Penybont full of smiles despite travelling miles
PENYBONT have been putting in the miles as well as slamming in the goals in the last week and by the time they get home in the early hours of tomorrow from their trip to Flint Town United they will have covered more than 850 miles.
Last weekend they had to trek to Aberystwyth to face Bala Town in the semi-final of the JD Welsh Cup. After a goalless draw they won the penalty shoot-out to reach their first Cup final.
Three days later they went up to Newtown and won a vital JD Cymru Championship Conference game 2-1 to go level on points with Bala in second place.
Today sees them travelling even further north to face Flint in a fixture that manger Rhys Griffiths claims is a revenge mission after their visit earlier in the season.
“There has been a lot of travelling this week, but it doesn’t take its toll if you come away with the right result. So far, so good on that front,” said Griffiths.
“We got back home at 2.30am from Aberystwyth and then 1.30am after Tuesday’s victory. I don’t care what time we get back from Rhyl if we get another good result.
“The players are feeling very good and picking up points breeds confidence. The New Saints may have scooped the title already, but there is still another prize for the four other teams to chase behind them in the shape of a ticket into Europe.
“Bala and ourselves are now two points clear of Newtown, but that is nothing really. Every point you pick up puts pressure on the team below you and it is going to be extremely tight from here on in.
“We may have had a lot of travelling, but I reckon it will be the teams below us who will be feeling fatigued rather than us.”
Having fallen behind to a third-minute goal from Fumpa Mwandwe, Penybont levelled things up 10 minutes later with a goal from former Wales international Shaun MacDonald, Sam Snaith then bagged the three points with a winner in the 54th minute.
The other three teams in the top four, Bala, TNS and Newtown, all played last night, so Griffiths’ side will know full well what another win could do to their chances of getting into Europe for the first time.
In the Play-Off Conference, leaders Cardiff Met head north to meet Cefn Druids, who are still awaiting their first league win of the season, while Haverfordwest County welcome Connah’s Quay Nomads.
Meanwhile, Llantwit Major’s promotion charge in JD Cymru South will continue at Windmill Lane today when they go in search of a magnificent seventh straight win against Ammanford.
In the North, Airbus UK Broughton are still holding a five-point lead over Llandudno and have a game in hand. The Wingmakers head to lowly Prestatyn Town today for a game against a side they mauled 7-2 earlier in the season.