HAVERFORDWEST County impressively held full-timers KF Shkendija of North Macedonia to a narrow 1-0 defeat in the away leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier on Thursday night, showcasing a spirited performance in their first European match in 19 years. The goal that separated the two teams came in the 47th minute, with Adenis Shala finding the net from Ardian Limani’s assist.
Despite being big underdogs, Haverfordwest County, led by manager Tony Pennock, displayed resilience against the four-time national champions, who have had recent success in Macedonian football. Shkendija’s home ground was not suitable for hosting UEFA matches, so the first leg was played at the 33,000-capacity Tose Proeski Arena in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia.
The match started with an early chance for Shkendija’s Erald Cinari, who missed the target. Haverfordwest battled hard to get into the game, with midfielders Kai Whitmore and Tyrese Owen putting in a determined effort in the middle of the park, while defenders Oscar Borg, Lee Jenkins, and captain Jazz Richards rose to the challenge.
In the scorching temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius, both teams took a water break before Klisman Cake and Erald Cinari had chances for Shkendija. Haverfordwest had to make a substitution as Jack Wilson had to leave the field due to illness, with Ricky Watts replacing him. Klisman Cake and Dashmir Elezi failed to hit the target with their attempts.
Haverfordwest’s Daniel Hakins delivered a corner, but the home keeper, Davor Taleski, remained untroubled. Shkendija’s Amir Redjepi was denied by Haverfordwest’s goalkeeper, Zac Jones, before the first half ended. Pennock’s side took heart from keeping a clean sheet in the opening 45 minutes.
However, disaster struck for Haverfordwest just two minutes into the second half when Adenis Shala scored with an assist from Ardian Limani. Shkendija continued to create more chances, with Endrit Krasniqie and Erald Cinari testing Haverfordwest’s defense. Jenkins made a crucial block, and Jones made another save against the lively Endri Krasniqi.
Encouraged by their vocal supporters in the vast stadium, Haverfordwest rallied. Watts managed to get a shot away, and Jenkins fired wide. Shkendija responded with Cinari testing Jones once again. Haverfordwest won a corner taken by Rhys Abbruzzese, but Shkendija defended without serious threat, and Cinari fired wide in the closing minutes in their pursuit of a second goal.
Substitute Baskim Velija forced another save from Jones before the final whistle. Haverfordwest maintained their focus throughout the match, keeping the tie alive. The stage is set for an exciting home leg at Cardiff City Stadium, where everything is to play for on Thursday night.
