Lifumpa Mwandwe bids fairytale goodbye to Newtown with winning penalty
Lifumpa Mwandwe said his goodbyes to Newtown by scoring the winning penalty against Havnar Bóltfelag in the UEFA Conference League.
Henry Cowans and Lifumpa Mwandwe had given the Robins the lead, overturning the first leg deficit but Paetur Petersen’s 47th-minute strike sent the game into extra time.
Newtown started on the front foot and pressed the visitor’s backline when in possession. Lifumpa Mwandwe was finding some space down his flank and put in a few crosses.
After encountering some problems from Newtown, HB were able to settle and took control in the early stages.
A fine break away from inside their own half resulted in the hosts’ best chance as Mwandwe returned the ball to Henry Cowans but the midfielder’s shot strayed just past the post.
Ten minutes from the break, Newtown levelled up the tie with a deserved goal. Mwandwe’s troubling cross wasn’t cleared away and Cowans positioned himself for a scissor kick to level proceedings.
Newtown then pushed themselves in front through a simple route-one goal. A hopeful ball was launched over the top for Mwandwe to chase and the attacker scored with a composed finish, drilling his shot into the corner.
Three minutes into the second-half, the Faroese outfit got themselves back level in a cheaply conceded goal. Stefan Radosavljević played the ball in to Petersen and the forward’s narrow-angled shot trickled home.
Radosavljević then went close to getting on to the scoresheet as his outstretched leg almost turned into the net.
Keen to get themselves back in front, Newtown went near when Cowans laced a shot at Teitur Gestsson. Gestsson then had to deny Jake Walker who lined up an effort from outside of the box.
A few minutes from time, substitute Nick Rushton spurned the chance to put his side in front. After pressuring the HB defender, he displaced him in possession but could only drag his attempt wide.
In the last act of normal time, Hanus Sörensen lightly went down in the box when tussling with Mwandwe which incensed the Newtown defence.
The first extra period was evenly contested but HB had the better of the chances with Dave Jones having to contest with the sun. Össur Dalbúd tried to curl one into the corner but Jones denied him.
Up the other end, Mwandwe let fly in a similar position but Gestsson was able to get down and stop it from going in.
There was a scary few moments for Newtown before extra-time closed out with Samuel Chukwudi’s shot taking a deflection just past the post. From the resulting set piece, Dalbúd forced Jones to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Neither side could find a breakthrough in added-on time and had to rely on the lottery of spot kicks.
Mathew Jones stepped up first with a short run-up and was denied by Gestsson. Dalbúd had the same fate for his effort with his attempt of cannoning off of both posts and bouncing out.
Newtown stalwart Nick Rushton coolly dispatched his spot kick with a short run up but Ári Jónsson matched it with a well-driven penalty.
For Newtown’s third penalty, Zele Ismail attempted an audacious chip and successfully outwitted the goalkeeper. Daniel Johansen stepped up next for HB but his poorly taken penalty was saved by the legs of Jones.
Cowans sent the game into match point as he thundered his penalty the opposite way of the goalkeeper but Aki Samuelsen kept his side in the game with a low taken shot.
In what is to be his last kick for the club before his move to Halifax Wanderers, Mwandwe drilled home his penalty to send Chris Hughes’ side through.
