NEFYN were left heartbroken after falling just short in the final of the Cwpan Snowdonia Fire Protection Cup, losing on penalties to Nantlle Vale at Bangor University’s Treborth Playing Fields on Friday evening.

The Penwaig arrived with their sights set on a memorable treble, having already secured both the North Wales Coast West Premier Division title and the NWCFA Intermediate Challenge Cup. But their pursuit of a third piece of silverware ended in the cruellest fashion.

They took control late in the first half, with Noa Griffith breaking the deadlock in the 42nd minute. His composed finish, set up by Steffan Toplis, gave Nefyn a deserved advantage at the interval.

However, Nantlle Vale hit back almost immediately after the restart. Just two minutes into the second half, Math Jones levelled the contest at 1-1, shifting the momentum and setting up a tense, closely fought encounter.

Neither side could find a winner in normal time, and the deadlock remained unbroken through an additional 30 minutes of extra-time. With defences on top and chances at a premium, the final was ultimately decided from the penalty spot.

Vale showed greater composure in the shoot-out, claiming a 4-2 victory as Ashley Owen calmly converted the decisive kick to seal the trophy for the Maes Dulyn outfit after an impressive season.

For Nefyn, it marked a painful end to what has otherwise been a hugely successful campaign. Just days earlier, they had sealed the league title with a 2-1 win at Llanberis. Steffan Toplis opened the scoring after 15 minutes at Ffordd Padarn, taking his league tally to 20 across spells with Nefyn and Pwllheli this season.

Thomas Collins equalised for the Darans on the half-hour mark, but Ifan Jones struck with 17 minutes remaining to secure the victory that clinched the title with a game to spare.

It was a moment that underlined Nefyn’s consistency and resilience during a tightly contested three-horse race with Menai Bridge Tigers and Nantlle Vale.

Their dogged defence was the best in the the league with only 20 goals conceded in 28 outings and in Alex Ward-Jones they had the stand-out keeper and Tomi Evans the top scorer with 26 goals.

The club later confirmed they had been granted a Tier 3 licence for the 2026/27 season, thanking committee members, sponsors and supporters for their role in the achievement.

They posted: “The club would wish to thank committee members for all their hard work over the last few years to make improvements to the ground to reach the criteria.

“We would also like to thank our sponsors and supporters - without you the club would not be what it is today.”

Their success has also been built on strong performances elsewhere.

Last month, the Penwaig wrote a new chapter in their history by lifting the NWCFA Intermediate Challenge Cup for the first time. Under the lights at Porthmadog’s Traeth ground, they produced a composed display to defeat Llandudno Junction 2-0, with goals from Llyr Williams and Rhys Williams.

Despite the disappointment of the Snowdonia Fire Protection Cup final defeat, Nefyn can reflect on a season of significant progress and silverware—and will be determined to finish on a high in their final league fixture at Mynydd Llandegai on Tuesday evening.