Following a tough season for the club, three of Hay St. Mary’s junior team’s were victorious in their cup finals on Friday, May 31.
The Under 12’s team have enjoyed their first year of competitive football.
After finishing third in the league, all the focus was on the cup final where Hay’s Under 12's played Builth Wells Under 12's. Similar to the rest of the season there was very little between the two teams. With the game ending on a 3-3 draw it then went to Penalties where Hay went on to Win in what was a great achievement for them.
With the Winter League already won Hay Under 14’s played against Crickhowell in the South Powys League Cup Final hoping to do the league and cup double.
![Hay St. Mary's FC](https://www.brecon-radnor.co.uk/tindle-static/image/2024/06/13/15/17/IMG_8569.jpg?width=669&height=445&crop=669:445)
A beautiful evening in Hay on Wye set the scenes for the evening's match with a good crowd gathered to watch the teams battle it out. Hay started the stronger and edged the first half with Ollie Ward and James Harding combining their efforts to enable Ollie to take Hay ahead 1-0. Despite pressure and effort from Hay they were unable to add to their score with a rampant Crickhowell team chasing their first goal. However the teams entered half time with the score at 1-0.
A lively start from Crickhowell in the second half with the pressure on Hay resulted in them conceding a penalty, allowing Crickhowell to level the score at 1-1.
The remainder of the game was end to end with neither team giving way to the other.
Both teams looked to tire as they fought to the final whistle and the draw meant a dreaded penalty shoot out.
Two fantastic saves from Hay’s keeper Dylan Luckhurst in the penalty shoot out helped Hay to secure a 4-2 win on penalties taking a well deserved double win for Hay’s under 14s in their first season together.
Hay’s Under 15/16 team took on Builth Wells in their cup final.
![Hay St. Mary's FC](https://www.brecon-radnor.co.uk/tindle-static/image/2024/06/13/15/44/a01eb1c6_fb62_4567_8f1e_030ffa7ae9ef.jpg?width=669&height=445&crop=669:445)
From the first whistle, they played like a team possessed and scored the first goal within 10 minutes with a great finish from Ewan Evans. Another quick goal followed, this time with Rio Price on the scoreboard with a bobbling effort into the bottom corner. A third goal came before halftime with an unstoppable screamer from Rueben Metcalfe.
At halftime, the score was Hay 3-0 Builth.
The second half kicked off with Builth slowly coming back into the game, but a great defense-splitting through ball from Fin Harris fell to Rio Price, who slotted in his second of the game. Builth managed to pull one back, but it was all in vain as Hay comfortably beat Builth 4-1 at the final whistle.
St. Mary’s Under 15/16’s manager said: “There was no way of picking one Man of the Match as they all played superbly and all of them deserved that honor.
“It was the last game that the boys would play together as one team, and they sure went out on a high. Well done, boys!”