West Wales Intermediate Cup Round Three:

Hakin United 6-2 Seaside

A SCINTILLATING last 21 minutes from Hakin secured their spot in the next round as they struck four times to see off 10-man Seaside at The Obs.

In truth, Kristan Bennett’s side would have been disappointed to have been level at 2-2 at the break, as despite their dominance, great goals from Justin Harding and Ben Fawcett were cancelled out by Lee Stone and Curtis Price.

But after Jamie Bowen was sent off for the Carmarthenshire Premier League side, The Vikings peppered the visitors’ goal, and another fantastic Fawcett strike was complimented by further strikes from Ben Steele and Ryan and Jack Wilson.

The intensity of the tie was evident from the onset as both Hakin’s Jonty Bennett and Seaside’s Bowen were booked for dangerous tackles – before the home side fashioned the first chance when Adam John’s snap shot was tipped around the post by away keeper Gavin Bowen.

But Bowen was to follow up that good save with a moment of madness, needlessly rushing 40 yards from his goal to take out Fawcett on the touchline, forcing referee Ken Wright to get his yellow card out again.

Fawcett then flashed a low effort across the face of goal, before Hakin took the lead 30 minutes in.

Harding picked up the ball on the right edge of the area, and expertly chipped his effort over Bowen and into the far corner.

But the advantage lasted less than five minutes, as Bennett was adjudged to have tripped Ben Honeybun in the Hakin area, and Stone sent Adrian Devonald the wrong way from the spot.

However, within moments Hakin were back ahead when Fawcett, again a real threat throughout, carried the ball upfield and unleashed a spectacular 25-yard shot then flew into the top corner.

It seemed Bennett’s men would then go in with a deserved lead at the break, but in the final seconds of injury time, his team were guilty of switching off again when Honeybun got to the by-line and drove a low cross that Price tapped in at the back post.

The Vikings began the second half in the ascendancy though, as Fawcett’s low shot cannoned back off the post and Harding volleyed wide from a Ryan Wilson cross – before Jamie Bowen received his second yellow card, and subsequent red, for dissent.

That prompted Hakin to pour more men forward, and Seaside keeper Bowen recovered to stop Harding scoring after fumbling the ball on the edge of the area, whilst Wilson and Facwett were also denied by the keeper with close range efforts.

But with 21 minutes left, the stopper was guilty of a poor error as Steele picked up the ball on the right wing, and drifted past two defenders into the area before firing a low left foot shot that Bowen let slip under his body at the near post.

And just two minutes later, the tie was made safe when Steele slipped a pass to Fawcett, who defied a tight angle to dink his right footed effort into the far corner.

Then came the turn of Ryan Wilson to add an impressive strike of his own, cutting onto his left foot 15 yard out and curling a shot that found the bet via the underside of the bar.

The Vikings were then presented with a golden chance of a sixth when Bowen picked up a back pass – and they duly took it as from the in-direct free kick Steele teed up substitute Jack Wilson to buried his shot from eight yards.

Even then Bennett’s men still pressed as the younger Wilson struck the cross bar and Steele went close with the rebound – and The Vikings will fear no one in round four as they extended their unbeaten run that now runs back to September 9th.

Hakin United: Adrian Devonald, Ben Steele, Daniel Armstrong, Jonty Bennett, Bradley Barrett, Craig Nicholson, Ben Fawcett, Ryan Wilson, Adam John, Shane Walsh, Justin Harding.

Subs: Jimmy Walker, Stuart MacDonald, Jack Wilson, Sion Price.

Seaside: Gavin Bowen, Jamie Bowen, Lee Stone, Mark Standen, Dion Davies, Christopher Dawe, Ben Honeybun, Curtis Price, Tony Lloyd, Luke Thomas, Kieran Dawe.

Subs: James Cresser, Michael Charles.