Newtown manager Chris Hughes is bracing himself for a battle of the underdogs in next weekend’s all-or-nothing Cymru Premier European Play-Off final against Caernarfon Town.
The Robins booked their place in next Saturday’s final at The Oval in dramatic fashion when a late winning goal from Jamie Breese helped them overcome the Play-Off’s highest-seeded team Penybont.
With the two sides cancelling each other out amidst difficult conditions, the goalless tie appeared destined to be heading into extra-time until Breese struck in the 87th minute to stun the home side.
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Both of the top-seeded teams in the play-offs have failed to reach the final after Barry Town crashed out to Caernarfon.
Hughes believes his side deserved their win: “With the conditions and wind and rain in our faces, it was always about seeing the first-half off and getting in at 0-0. In the second-half we got a bit more of a grip of the game, and I thought you could see us starting to get on top.”
“Jamie Breese has gone one on one with the goalkeeper [leading up to the goal] but the goal came from a build-up of pressure. It’s a good block from their lad but he showed a bit of composure and stuck it into the bottom corner. Then in the last eight or nine minutes, with added time, it was just about seeing the game out and I think we dealt with that quite comfortably. We managed the game and got over the line.
“I think everyone expected Penybont and Barry to go through, so the fact that it’s a Caernarfon v Newtown is good with the two underdogs to meet in the final,” he told Dai-Sport.
A qualification place in Uefa’s new Europa Conference League competition awaits the winners but Hughes says his side will need to be ready for another difficult test against Caernarfon.
“I’m expecting a hardworking organised side,” he said. “When you come up against Huw Griffiths’ side’s you’ve got to be switched on tactically. It wouldn’t surprise me if he changes the tactics and how his team played from Saturday – he’ll change game to game based on the opposition and we’ve got to be ready for that.
“It’ll be a great occasion. After Game 22, we were sitting in ninth-position and nine-points off seventh-place and I don’t think anyone gave us a hope in hell. We went to Aberystwyth, scored late on and kicked on from there.
“Some of our performances in the second phase have been very good, Sunday was slightly different, we had to be nice and solid and compact and show we can defend and Caernarfon will be a tough game, no bones about that.”
“We had an experience five or six years ago which was fantastic and we want that again. When you get into Europe, it’s a feather in the cap for everyone – the players, the staff and it’ll mean a lot,” he added.
“It’d probably mean as much if not more this time around considering where we’ve been and come from then – to be ninth. To be one game away from Europe speaks volumes for what’ve we got at our football club and we just need do it one more time again on Saturday and we’ll be in Europe again.
“We’re respectful of our opposition, we acknowledge the fact they’ve got good players. They were very impressive against Barry Town and I thought they were excellent, so it should be set-up for a good game.”
Featured image courtesy of John Smith/FAW
