West Wales Intermediate Cup semi-final final:

 

Hakin United 1 -  St Joseph’s 0

 

A spectacular injury-time goal from Leon Luby ensured Hakin United will return to the Swansea.com stadium for the second time in three years as they beat St Joseph’s at Stebonheath Park, writes Fraser Watson.
 
After 93 minutes where both sides missed chances, Liam Parks picked up a loose ball in midfield and fed substitute Luby, who drove towards the area’s left edge before cutting inside and unleashing a curling right-foot shot into the far corner.
 
The moment sparked bedlam among the Hakin players, bench, and fans and ensured a first all-Pembrokeshire West Wales Cup final since 2019. The Vikings will now meet either Monkton Swifts or Tenby United.
 
Hakin kicked off just five days after their Senior Cup final win, and it was Parks, their two-goal hero from the Meadow, who had the game’s first big chance less than two minutes in. The striker latched onto a slip from St Joseph’s centre-back Ross Jones and raced clear, only to see his well-struck shot  superbly pushed to safety by Jack Williams.
 
Moments later, Ryan Wilson fired over following a scramble in the area, but the early stages became frenetic as neither side settled.
 
However, as the half wore on, the importance of Kyle Copp to St Joseph’s became evident. The forward has 40 goals to his name in the West Wales Premier League this season, and from nowhere, almost opened the scoring from 30 yards out.
 
Noticing Gareth Fawcett off his line, Copp’s lofted effort from 30 yards out was heading for the net before the Hakin keeper recovered back to tip the ball over.
 
Moments later, Copp dropped deep before executing a sublime through ball to Rikki Hayden, only for Fawcett to smother his effort before Ben Aldred hacked the loose ball clear. The Vikings keeper then had to be at his best again to keep the score at 0-0, at full stretch to tip Copp’s curling effort around the post.
 
Just before the break, though, Hakin had another big chance to lead as Wilson found space in the area, only for his angled shot to be saved by the onrushing Williams.
 
After half-time Copp again threatened, latching onto a booted pass from keeper Williams and beating Jay Power before sending his left-footed effort across and past the far post.
 
But as St Joseph’s appeared to be getting into the ascendancy, changes from Hakin boss Scott Davies altered the momentum. He introduced Camron Thomas and Ashley Bevan into the fray, and it nearly paid instant dividends - with the left-back crossing for Bevan to head home, only to be denied by the offside flag.
 
The introduction of Luby also added an extra dimension to Hakin going forward, and in the dying minutes, the game opened up at both ends. A jinking run and sliding shot from Parks forced another point-blank save out of Williams before St Joseph’s also had a goal ruled out for offside after Copp had gone through and found the net.
 
Bevan then seemingly missed a golden chance to seal the win for Hakin in normal time when he found himself one-one-one with Williams but placed his effort straight at the keeper, only for Luby’s moment of magic from 20 yards out to then settle the tie in the most dramatic fashion.
 
Even then, there was time for last-ditch pressure from the West Wales Premier side, but the outstanding Jake Merry blocked an effort from a corner, and Hakin held out to move within one game of finally recapturing the trophy the club has craved since their last win in the 2003/04 season.
 
Hakin United: Gareth Fawcett, Jake Merry, Jay Power, Ben Aldred, Kieran King (Camron Thomas 51), Craig Nicholson (Mark Jones 72), Ryan Wilson (Ashley Bevan 56), Jack Britton, Liam Parks, Jordan Kilby, Shane Walsh (Leon Luby 61). Sub not used: Adrian Devonald.
 
St Josephs: Jack Williams, Jordan Lloyd-Evans, Jay Evans (Charles Morgan 94), Ross Jones, Dylan Symmons (Jack Price 94), Ryan Frost (Joseph Pelosi 63),  Zac Brown (Adam Jones 77), Ricky Kerr, Kallum Owen, Rikki Hayden (Darren Griffiths 79), Kyle Copp.
 
Referee: Ben Williams.
Assistants: Martin Oliver and Adam Bray.

 

**Editor's Note:

It was a pleasure to watch a tense tussle at Stebonheath Park and the Hakin supporters deserve great credit for their vociferous support, which totally out-did the more subdued response from relatively few home supporters in the main stand and below on the touchline.

The opposition were bigger but in my humble opinion the greater fitness of The Vikings, allied to Scott Davies' very influential changes at key times, really paid off.

Every Hakin player took a vital part and I thought the tackling, led by Jay Power, Jake Merry, Ben Aldred, Jack Britton and Kieran King was immense.

My man of the match - and it could have been several others, was big Gareth Fawcett in goal because he made key saves but also dominated his area, especially reacting very calmly to crosses into the area, which he almost casually pouched. His low save at the far post showed he is not an just ex-rugby player helping out but an excellent keeper - so well done Fawcie!

I thought Messrs Merry and Power came close for their defensive play against three very experienced Saints' strikers who have taken their team to second spot in the West Wales League and Liam Parks never stopped running and harrassing powerful opponents who were not allowed to settle on the ball - but this was squad effort, supported by some terrific coaches and the rest of the set-up at The Obs!

Bill Carne