ONLY Croesyceiliog and Abertillery Bluebirds posted Nathaniel League Cup victories, while Aberbargoed Buds’ MacWhirter Welsh League progress was halted by an injury to their match referee.

The Buds travelled to the capital to face struggling Pentwyn Dynamos, seeking a win which could have taken them above county rivals Goytre into second place in the Division Three table.

By the 55th minute matters were going the way of manager John Lewis’ side, which was 1-0 ahead thanks to a goal from Benny Preece.

However, after the match official failed to respond to treatment on an ankle strain from the Buds’ physio, the match was abandoned..

“The referee fell over one of several potholes on the pitch,” said Lewis, whose team was on course to post a fifth clean sheet of the season.

“Beforehand, the referee had asked Pentwyn officials to fill some of them it, but there were obviously a few that they missed.

“The outcome was very frustrating. We were doing well and certainly going in the right direction.”

Croesyceiliog bridged a section gap by lowering the colours of Bridgend-based Bettws at their Woodland Road HQ, where Callum Miles struck the winner by finishing off a fine passing move to put his side into the last 16.

“We are obviously delighted to make it through and there’s no doubt that we were thoroughly deserving victors,” said Croesyceiliog chief Gareth Morgan, again minus suspended leading goal-scorer Jody Jenkins.

“It’s always very satisfying to get into the next round and we’ve done that, so we’re looking forward to getting a favourable draw.”

Also in the hat for tonight’s draw are Abertillery Bluebirds, who demolished hosts and Division Three rivals Pontyclun 5-1.

Goals flowed throughout for the Bluebirds, with Adam Bishop grabbing two and Lewis Clark, Brett Morgan and Luke Lewis also on target.

However, making exits were Caldicot Town, Caerleon, Llanwern, Goytre and Monmouth Town.

Caldicot, going fairly well in Division One, started on the back of the previous Saturday’s home Welsh Cup defeat at the hands of top-level outfit Port Talbot Town when they entertained bottom-placed side Division Two club Llangeinor.

However, after missing enough chances to have buried the struggling visitors, it was Caldicot who only had Jason Thorn’s 11th goal of the campaign to show for it in a shock, 2-1 defeat at Jubilee Way.

Caerleon went out by the narrowest of margins, beaten 7-6 after a sudden-death penalty shoot-out against visiting Division One foes Cardiff Corinthians at Cold Bath Road.

In normal time, Ryan Cueto scored for Caerleon in a 1-1 after-extra-time draw with Jamie Hillier missing the crucial shoot-out spot kick.

Llanwern, of Division Two, were again vastly understrength for their visit to Port Talbot to face Division One table-toppers Goytre United.

However, Llanwern acquitted themselves well enough to go into added time 3-2 ahead thanks to goals from Tom Hooper (2) and Michael Vaux.

However, the former champions equalised in the 93rd minute before going on to score twice more in extra time to complete a 5-3 success.

“We thought we’d done enough when taking the lead with only five minutes left, so to be denied by such a late equaliser is very, very disappointing,” remarked Llanwern boss Laurence Owen.

Goytre had a two-section gap to fill in visting mid-table Division One outfit Bryntirion Athletic, managed by former Cwmbran Town striker Francis Ford.

But although Chris Pritchard and Rob Surtees scored goals that looked certain to take the tie into extra time, the home team secured a 3-2 victory with a last-minute effort.

Monmouth Town entertained AFC Llwydcoed in a Division Two v Three clash, and the hosts were left kicking themselves for wasting enough goal-scoring opportunities to have won several matches – but instead slipped to a hugely disappointing 3-2, after-extra-time defeat.

The Kingfishers got off to a flying start through veteran striker Phil Tranter’s 14th league and cup goal of the season on eight minutes.

However, he and others went on to pass over many fine chances against the visitors, who played the entire 30 minutes of extra time with 10 men following the 90th-minute dismissal of defender Stuart Evans for a rash challenge on Andrew Smith.

Monmouth also struck the woodwork three times as opposed to Llwydcoed’s once, and while it has to be reported that the visitors were also wasteful in front of goal on several occasions, there’s little doubt which team should have won. “We should have scored three, maybe four times in the first half and towards the end of the first period of extra time, we had at least another four good chance,” pointed out joint Monmouth manager Barrie Burns, who shares the dug-out duties with Robin Pick.

“Their striker (Richard Dennis) scored a very good goal to win the game, to be fair. However, this is certainly one which got away.”

In league encounters, Cwmbran Celtic, Tredegar Town and Newport YMCA all picked up Division Two points, while there was a welcome Division Three success for Risca Town.

For Celtic, it couldn’t have been any tougher than a trip to face leaders Penrhiwceiber Rangers without first-choice goalkeeper Tom Morgan.

However, a goal from striker Shane Williams earned them parity in a 1-1 draw to maintain their second spot.

Tredegar returned to winning ways and up to seventh position after goals from Ian Pettit (2) and Neil Mathison gained a 3-1 home win over strugglers Maesteg Park, while Arron Pewtner netted for 11th-placed YMCA in a 1-1 away draw against the students of UWIC.

Risca needed a confidence-boosting win from their Division Three basement battle at bottom-placed Garw – and got it thanks to a 2-0 win with goals from Gary Moores and Liam Havard .

- This week’s MacWhirter Welsh League fixtures involving Gwent clubs. Wednesday (7.00pm kick-off): Division Two – Llanwern v Cardiff Bay Harlequins. Friday (7.30pm kick- offs, unless stated): Division One – Afan Lido v Caldicot Town. Division Two – Cwmbran Town v Porthcawl Town. Division Three – Pontypridd Town v Aberbargoed Buds (7.00pm). Sunday (2.00pm): Gwent Senior Cup, first round – Newport Civil Service (holders) v Cwmbran Celtic (winners to host Abertillery Bluebirds in semi-final).

- Hotshots: 17 – Ross Fowler (Aberbargoed Buds). 14 – Phil Tranter (Monmouth Town). 13 – Jody Jenkins (Croesyceiliog). Scott Lanyon (Cwmbran Celtic). 12 – Gareth Cullimore (Caldicot Town). 11 – Jason Thorn (Caldicot Town). 10 – Owen Goodenough (Abertillery Bluebirds); Marcus Power (Llanwern). 9 – Graham Mason (Goytre). 7 – Owen Llewellyn (Cwmbran Celtic); Chris Watkins (Goytre). 6 – Matthew Bowen (Monmouth Town); Lewis Clark (Abertillery Bluebirds); Liam Havard (Risca United); Brendan Scott (Newport UMCA, 6 for Risca United) Richard Sharratt (Caldicot Town); Shane Williamson (Cwmbran Celtic). 5 – Daniel Bailey (Newport Civil Service); Daniel Edwards (Newport YMCA); Elliot Ford (Monmouth Town); Craig Jolliffe (Goytre); Matthew Lawrence (Newport Civil Service); Kristian Powell (Cwmbran Town); Benny Preece (Aberbargoed Buds); Luke Sallis (Cwmbran Celtic). 4 – Michael Aviss (Llanwern); Adam Bishop (Abertillery Bluebirds); Luke Lewis (Abertillery Bluebirds); David Lloyd (Caldicot Town); Sean Matthews (Cwmbran Celtic); Mark Williams (Caldicot Town).