Haverfordwest County host Caernarfon Town in the JD Cymru Premier European Play-Off Final at Ogi Bridge Meadow on Sunday 18 May (KO 17:10).
With champions The New Saints and runners-up Penybont already qualified for Europe, the Bluebirds and Canaries will battle it out to be the league’s third and final representative on the continent in 2025/26.
Here is all the pre-match insight ahead of a huge game in Pembrokeshire.
Haverfordwest County v Caernarfon Town
The season so far
Despite playing their first nine home games of the season 30 miles away in Carmarthen, Haverfordwest have enjoyed one of their best ever top-flight campaigns.
A third-place finish is their joint-highest placing in the JD Cymru Premier – last achieved in 2004 – while they held the title of the league’s best defence by conceding just 26 goals in 32 matches. However, they won just two of their 10 matches in Phase Two and head into Sunday without a victory in six games.
The New Saints’ JD Welsh Cup win meant that Haverfordwest secured an automatic place in the Play-Off final with home advantage – a blessing in many ways but it also means that Tony Pennock’s side have not played for four weeks since their 3-1 loss to TNS in the final game of the regular league season.
While other clubs have suffered hangovers from European campaigns in previous seasons, Caernarfon have had no such issue after their exploits on the continent last summer.
The Cofis finished fourth in the table with 48 points – their joint-highest placing in the JD Cymru Premier and biggest points tally in the top-flight since 1998/99.
Louis Lloyd’s four-goal haul helped Richard Davies’ side come from behind to win 5-2 against Barry Town United in the Play-Off quarter-final, before they overcame Cardiff Met on penalties in the semi-final after a goalless draw in 90 minutes.
Head-to-head
The last three meetings between the two sides have finished level, most recently a 1-1 draw at Ogi Bridge Meadow at the end of March, after Haverfordwest won 2-1 at The Oval in their first encounter this season.
In fact, the Bluebirds are unbeaten in their previous seven games against the Cofis, who have not won on their last three trips to Pembrokeshire since November 2021.
Play-Off record
This is only Haverfordwest’s second appearance in the Play-Offs, after they memorably qualified for Europe via this route two years ago.
The Bluebirds had finished seventh in the regular season, but penalty shootout wins away from home against Cardiff Met and then Newtown set up the club’s first European adventure for almost two decades.
No team in JD Cymru Premier history has won more European Play-Off matches than Caernarfon, who have five victories from seven games – plus two more wins when the Play-Offs earned qualification for the Scottish Challenge Cup in 2022.
The Cofis qualified for Europe for the first time in their history when they triumphed 3-1 over Penybont in last season’s Play-Off final at The Oval, having beaten Cardiff Met in the semi-finals a week earlier.
Players to watch
Ben Ahmun – Haverfordwest County
Arriving from Pontypridd United last summer, Ahmun has spearheaded Haverfordwest’s attack this season with 11 goals and six assists in 31 league appearances. Two of those goals came against Caernarfon and he has won more games against the Cofis (eight) than any other side in his career.
Louis Lloyd – Caernarfon Town
The former Wrexham forward has been nominated for both the JD Cymru Premier Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards this week after bagging 16 goals to share the golden boot in the regular campaign before netting four against Barry in the Play-Off quarter-final.
Match Officials
Referee: Bryn Markham-Jones
Assistant Referee 1: Lewiss Edwards
Assistant Referee 2: Connor Thomas
Fourth Official: John Jones
Venue
Ogi Bridge Meadow, Haverfordwest County’s home since the 1990s, hosts Sunday’s Play-Off final. A new 3G playing surface was unveiled on New Year’s Day after the Bluebirds spent the first half of this season playing their home games at the LHP Stadium in Carmarthen.
Ogi Bridge Meadow
Ticket information
Tickets can be bought online here. They are priced at £8.00 for an adult, £5.00 for a concession (65+) and £2.00 for anyone Under-16.
Supporters wishing to purchase their tickets in-person can visit Ogi Bridge Meadow on Friday 16 May between 1pm and 5:30pm.
TV coverage
The Play-Off final will be live on S4C from 5pm on Sunday, with commentary available in both in English and in Welsh. S4C is on channel 104 on Sky, Freesat and Virgin TV in Wales. In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, S4C is on Sky 134, Freesat 120 and Virgin TV 164.
The game will also be available to watch on S4C Clic, alongside Sgorio’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
You can also keep up to date with the game by following it on our Match Centre as well as the Cymru Football app which is available on both iOS and Android.
