Eliot Evans says Cardiff Met’s qualification for Europa League football has taken the club to the next level.
The Wales C international equalised in normal time and scored the decisive spot-kick which earned his side a windfall of £192,000 after beating Bala Town on penalties.
The Met will now prepare for European football for the first time in their current guise.
A proud Evans said: “The journey the club has been on. To get into Europe it takes the club onto another level with the money that it entails.
“It’s a building block now, we’ve got to do well in Europe and do the league justice and hopefully the club can develop even further than.”
Rather than automatically qualifying for a playoff spot through a top six finish, the Archers approached the playoffs in a different route to the previous two seasons.
They qualified by edging out Aberystwyth Town in the penultimate game of the season, beating the Green and Blacks to earn that spot.
Knowing they’d be away from home for both the semi-final and the final, the Archers have done it the hard way.
“It’s been a funny old season because it’s been quite inconsistent in a lot of ways.
“We’ve been in the top six the last two years and that didn’t quite happen, to get a League Cup and to get into Europe, you’d have taken that at the start of the season.”
A large core of Cardiff Met’s squad have remained with the club over the last decade.
The Archers were in Division Three six years ago. A rise through the leagues under manager Christian Edwards has seen them go from the fourth tier of Welsh football to Europa League football in such a small amount of time after accumulating three Welsh League titles in four years.
Despite their new found success, the midfielder says the club will continue to remain humble.
“No one is going to forget where we’ve come from. A majority of the lads who play for the club now have come from that Division Three side.
“With the money that Europe brings hopefully that bring the club onto another level now if we invest it wisely. Time will tell regarding that but it’s brilliant for us.”
It was almost fitting that just five years ago, Evans had won the Division One title with Monmouth Town.
His reaction to being asked about being a Europa League footballer was: “It’s not something many footballers can say. It’s something I’ve wanted to tick off for a while especially after the last two years of the final.
“I never thought anything like this would happen really. It was always a goal of mine to play in the Welsh Prem. We go from strength to strength, the last two years have been painful especially last year against Druids but we’re delighted to get over the line.”
Asked on how he held his nerve in what was a nervous moment for the Cardiff Met squad, the Met talisman replied:” Surprisingly I was quite relaxed. I think the standard of the penalties before couldn’t have got any worse if I’m honest! A lot of the penalties were poor but I saw it as the opportunity to win the game.”
Goalkeeper Will Fuller saved three penalties in the shootout and had played well over normal time and extra time.
“Will had done a brilliant job saving the penalties. I’m not sure how as he doesn’t tend to save many penalties over the years, I haven’t seen him save many! I held my nerve really and tucked it away which was brilliant.”
(Image: Matthew Lofthouse)
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