CONNAH’S QUAY NOMADS saw their hopes of a domestic treble ended as they were beaten for the first time on home soil since March last year.

Nomads were chasing a fifth successive semi-final appearance in the competition, but Cardiff Met had other ideas as they secured a 2-1 away win.

George Horan had given Nomads the lead, but that lasted just eight minutes as Chris Baker levelled on the stroke of half-time, before Will Evans secured Met’s victory just past the hour mark.

Nomads’ boss Andy Morrison was frustrated by his side’s failure to make the most of their first-half chances with the wind in their favour.

“The way we are playing at the minute, I think the result of games will reflect the chances we get that we don’t take. That summed it up,” said Morrison, whose side are four points clear at the top of the Cymru Premier table and have already lifted the League Cup.

“In the first-half, we’ve had five or six good chances, we’ve scored one and then conceded a dreadful goal right on half-time, which changes the game.

“We’ve made a mistake for their second goal and then we just kept probing, but it is so difficult.

“Hindsight is perfect vision and for me we knew the wind was going to increase and maybe we should have gone against it, easy after the event, I know.

“The game would probably have been suffocated in the first 25 minutes and then you are looking to get to half-time and we know we would have battered them in the second-half - like we did in the first-half - and the game is different.

“Credit to them, they dealt with things well, they rode their luck in the first-half - like you need to - and when their chance came along they took it.

“Great credit to them, but our results will reflect our finishing and our finishing was poor.”

Nomads’ striker Jamie Insall was remaining calm despite his side’s setback, tweeting: “Highs and lows in football .. but take the rough with the smooth .. still a lot to play for.”

While Nomads came unstuck, holders The New Saints cruised into the last four by thumping Newtown 6-1.

Dean Ebbe was the star of the show, especially in the first period, as he struck four times in the opening 37 minutes of the contest at Park Hall.

Joe Kenton pulled a goal back for Newtown, who won 2-1 in the corresponding league fixture last month, but Saints responded immediately though Danny Redmond before Kurtis Byrne made it six moments before the end of the contest.

Saints’ boss Scott Ruscoe was delighted with his side’s return to winning ways after starting the second phase of the top-flight campaign with two defeats and a draw.

“I thought we were excellent in the first-half, everything we seemed to hit went in, the goals from Dean Ebbe were fantastic and our overall game was pleasing,” said Ruscoe.

“It’s always better to win games than lose games.”

Flint Town United’s bid to reach the last four with victory over Prestatyn fell foul to the wet weather, but the duo will try again at the Essity Stadium tomorrow evening.