Throwback: An emotive tale of our last Cymru Premier European Play-Off place final. (initially written in 2023)

Going into the game the club had put on two supporters buses going up. Both clubs had agreed to make the event Free to Enter. If I thought Cardiff Met felt like a final the week before, then this was a World Cup Final. I had never seen so many fans at a Cymru Premier League game. There were swathes of red Newtown shirts about. But to be fair to us, there were loads of blue shirts around too. The attendance was a magnificent 1826. Not just filled with blues and reds, but other Cymru Premier fans and groundhoppers too. This was an event not to be missed!

Everyone at Latham Park was fantastic. I can't stress that enough. The staff and their fans were a credit to them and the league. Unfortunately for them though, we didn't want them to have a happy end to their season. 

The game starts brilliantly. Our football genius, Jordan Davies gets us in front. Elation. But before half time Newtown equalised and it had been coming. 

The second half was tight and we did everything to stay in the game. Newtown had a lot of the ball but weren't doing much with it. 

Full time. 1-1. Again, like Cardiff Met, an away draw at Newtown would be a brilliant point earned. But not today. 

Extra Time was painful. We were doing everything to keep them out. The sunshine was beating down in Powys and this had an effect on everyone. Both sets of players looked exhausted puffing and panting with red faces. If there was going to be a winner in extra time, it wouldn’t have been down to skill, it would have been a fluke goal/own goal.

We hold on.

After Extra Time 1-1. The Play Off Final Trophy and a place in the Europa Conference League would be decided by spot kicks.

Whatever happened it would be a disservice to either team to come away with a loss. Both teams were equal to whatever the other had thrown at them. However, football is a ruthless game, and often is not fair.

A mixture of dread and optimism hits at the same time. Football must be the only thing that you dedicate your life to but want a lot of the time to go quickly!

The penalties are taking place behind the goal we were already behind. So no rushing like last week. 

The difference this time is that there are a lot more red shirts behind the goal than the handful of Met fans last week. 

Here we go, the spot kicks. Prayers are being said to any deity that would listen. 

Aaron Williams of Newtown starts…saved by Zac Jones. Straight down the middle! A brilliant start.

Captain Fantastic, Dylan Rees, steps up for the blues. Slotted in the corner. Great penalty 0-1. Newtown legend Dave Jones almost saved the goal. 

Craig Williams. Captain of the Robins steps up. Zac Jones is dancing on the line again. Finding inspiration from Jens Lehmann for Arsenal in the mid 2000’s perhaps.  Goal. Same corner as Dylan's. 

Jack Leahy steps up for us. On loan from Cardiff City Academy. His addition in January was a great bonus.  Again scores in the same corner as the previous two penalties. 1-2 we lead. 

Callum Roberts is next for the Robins. Good penalty to Zac's left. Despite his team trailing in the shootout he decides to try and stare us out. Odd. Penalty shootouts are a psychological test more than skill at times. Whatever he thought worked I suppose!

Our football genius is next. Top Welsh goal scorer this season in the league with 14 goals. He laughs with our Kiwi and Dave Jones too. This fella just loves football. And we love him too. Massive run up. Scores to the keepers right. 2-3 we lead. 

Henry Cowans is next. He has to score to keep them in it. Wide! Totally off target and we celebrate like we've just scored. 

Murmurs start getting louder from fans trying to work out what the score is. 

‘If we score do we win?’, 

‘Is this actually going to happen?’ 

‘Who’s gonna take it?’

Local boy Ben Fawcett’s turn. It's written in the stars surely? A player through the academy who has made himself a name in this league. One previously linked with Cymru Premier giants TNS. A goal scorer and a hero for Bluebirds fans. Fawcey had missed a lot of the second half of the season due to a stomach issue.

Is this the time for the blues?

Steps up.  

Saved. 

Fuck!

But it's still 3-2 to the Bluebirds. 

Nigel Aris for the Robins has to score. He does and it's a great penalty. Cool and down the middle. 3-3. 

The last penalty of the normal shootout falls to Haverfordwest cult hero. Our Rhondda Paul Scholes. One of the nicest guys in football you'll meet. The man who has been so instrumental to our successes this season. 

If he scores, we win. 

He looks cool stepping up. 

I can't breathe and the world seems to move in slow motion. 

Flashbacks of the loss to Cardiff Met in Nicky's final game, losing to Trethomas Bluebirds, Jack Wilson's undeserved red card versus Bala spin through my mind. I think of the angry away trips home on Boxing Day after losing to Pontypridd and the long journeys home from Caernarfon after being humbled by better performances. 

I also think about where our journey started. On that Friday night in August 2021 versus Cardiff Met; where I had no idea who anyone was or what was to come. The place I now called home and the people I now call family. 

I think of more experiences I've had as a Bluebird: watching win after win, spending so much money on flags, merchandise and petrol. Of spending so much time in the clubhouse afterwards, drinking and blacking out on New Year's Eve. My life as a Bluebird has been a whirlwind. Half a second later I'm transported back to real time behind this goal in Latham Park. 

Can Corey Shephard do it? 

I hear that Titanic music in the distance again. 

He runs up. 

HE ONLY GOES AND BLOODY SCORES! 

HAVERFORDWEST HAVE WON THE PLAY OFF FINAL. WE QUALIFY FOR EUROPE!!

Corey Shephard, seren y gem, seren y sioe, seren fy nghalon!

Tony Pennock’s Blue and White Army have done it.

The feeling is nothing like I've felt before. I scream and cheer and I find myself like many other blues fans running onto that pitch in jubilation to celebrate with our heroes. 

Hugs and celebrations are exchanged between fans and players. Corey Shephard is swearing live on Sgorio and a youngster is pretending to swig a bottle of champagne behind him. 

We watch Captain Fantastic lift that silver trophy and we continue to celebrate some more. 

This is what football is all about. It's watching your local team through thick and thin and supporting them to the hilt. Elite multi millionaire football clubs and players who don’t give a damn about their clubs or fans can jog on. This is the best feeling you can ever have.

To quote a legendary manager,

“This is Football Heritage”.

Seren fy nghalon, Corey Shephard! Picture belongs to Sam Eaden, FAW

Picture belongs to Sam Eaden, FAW.