Zac Jones was the name on everyone’s lips at Cyncoed Campus last weekend after the Haverfordwest County goalkeeper was his side’s hero as they defeated Cardiff Met on penalties to reach the JD Cymru Premier European play-off final.
After keeping out Eliot Evans’ penalty in normal time to keep the score at 0-0, Jones saved two spot-kicks in the shootout to help the Bluebirds progress.
“I was still on a high for a couple of days after the game, but we are all really focused on the final now,” Jones says. “Goalkeepers aren’t really expected to save penalties, all of the pressure is always on the striker. I just tried to make myself as big as possible.
“Our staff do a lot of work, looking at videos, to see where the majority of players put their penalties. That information is good to have, but in the end you just have to make a decision in the moment.”
Haverfordwest fans serenaded their goalkeeper with the chant of ‘Kiwis’ number one’, referencing Jones’ New Zealand roots.
Hailing from Wellington, the 22-year-old was capped at U17 and U20 level by his country and played in New Zealand’s top tier before joining the Bluebirds in January last year. But the switch to Bridge Meadow was not as random as it may sound.
“I do have some Welsh blood in me, my grandfather is from here!” Jones explains. “When people realise, particularly with my surname, they are like ‘of course!’.
“I was staying with family in Swansea and looking for new opportunities in football. I was put in touch with Haverfordwest as I have a mutual connection with the previous manager, Nicky Hayen. It was an easy decision to come here.
“It is a more physical league than in New Zealand, so I found it difficult to begin with but I feel like I have adapted well now and I am really enjoying it.”
Jones did not make a senior appearance for Haverfordwest in 2021/22, but made his debut in a 3-0 win over Airbus UK last August. He went on to make 13 appearances in phase one, battling for the number one jersey with Lee Idzi.
It is a battle he had won by the time the split came around, as boss Tony Pennock picked the Kiwi in every game in phase two.
“I am pleased that I have managed to cement that spot, while Lee has been really supportive and positive in training. He has got heaps of experience, so I always pick his brain!”
Haverfordwest sat seventh in the JD Cymru Premier table at the end of phase one, which condemned them to the bottom half after the split. But the Bluebirds saw it as an opportunity and they won six of their 10 matches in phase two to secure a play-off spot.
“Our goal at the start of the season was to finish in the top six, so we were very disappointed not to do that,” Jones admits.
“Before the split, we sat down as a team to reassess our goals and we knew that we still had a good chance of qualifying for Europe through the play-offs if we could finish seventh. We had that target in mind throughout phase two and now we are one game away from achieving it.”
Newtown stand in the Bluebirds’ way as they attempt to qualify for Europe for only the second time in their history, after a UEFA Cup first qualifying round outing against Icelanders Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar in 2004.
A bumper crowd is expected at Latham Park thanks to a free ticket initiative mutually agreed by both clubs, befitting of the final game in this season’s top-flight calendar.
“We are looking forward to it,” Jones says. “We just want to enjoy it and get the job done, because a lot of people probably wrote us off before the play-offs started. It is great to see that the fans will turn out in their numbers, we have had a great following home and away this season.
“We know it is going to be a tough game because they have a lot of good players, but we are carrying some good momentum at the moment and the boys are full of confidence. We are fully ready for the test.
“Winning would be amazing for everyone at the club – the fans, the staff, the players. There are a lot of players in this team who haven’t played in Europe and it has been a long time since this club was in Europe so it is a great opportunity for us.”
Newtown face Haverfordwest County in the JD Cymru Premier European play-off final at Latham Park on Saturday 13 May at 5:15pm. Entry is free and tickets can be secured here.
