Latest news with #RhysGriffiths
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ten-man Penybont bow out of Europe
Ten-man Penybont have been knocked out of Europe after a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Lithuania's Kauno Zalgiris. Penybont trailed 3-0 after the first leg of the Uefa Conference League first qualifying round, leaving them a mountain to climb on their return to Cardiff. The task became even bigger when Aldayr Hernandez found the back of the net with a free header from a corner after just 13 minutes. The Cyrmu Premier side hit straight back when former Newport County man Nathan Wood struck the ball into the bottom corner to level the scores. But any hopes of a comeback were severely dented when second half substitute Owain Warlow was sent off shortly after coming on for violent conduct. Penybont had a shout for a penalty and also came close with a Chris Venables effort while goalkeeper Adam Armstrong pulled off a remarkable double save to deny the Lithuanian side. This result, as well as Haverfordwest's loss to Malta's Floriana, leaves The New Saints as Wales' only representation left in European football this season. They will face Differdange of Luxembourg. Penybont manager Rhys Griffiths said: "I've learned some stuff. I think I made a mistake in the first game being a bit too aggressive probably. "Not to make excuses, we're playing against a team with an €11m budget a year, that's probably six, seven times what TNS's is. "So it was always going to be a tall order, but I'm really proud of the way we competed with them."
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Penybont beaten away in Lithuania in Conference League
Penybont endured a difficult evening and a blow to their hopes of advancing as they suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Lithuania's Kauno Zalgiris in the Uefa Conference League first qualifying round first Cymru Premier side's preparations had been disrupted when their luggage had been lost on route to lost luggage included the squad's boots, and the travelling party had to hastily buy replacements, before being returned to them on Thursday Griffiths' side made a positive start to the away leg played at the Central Stadium in Jonava due to Kauno's home being unavailable due to a Guns N' Roses were were given a let off when a Kauno has a goal ruled out for the Lithuanian side went ahead on 18 minutes with Gabe Kircough conceding into his own net after good work by Amine doubled their lead six minutes later with captain Gratas Sirgėdas curving in a free-kick from the right hand side which went over the head of keeper Luke fell further behind a minute after the break with Damjan Pavlović netting from Fabien Ourega's pull misery was compounded with 25 minutes remaining when Mael Davies was sent-off after receiving a second yellow second leg will be played at Cardiff International Sports Stadium on 17 July as their own SDM Glass Stadium does not meet Uefa winners will face Valur from Iceland or Estonian side Flora Tallinn in the second qualifying round.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Penybont lose luggage, boots and all, ahead of European tie
Welsh side Penybont's preparations for their Uefa Conference League qualifier in Lithuania have been disrupted after losing their luggage lost luggage included the squad's boots and the travelling party had to hastily buy replacements from a store in the Lithuanian capital who qualified for Europe after finishing second in last season's Cymru Premier, face Kauno Zalgiris in Thursday's first qualifying round first leg.A post on the club's X account confirmed that their luggage had not arrived but that the "New boots broken in."Rhys Griffiths' side are appearing in the Conference League for the second time having made their debut in the competition in 2023.
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Penybont to keep 'knocking on the door'
Manager Rhys Griffiths "just felt nauseous" while waiting to discover whether his Penybont side would reach this season's Conference League. "There was so much riding on it," he said of May's Welsh Cup final between The New Saints and Connah's had spent the previous eight months trying to beat the Saints to the Cymru Premier they missed out, finishing second, Griffiths' men were left looking to TNS for a favour. The complex nature of Welsh football's European qualification meant Penybont needed TNS to beat the Nomads to ensure they would be in the Conference League first qualifying round once the best supported side in the Cymru Premier last season, streamed the final at their clubhouse in Bridgend, with fans and players rooting for the most successful team in domestic Welsh game went Penybont's way as TNS triumphed 2-1 - though the result was too tight for Griffiths' liking."I was just in some kind of haze, it was probably the most nervous I've been watching a football match, including ones I've managed and played in," he added. A couple of months on, Griffiths is preparing his team for Thursday's first qualifying round fist leg tie against Kauno Zalgiris in Lithuania (17:00 BST), with the second leg to follow at the Cardiff International Sports Campus seven days later. Griffiths is one of the most prolific goalscorers in Welsh domestic football history, having bagged a record seven consecutive Cymru Premier golden boot awards for Llanelli.A former fireman, he started his managerial career at Penybont in 2016, and has since guided the club to an unbeaten promotion season, five consecutive finishes in the Cymru Premier's European play-off places and on two European these achievements, his work at Penybont is not over."When we were trying to get out of the Cymru South competing with TNS seemed like a distant dream, but it is one now that is the next step for us," he said."As a club we have just got to make sure that we keep knocking on the door in a sustainable way." Will Guns N' Roses have an impact on the tie? Penybont's trip to Lithuania has been given an added complication thanks to some American rock first leg will be played at Central Stadium in Jonava, not Zalgiris' regular Darius and Girenas Stadium, because Guns N' Roses are playing there that way, Penybont fans - known as the Bont Bank - will travel in their usual numbers."I know people say it all the time but they're literally like a twelfth man," Penybont midfielder Owen Pritchard have changed in football since Griffiths scored a hat-trick in Llanelli's Intertoto Cup tie against another Lithuanian outfit, Vetra Vilnius, in 2007."I've played in Lithuania twice in the Uefa Cup when I was a bit younger and it's a lot easier [to prepare] now than it was then," Griffiths said."When I was playing you had to fly out to know anything [about the opposition]." Preparation is a lot easier now, thanks to technology, with Griffiths doing plenty of homework as he bids to deliver the victory which would set up a tie with Iceland's Valur or Estonia's Flora Tallinn in the next round."Two days after the draw I'd already watched them in three games," Griffiths years ago Zalgiris played TNS in the same competition, and were thumped 10-1 on has spoken to Anthony Limbrick, who was TNS boss at the time, as part of his preparation."He said to me they were a real threat, they had good players and they were a good team," Griffiths said. "Whilst he thought TNS deserved to win, he said 10-1 was probably unfair to them."Despite TNS' past success, Griffiths says Penybont are "clear underdogs" as they face a side featuring a number of Lithuanian internationals. "They're the seeded team, they're the team with I think 12 games in Europe [behind them] and we are the team with two," he added."They are the full-time team halfway through their league at the top, we are the team that has played two friendlies so far and are part-time."
Cambrian News
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cambrian News
The hills are alive with the sound of robots
'Despite the interest in the robot, I suspect that the two shire horses shown by the Caernarfon Royal Welsh Ambassador, Rhys Griffiths will still steal the show. Shire horses were an integral part of farming life, and we are grateful to Rhys for bringing these majestic animals to Hafod y Llan.'
