Saturday 30th May 2026 ko 14:00

West Wales Tier 5 Playoffs Game 3

WAUNARLWYDD GALAXY 2 (Pritchard 71 89)

Fowler sent off 37 (serious foul play)

GLYNNEATH TOWN 0

Att 348

Entry, Programme & Raffle ticket £3

The season was in its last knockings, but non league in Wales does tend to produce some interesting play-offs. The issue has long been the same, there are more league winners than there are places in the leagues above. Who could forget the playoffs to get into the South Wales Alliance ?

In the west the Carmarthenshire, Neath, Swansea and in theory the Pembrokeshire Leagues all promote into the West Wales Premier League. As usually Pembrokeshire supplied nothing, but Neath winners Glynneath, Carmarthenshire winners Pontlliw, and Swansea winners Waunnarlwydd all applied. With only two promotion spots available, the solution was was a 3 team round robin playoff.

The upshot of the first two games was that Pontlliw had taken one promotion spot and Glynneath would take the other if they could beat Waunarlwydd by 4 goals. So advantage to the hosts, and much to my surprise the GroundhopUK connection came to the fore. We organise the West Wales Premier League Hop, and we’ll be back when there are sufficient new grounds to hop!

Of course Chris Berezai is from these parts, and once uber-programme enthusiast Craig Dabbs helped them produce a programme, all I needed to do was turn up! We will concern ourselves later with how we square the circle of a West Wales hop featuring Waunarlwydd when a fair chunk of our customer base was there for this game! Perhaps it’s a case of crossing bridges when you reach them!

Their ground is found at the back of the local rugby club (maybe there’s the solution!) with some creative use of shipping containers and once you’re in, a grass bank on the right. It was a typical South Wales non league game, all blood and thunder, with the hosts Jaydn Fowler seeing red for a dreadful challenge. Glynneath tried to take advantage but those 4 goals looked a forlorn prospect. The chances were being created, but poor finishing stymied every opening. They were made to pay with Jamie Pritchard’s two late goals confirming Waunarlwydd’s elevation.

I did feel for Glynneath seeing their disconsolate players as I left. It must be horrible winning your league, but not winning promotion with it.