Haverfordwest boss Tony Pennock delighted with European progress

After a narrow 1-0 defeat in the away leg seven days earlier, Lee Jenkins' dramatic 89th-minute strike levelled matters, and after extra-time could not separate the teams, the Bluebirds won their way through the spot-kick showdown.

"The boys have been fantastic, from the end last season we had two weeks off, and we back training, and is showed because they stayed in the game," said Pennock.

"We know how good they are, and the boys did ever so well and had more of the ball than we did out there, which you would expect, and we were better with the ball tonight.

"I thought we had some decent chances first half and we always knew we could change our shape in the last 15 minutes, that was the plan and what we worked on in training.

"It paid off, sometimes it doesn't and today it did, and for the club, the board and the supporters ans the lads it's a massive, massive achievement."

Pennock said they were aware that Penybont and Connah's Quay Nomads had earlier exited the Europa Conference League at the first qualifying round stage.

Cymru Premier champions The New Saints were also knocked out of the Champions League by Sweden's Hacken and will now play in the Europa Conference League.

"We wanted Penybont to go through as well, and Connah's Quay and TNS, who are in our competition now, and at half-time we knew it was only us who were left," he said.

"We felt we had to do our best for the league and for Welsh football.

"We've had a tough run with Dylan Rees our captain getting injured, but there is such an amazing spirit, and if you've got belief in yourselves the anything is possible."

The Bluebirds now face B36 Torshavn of Faroe Islands in the second qualifying round.

"It doesn't matter where we are going, the fact we are through is a massive thing for all of us," said Pennock. "We've got injuries, but we'll do our best and see what we can do."

Haverfordwest County keeper Zac Jones (Image: Sgorio)

Remarkably, the Bluebirds had beaten Cardiff Met and Newtown on penalties in the Cymru Premier play-offs at the end of last season to qualify for Europe.

And once again New Zealand-born goalkeeper Jones took centre stage in the spot kick showdown with two saves to see the Bluebirds through 3-2 on penalties.

"That's three in a row, but all credit to the boys, they were brilliant," said Jones.

"There's no real thoughts (in the shoot-out), I try to distract the play a little bit, respectful obviously. There is no pressure on the goalkeeper, it's all down to the players.

"All credit to the boys, we fought really hard hard away last week, we gave ourselves a chance coming back here and we knew if we stayed in the game long enough we knew we'd get chances, and we got a chance late in the game and we took it.

"We know that we can go to extra time and penalties, I think all the boys are confident taking penalties as well, so we know when we get to that stage we have a little bit of an advantage over the opponents."