Andy Hill expressed his pride in Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru after their exit from the UEFA Regions’ Cup at the intermediate round stage.
After one win and two losses from their three group matches in Serbia, Hill’s side finished third in the standings – only the group winners progress to the final tournament.
Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru showed plenty of promise throughout the intermediate round, leading at one stage in all of their games, but late goals proved to be their downfall.
Alex Bonthron’s 28th-minute penalty broke the deadlock in their opening fixture against West Slovakia, but three goals conceded in the final 15 minutes earned their opponents a 3-1 win.
It was a similar story three days later against Vojvodina from Serbia, with Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru leading 2-0 after 62 minutes thanks to goals from Liam Eason and Bonthron.
However, an own goal from Josh Allen got Vojvodina back in the game before they equalised in the 85th minute and grabbed a winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time after Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru goalkeeper Jack Lansdown had been sent off.
Defeat meant that topping the group was no longer possible heading into the final game, but Hill’s team nonetheless finished on a high with a 2-1 victory against North Macedonia.
Bonthron found the net for the third consecutive match to open the scoring in the 32nd minute – the Cwmbran Celtic striker finished as the top scorer in the group – but North Macedonia equalised early in the second half. The winning goal arrived five minutes from time as Eason bagged his second of the tournament.
“It’s been an amazing learning experience and a privilege to manage this team in a UEFA tournament, it’s something that I’ll always be proud of,” Hill said.
“International tournament football has been new to us and it’s been very tactical in the three games. Winning our last game just had us thinking what could have been. We led both other games on 80 minutes but fitness and strength in depth was a major factor, especially playing against players who train every day.
“Our players, coaches and staff have bonded so well and that’s something we wanted to create to help the group function as one. This experience will no doubt make everyone better and stronger going forward.”