Penybont secured UEFA Conference League qualification for a second successive year after triumphing 2-0 over Haverfordwest County in the JD Cymru Premier Play-Off Final.
In a scrappy finale to the campaign, goals either side of half-time from Chris Venables and Mael Davies sealed Bont a deserved victory at the DragonBet Stadium.
Remarkably, Rhys Griffiths’ side had not registered a victory in 90 minutes since New Year’s Day, yet they took just 10 minutes to make their home advantage count in a blow that County failed to recover from.
Venables outmuscled Rhys Abbruzzese to reach Ethan Cann’s flick-on and drilled his finish home, despite strong suggestions he had strayed offside.
Bont looked fully deserving of their advantage however, shutting down any Haverfordwest advances to establish themselves into the contest and repeatedly testing the visitors’ resilience with a stream of aerial deliveries.
A lapse at the back almost handed Penybont a second as County were let off the hook when a simple ball over the top sent Owen Pritchard clear, only for his curling strike to crash off the post.
Yet Haverfordwest nearly stole an equaliser five minutes before half-time, Kyle Kenniford’s probing delivery from deep clipped the upright after taking a wicked deflection off Bont’s Ash Baker.
A scrappy start to the second half offered neither side any momentum, but just after the hour Penybont broke through for their second. Mael Davies drifted into space on the left side of the box and floated a cross that arced over goalkeeper Ifan Knott and dropped into the far top corner.
With time pressing on, Haverfordwest probed desperately but with little end product, while Penybont’s disciplined back line saw the hosts through the closing stages on a deeply frustrating afternoon for Tony Pennock’s men.
Penybont will now compete in the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round in July, alongside Connah’s Quay Nomads and Caernarfon Town, while The New Saints are the JD Cymru Premier’s representatives in the UEFA Champions League.
