START spreading the news. Barry Town United are into the JD Welsh Cup semi-finals, after a trip to New York proved just the tonic for striker Kayne McLaggon.

Pitted against a spirited Cambrian and Clydach Vale in Saturday's televised quarter-final, McLaggon flew back across the pond that same morning in order to make the tie, after successfully proposing to his girlfriend in the Big Apple.

The sharpshooter then shrugged off any transatlantic jet-lag to bag himself an impressive hat-trick, helping his side to an entertaining 3-2 triumph at Jenner Park and setting up a semi-final showdown with fellow six-time winners TNS.

Barry's second semi-final in seven years and the seventeenth in their history will play out on the final weekend of March, at a neutral venue to be announced.

Having reaped the benefits of a home draw in each of the previous rounds, Barry began Saturday's quarter-final in formidable fashion and would take an eighth-minute lead when marksman McLaggon latched onto Jordan Cotterill's free-kick.

Seizing the initiative, there were quickly opportunities to make it two, with Robbie Patten dispatching a delightful ball over the top, allowing Cotterill to play in Jonathan Hood at the back post.

However, the path of the pass would somehow elude the former Port Talbot Town talisman, who would see a golden chance cleared off the goal line later in the half.

Having weathered the early turbulence, Cambrian struck back on the half hour, as captain Mark Crutch connected with a sweet set piece from Cameron Keetch, heading the visitors from Welsh League Division One back onto level terms.

Nevertheless, Barry remained a threat up front, with McLaggon going close to snaring his second and teammate Mo Touray forcing an excellent save from returning and long-serving Town goalkeeper Dan Bradley in the Clydach goal.

Four minutes before the break, another former Barry player made a sizable impact, as midfielder Sam Jones raced onto a through ball, beating the offside trap and rounding goalkeeper Mike Lewis to slot home, putting Cambrian 2-1 ahead.

Staring exit in the face, Barry would be forced to attack the second-half, with Pattern weaving through the Clydach midfield to tee up teammate Touray, before Bradley did enough to hold off McLaggon, whose shot was wayward.

Cotterill would also come close to scoring, but on this night the occasional leading man would shine brightest as a supporting player, helping facilitate McLaggon's terrific treble and greasing Barry's path to the semi-final stage.

After a double substitution in the 64th minute saw Troy Greening and Drew Fahiya join the fray, McLaggon rose to meet another Cotterill free-kick, nodding his header through a crowd of Clydach defenders, into the bottom corner.

The combination of Cotterill and McLaggon then came up trumps for the third time, as an incisive ball on the deck from the former neatly played in the latter, allowing McLaggon to skip by a defender and coolly complete his hat-trick.

In the 78th minute, Touray looked to put the outcome beyond doubt, but his attempt was blocked by an outstretched leg, as the 2019 Nathaniel MG Cup finalists kept their hopes of a second domestic final alive into the game's latter stages.

With ten to play, hope sprung anew for the visitors, after Jones had seen a well-taken volley whizz past Lewis' goal.

This time, it was Camilo Strinati who took aim from distance, but Lewis got down well to deny his effort and keep Barry's goal advantage intact.

From the subsequent corner, Cambrian then looked to bundle the ball over the Barry goalline, though unfortunately for the visitors, they took goalkeeper Lewis with it, with substitute Richard French penalised for the foul instead.

In the closing moments, manager Gavin Chesterfield gave a home debut to Wales U21 international Rhys Abbruzzese, though the full-back will have to wait for another day to make his mark at Jenner Park.

Though McLaggon could well have had his fourth by the end, he and his Barry teammates will be happy with the nature of their comeback victory, while conscious of the challenge now posed by professionals TNS at the end of the month.

Riding high in the JD Welsh Premier once more, the champions come to Jenner for a Phase Two league encounter on Saturday 13th April, by which time we will know which of the sides will challenge for a seventh Welsh Cup trophy.

League matters take priority again this weekend though, as Barry head up to Newtown, looking to avenge the disastrous 2-0 defeat incurred on their last visit to Latham Park in October, as late goals in either half proved the Town's undoing.

Kick-off is at 2.30pm, with second-placed TNS facing off with leaders Connah's Quay Nomads on Deeside at 5.15pm.