Caernarfon beat Met to reach Euro play-off final
Caernarfon Town booked their place in the Cymru Premier European play-off final with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Cardiff Met.
Following a goalless draw in regular time, Swansea City loanee Ben Hughes saved spot-kicks from Eliot Evans and Matt Chubb as the Canaries won 4-2 on penalties to set up a tie with Haverfordwest County in the final on 18 May.
Richard Davies' side dominated long periods of the opening half at The Oval without overly troubling the Archers.
Despite a brief improvement from Met, who had not won away from home in the league since September, the Canaries continued to look the likelier to bulge the net in the second half in north Wales.
Substitute Josh Lock caused the visitors numerous problems, and Paulo Mendes also headed wide.
Following a stoic defensive effort from the away side, goalkeeper Hughes had to produce two vital saves to deny Ryan Reynolds and Thomas Vincent in quick succession late on to send the tie to a shootout.
Louis Lloyd, Lock, Morgan Owen and Jake Canavan all scored their penalties for the hosts while Jack Veale and Lewis Rees netted from 12 yards out for the visitors, with Hughes' two saves proving decisive.
Caernarfon now target a spot in the first qualifying round of the Uefa Conference League for the second year running as they battle it out with Haverfordwest - who ended the regular season in third - in the final.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fiorentina announce Nottingham Forest friendly on English tour
Fiorentina have announced they will play a pre-season friendly against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on August 5 as part of an English tour. The match will kick off at 19.45 UK time at the City Ground Stadium in Nottingham. Advertisement Both teams can use this as a way of warming up for the Europa Conference League play-offs, which will be played later that month. Fiorentina pre-season plans SEVILLE, SPAIN – MAY 01: David De Gea of Fiorentina speaks to the media during an interview prior to the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg match between Real Betis Balompie and ACF Fiorentina at Estadio Benito Villamarin on May 01, 2025 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by) The Viola will begin pre-season training at the Viola Park from July 14 to 27, during which they'll play friendly matches against Grosseto and Carrarese. They'll then fly to England to continue preparations, organising the Nottingham Forest clash on August 5 and a test against Manchester United at Old Trafford on August 9. The team returns to Florence for a match against Japan University FA on August 14. Although it is not yet official, Fiorentina will be under the guidance of coach Stefano Pioli this season, as he returns to the club after his brief stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr. He had already been their coach from 2017 to 2019.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Nice boy' Enzo Fernandez ‘will be even better next season'
'Nice boy' Enzo Fernandez 'will be even better next season' – Maresca Enzo Fernandez has been backed to get even better next season by Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca as he prepares to face former club Benfica. The 24-year-old midfielder struggled to match the £106.8 million transfer fee the Blues shelled out to buy him from the Portuguese outfit in January 2023, putting in a series of underwhelming performances in his first two years at Stamford Bridge. Advertisement But Fernandez was arguably Chelsea's best player in the back half of the 2024/25 term, finishing the campaign with eight goals as the team won the Uefa Conference League and qualified for next season's Champions League. The Argentina international has taken his good form to the FIFA Club World Cup, where he scored the opener against LAFC and created two goals against Esperance in their final group game. His 11 goal involvements (4G, 7A) are more than any other Premier League player combined since the end of April. Fernandez will be reunited with Benfica in the round of 16 as Chelsea bid to win more silverware. Read – Stat shows growing Enzo Fernandez importance at Chelsea Maresca: Enzo Fernandez 'will be even better next season' 'I'm very pleased with Enzo, especially because, first of all, he's a nice boy. He's polite, he's a good boy,' Maresca said in his pre-match press conference. Advertisement 'Then he's worked very well in all aspects inside the pitch, outside the pitch. Our struggle at the beginning was (for him) to understand the way we want to play. 'But he is doing fantastic in terms of numbers, goal assists. This is what we want from our attacking players. 'I've said many times that I prefer to have the attacking players score 10-12 goal each, rather than just a striker with 40 goals. 'So his contribution this season has been top and I am sure next season will be even better.' Fernandez was linked with a move to Real Madrid in May, but Maresca dismissed the possibility of a deal at the time. Advertisement The former River Plate star was at the centre of a controversy after he filmed the Argentina national team singing a derogatory chant about France striker Kylian Mbappe after winning the Copa America last summer. Chelsea released a statement condemning the 'racist and discriminatory' song and instigated an internal disciplinary procedure against Fernandez. Read – Newcastle and Brighton in transfer 'talks' as £50m bid for Chelsea target rejected See Also – Chelsea boss reveals transfer stance on defensive duo amid exit speculation Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Man United now on brink of sealing £32m deal after Fabrizio Romano issues Wednesday morning ‘here we go'
Manchester United could well be in luck if one transfer is finalised in the coming hours. This morning, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed — via his usual 'here we go' statement — that Real Betis have agreed the terms of Johnny Cardoso's move to Atletico Madrid in a deal worth upwards of £25.5 million. When the switch gets over the line, it'll directly pave the way for Betis to ignite their pursuit of Antony, who has his sights set on a return to the La Liga outfit following his half-season loan spell. Antony was a mainstay under Manuel Pellegrini from the minute he joined. (Photo by) The winger is so adamant about repaying Betis' faith in him with a more long-term deal that he has already rebuffed interest from a handful of unnamed teams and Como, making it clear his heart is set on extending his stay at the Villamarin Stadium. Additionally, he is willing to take a 30 per cent pay cut to ensure the club can register him this summer. United have opened the door to Antony's departure, having conceded the player is simply not cut out for the Premier League after a lacklustre two-and-a-half seasons. The Reds would need to recoup around £32.58m from his sale to avoid a PSR hit. After swapping Manchester for Seville in January, Antony enjoyed a new lease of life with Los Verdiblancos. He made 26 appearances in total across all competitions, scoring nine goals and assisting a further five, whilst also playing an integral role in Betis reaching the UEFA Conference League final and securing a spot in the Europa League via a sixth-placed finish. More Stories / Latest News Man United now on brink of sealing £32m deal after Fabrizio Romano issues Wednesday morning 'here we go' Jun 25 2025, 8:33 Alongside Mbeumo: United consider rivalling Everton for surprise midfielder with 220 PL appearances Jun 25 2025, 7:20 The Guardian: £40m Man Utd wantaway edges closer to 'dream' move after league champions begin exploring deal Jun 25 2025, 6:30
