Haverfordwest 'better prepared' for European bid

Haverfordwest beat Caernarfon Town in the Cymru Premier European play-off in May to clinch their Uefa Conference League place

Haverfordwest County begin their second Uefa Conference League adventure in three seasons against Floriana on Tuesday (18:30 BST) with boss Tony Pennock confident the Bluebirds are better prepared for the competition this time around.

Haverfordwest claimed a memorable victory over North Macedonia's Shkendija in 2023-24, when they were playing in Europe for the first time in 22 years.

Two years on, Pennock believes Haverfordwest have a greater chance of making a mark in the Conference League thanks to increased experience and depth in his squad.

Pennock's men are in Malta for their first qualifying round first leg at the Centenary Stadium before the return fixture at Parc y Scarlets on Thursday, 17 July.

"We are better prepared than last time," Pennock said.

"A lot of our players were involved two years ago so they have that experience, and we are coming into this on the back of a really good season in the Cymru Premier.

"As a club, too, we knew all the things we needed to have in place for Europe, whereas that was all new for us two years ago."

In 2024, Haverfordwest claimed the first European win in their history as they overcame Shkendija on penalties at the Cardiff City Stadium, before losing out to B36 Torshavn in the second qualifying round.

Tony Pennock is a former first-team coach at Hull City and was linked with the Newport County manager's job earlier this summer

This year, a meeting with Kosovan side Ballkani is the prize on offer as Haverfordwest take on Floriana, who finished third in the Maltese league last season.

Prize money in the competition is significant for Haverfordwest, who have earned around £280,000 for reaching this stage and will be around £170,000 more should they progress.

"Nobody can hide away from the fact that getting into Europe is financially rewarding, although you can get ties where a lot of the money goes on sorting out the trip and everything that goes with it," Pennock said.

"In fairness, the chairman has given us what we want in terms of flights and hotels to give us the best opportunity to get through."

Haverfordwest, who finished third in the Welsh top flight last season, will start as underdogs against Floriana – but that is not a concern for Pennock.

"They are a seeded team and we are not, but two years ago Shkendija were a high-seeded team and we got through that," he added.

"The big thing going away from home first is to make sure we are still in the tie going into the second leg, which hopefully will be a good occasion that everybody enjoys."

Haverfordwest's home leg is to be held at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli because their Bridge Meadow home does not meet Uefa standards for European games.