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In a week to remember for both club and player, Hakin United midfielder Jack Britton speaks about cup success, fatherhood, and tactical evolution following their West Wales Cup Semi-Final victory.
It's been a remarkable week for Hakin United, securing their place in the West Wales Cup final with a hard-fought victory over St Josephs, just days after lifting the Senior Cup with a 2-0 win against local rivals Milford United. Midfielder Jack Britton, who has been instrumental in both triumphs, sat down with us to reflect on a whirlwind period both on and off the pitch.
The victory in the Senior Cup final represented a significant milestone for Hakin after going without silverware last season. For Britton, the achievement was made all the more special by the birth of his son, Todd, just a day before the match.
"It was great to get a trophy so early," Britton told us. "We thought this season would be focussed on rebuilding, getting back to the standards we've set previously. It was brilliant to secure a trophy so early and put in a good performance against our rivals."
When asked how he managed to play in the final so soon after becoming a father, Britton laughed: "Pure adrenaline! I had a few Red Bulls before the Senior Cup final. By the end of the game, I felt like I was seeing two or three balls! But it's been a great week and I've loved it all, it's certainly one I'll remember for a long time."
Britton spent much of last season unable to play due to work commitments in London but has returned to form under manager Scott Davies, who himself returned to the club last summer.
"Scott has been essential for me personally," Britton explained. "He spoke to me when I left Haverfordwest to get me at the club. He has great people skills, everyone respects him, and man to man, he is brilliant. High standards, a top, top coach."
Britton was also quick to acknowledge the contribution of Davies' predecessor: "I also have to say fair play to 'Skinny' who stepped in last year on short notice to steady the ship. It wasn't an easy job."
The semi-final victory over St Josephs represented a different type of challenge for Hakin, with Britton describing it as a contest between "two teams of men" - contrasting with the youthful Milford side they had defeated in the Senior Cup final.
"They're the best team we've played this year," Britton admitted. "Very experienced side and filled with top players. It was an even game chances-wise, though we probably had the better opportunities."
Hakin created two standout chances in the match, with Liam Parks - who had scored both goals in the Senior Cup final - forcing a save from the keeper in the opening five minutes, while Ashley Bevan was denied in a one-on-one situation late in the game.
What impressed Britton most was the tactical approach that secured their progression to the final. He also highlighted goalkeeper Gareth Fawcett as being "excellent in the net for Hakin", bouncing back with strong form recently after a difficult league defeat to Goodwick.
"He's been excellent in recent weeks and shown why the manager was right to put faith in him," said Britton.
The midfielder revealed how the team has evolved under Davies' management: "What the team have learned to do when playing the bigger teams is adapt to each game. When people play Hakin, they think there's an arrogance where we believe we can beat any team, but when we play bigger sides like Goodwick and teams from the West Wales Premier League, Scott has learned is to change things."
This tactical flexibility was evident in their approach against St Josephs, with defensive midfielder Craig Nicholson starting for balance, while attacking talents Ashley Bevan and Leon Luby (who had picked up a knock against Milford) were kept on the bench alongside Camron Thomas, who has recently returned from an ACL injury.
"Normally we have all the possession and are used to attacking, being the better team," Britton explained. "But we knew we would be up against another quality team in St Josephs, so we had to adapt and be more pragmatic."
Britton believes Davies' willingness to adapt tactically stems from previous disappointments: "Scott's got the quality in the squad to play this more pragmatic approach, but he's also got the wounds and defeats which he has learned from."
He specifically referenced the painful 2-1 West Wales Cup final defeat to Penlan during Davies' previous stint as manager: "When we lost against Penlan in the final, maybe we went in with too much confidence. We'd beaten them 4-0 in pre-season and had been playing great all year."
The recent league defeat to Goodwick has also shaped their approach, showing great resilience to immediately bounceback and knock their rivals out of the Senior Cup a week later: "He's realised we can win games without always relying on the match winners. When you've got wounds, they build stronger character."
Britton emphasised the importance of fitness in their cup run, noting that St Josephs "tired a bit in the last 20 minutes" while Hakin maintained their intensity.
"The amount of ground covered was ridiculous," he said. "We've got so much strength in depth, almost two teams, with match-winning attackers in reserve. Me, Jordan [Kilby] and Craig [Nicholson] covered so much ground in the middle, but the whole team effort was unreal. The big games aren't always the prettiest and we knew if we won our battles in the middle we'd have a great chance of winning the game."
As for the decisive goal that secured their place in the final, Britton was still buzzing from the celebration: "I've got to mention the eruption when we scored - a massive moment. I've never seen anything like it, an amazing moment for the fans who really deserved it."
With the West Wales Cup final at the swansea.com stadium now on the horizon, Hakin will be hoping to go one better than their previous appearance and complete a remarkable cup double under Davies' guidance.
Photographs taken by and available to purchase from Jamie Edwards Photography.
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