It was a week of two half halves for JD Cymru Premier clubs in Europe, as The New Saints and Caernarfon Town progressed from their ties but Bala Town and Connah’s Quay Nomads were knocked out in painful fashion.
TNS reached the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2019 as they clinched a 4-1 aggregate victory against Montenegrin side FK Dečić.
Leading 3-0 from the first leg at Park Hall, Craig Harrison’s side extended their advantage shortly before half-time in Montenegro when Brad Young scored from the penalty spot – his third goal of the tie – after Ben Clark had been fouled in the box.
Dečić made it 1-1 on the night in the 72nd minute when Asmir Kajević’s shot bounced down off the bar and was adjudged to have crossed the line by VAR, but it was little more than a consolation in the tie for the hosts.
TNS will now face Hungarian champions Ferencváros in the second qualifying round and are assured of at least a place in the UEFA Conference League play-off round as they seek to become the first ever Welsh side to reach the group/league stage of a European competition.
Wednesday saw perhaps the most historic night in Caernarfon Town’s history as the Cofis defeated Crusaders on penalties in Belfast to reach the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.
Richard Davies’ side won 2-0 in the first leg at Nantporth last week and appeared to take a firm grip on the tie when Paulo Mendes volleyed home after 24 minutes at Seaview.
However, Crusaders roared back after the break, scoring twice in the first five minutes of the second half before Philip Lowry drew them level in the tie with 18 minutes remaining.
All of the momentum was with the hosts, but Caernarfon stoically held on for the remainder of the 90 and through extra-time to take the tie to a shootout.
Both sides scored their first seven efforts each before Lewis Barr and Gruff John had their strikes saved, but Caernarfon’s teenager goalkeeper Stephen McMullan – who had scored one himself – then saved again to deny Jordan Owens. It presented Marc Williams with the opportunity to win it, which he calmly took to send the travelling Cofi Army into raptures.
Caernarfon now face the challenge of former European Cup semi-finalists Legia Warsaw in the second qualifying round.
It was a night of late heartbreak on Thursday as both Bala Town and Connah’s Quay Nomads suffered agonising exits in the UEFA Conference League.
The Lakesiders travelled to Estonian side Paide Linnameeskond hoping to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg and they made the perfect start when captain Nathan Peate headed home from a corner after just 13 minutes.
The tie remained level for the remainder of the 90 to signal extra-time, but Bala’s task was made harder in the 110th minute when Alex Downes was shown a second yellow card.
Just as the game appeared to be heading for a penalty shootout, Paide’s Oskar Hoim produced a moment of stoppage time magic for his side as he unleashed a sensational strike from outside of the box into the top corner to win the tie in dramatic fashion.
Connah’s Quay Nomads were the only Welsh side playing their second leg at home as they sought to defend the 1-0 win they earned away at NK Bravo in the UEFA Conference League last week.
Both sides had plenty of chances in a feisty affair at Nantporth, but it remained goalless until the 88th minute when Nemanja Jaksic’s first-time finish past George Ratcliffe from close range broke the Nomads’ resilience and sent the tie to extra-time.
The sucker punch came in the 116th minute when Bravo found the winner, as Matej Poplatnik headed in after Martin Pecar’s free-kick had been flicked on.
