Fraser Watson reviews the talking points from the West Wales Intermediate Cup final...

Result outweighs performance

When the dust settles on last night, Scott Davies won't reflect on a vintage display by his side or even a classic final. And nor will he remotely care.

Missing Leon Luby and Jake Merry, the Vikings started nervously and struggled to get hold of the game in midfield, a factor reflected by early yellow cards to Jordan Kilby and Jack Britton. But while Ashley Bevan's first-half strike came against the run of play, it settled Hakin down and they negotiated the second-half without Penlan fashioning any serious chances.

It speaks volumes of this current side that they can get over the line in big games without being at their best. In finals, know-how and mentality often overrides any zest for fireworks.

Indeed, for Hakin, although glory was cemented in Swansea it was undoubtedly set-up at Stebonheath. When Davies and co look back on this season's competition, having the guts and defiance to beat Mumbles Rangers 4-3 in the semi-final - despite playing the bulk of 120 minutes with 10 men - will be perceived as their standout display.

Cometh the moment, cometh Ashley Bevan

I've long said that when fit and focused, there have been few better players in Pembrokeshire football over the years than Ashley Bevan. However, class act or not, I also admit to being one of those who wrote him off prematurely following Hakin's defeat on this same stage three years ago.

During that 2022/23 campaign he'd been plagued by injury and his peak years appeared behind him. And despite the glut of local silverware to his name, Bevan seemed set to drift away from the game with a West Wales winners medal having eluded him.

Fast forward to now, and he finishes this season having been as instrumental as ever to his side's success. At 34, he's matured on and off the field, looks fit, and above all, possesses the same ability and match winning prowess that signified his younger years.

The winner in Swansea follows the late strike that sealed the title against Goodwick. He's now a leader within the squad and it is no coincidence that two of the defining moments of Hakin's double-winning season have belonged to him.

And I suspect he's not done yet.

Rory's timely slide

It should also be pointed out that aside from Bevan, many other individuals have been integral to Hakin this season. And it is not disrespectful to say that when keeper Rory Williams arrived from Pennar in the summer, few hailed it as a statement signing.

But Williams has stepped up admirably. The Vikings played 22 league games and conceded just eight times - a stat that speaks for itself.

Sure enough, last night Hakin's number one proved he is far more than just a safe pair of hands. And after making early saves from Kyle Hughes and Kieran Jennings, with the game still goalless he crucially judged one dangerous situation to perfection.

Penlan striker Thomas Davies broke clean through on the right hand side and was set to cut in towards goal when Williams darted from his line and opted for a sliding tackle outside the area. Had he mistimed his challenge, his side were going either a goal or a man down.

Instead, Williams made a clean connection with the ball and averted any threat. It wasn't the kind of moment that will be long spoken about or go down in folklore, but it was the reason Hakin came through a tentative start still level.

Davies delivers again

I interviewed Scott Davies 24 hours after last season's final. At that point, he and his side had essentially ended two decades of hurt by finally capturing Hakin's fourth West Wales crown. Furthermore, they had finally banished the tag of being the nearly men when it came to the Swansea.com Stadium, having been forced to enviously look on over the years while the likes of Johnston, Goodwick, and Merlins Bridge had all experienced glory.

I expected elation and would have forgiven him for getting carried away. On the contrary, he was calm, grounded, and rubbished any suggestion of a destiny being fulfilled.

That same focus and measured thinking appeared to spread to his players. After the dramatic semi-final win over Mumbles Rangers, skipper Ryan Wilson went on record to point out 'We haven't done anything yet'. The intensity needed to finally regain the trophy 12 months ago remained just as high when the challenge came to retain it.

Prior to last night, no Pembrokeshire side had ever won this competition back-to-back but now for Davies and co, a new shot at history has emerged.

In the 103-year history of the West Wales Intermediate Cup, no team has ever captured it three years in a row...

Time to change a vintage venue?

For any amateur player, the opportunity to grace a surface like the one in Swansea, and experience the facilities and changing rooms of such a stadium, can be once-in-a-lifetime. For Pembrokeshire-based fans, the chance of a day and a night on Wind Street is also a nice novelty.

Therefore, what I'm about to suggest will potentially be panned, but so be it.

Both Hakin and Penlan brought decent followings last night, but were confined to the opposite corners of the West Stand while 90 per cent of the stadium remained empty. That notion always makes for an eerie atmosphere where crowd shouts echo around, as opposed to the noise and hostility that signified the Vetch Field finals or even a Senior Cup day at the Meadow.

Given stewards also tend to give the impression that they are being inconvenienced by the occasion, is it time to consider a more compact venue that creates an atmosphere?

Regardless, I'll finish on a positive note. Irrespective of the venue, that is now six Pembrokeshire wins in 14 years. Lament the game in our county all you like, and no denying playing numbers in the lower leagues are a concern, but that stat alone proves that at the top end at least Pembrokeshire football is very much alive and kicking.