break and while adequately protecting stand-in stopper Jason Welsh, actually had the better of the play as heavy rain continued to lash down.

However at 3-0 down with seven minutes remaining, Cwmbran still looked out of contention in terms of the tie's second leg.

Then striker Plant, in acres of space in the home side's penalty area, blasted his first goal since his recent return before impressive midfielder Fowler fired in Cwmbran's second past a bemused Wales semi-professional goalkeeper Tony Pennock.

The goals were a thoroughly deserved reward for Cwmbran's battling second-half display and went some way to erasing the painful memory of what had happened in the opening 45 minutes.

Cwmbran, showing several changes from the side beaten 3-0 at home by Bangor City in the league last Saturday included strikers Plant and Kristian Hanbury up front, and began with midfielder Kristian Diamond making Pennock save his free kick before Wesson denied Davies at the other end.

Davies, though, soon atoned for his miss, curling a shot around Wesson after cutting in from the left. Martyn Phillips handled to present Davies with his second from the penalty spot and then sloppy defending allowed the prolific marksman all the time in the world to side-foot past an exposed Welsh to make it three.

But after coming back into the tie, the question for the Crows is whether Wesson will recover for Saturday's trip to north Wales outfit Connah's Quay Nomads?

Carmarthen Town: T Pennock, R Carter, M Giles, N Smothers, E Chiverton (D Pri ce 63), R Jones (c) (S Davies 60), L Hardy, R Kennedy, M Davies, C Lima (R Griffit hs 52), N Cotterrall. Booked: Lima (26), Cotterrall (85). Goals: Davies (17, 39 pen, 40).

Cwmbran Town: G Wesson (K James 37), M Phillips, P Coughlin, J Perry (c) , J Welsh, M Fowler, K Diamond, C Thomas, R Plant, K Hanbury (K Mohamed 61), R Hurlin. Goals: Plant (83), Fowler (87).

Referee: P Thomas (Rhondda).