A promising first season which saw Raglan run away with the league for the first month or so ended fairly disappointingly.

The bad run started when after a hard-fought victory that put the villagers back in contention for the title, they were reported to the league by Monmouth Town for playing an un-signed player.

This cost the club three points and a fine of more than £100.

Current Raglan manager Nick Oxford, a former Town manager, knows this type of thing happens all the time in amateur football and even in the dizzy heights of Welsh League football.

The squad was always a small one and that proved to be their undoing. But they finished in the top four, a respectable first attempt.

When the cup semi final draw was made, Raglan were hoping to avoid league winners Llanarth until the final.

This they did but they did draw in-form Llanfoist.

On an awful Clydach pitch, where there was as much chance of being tackled by a rabbit as a player, the boys produced probably their best performance of the season.

The game was totally bossed by a solid Raglan defence. Captain Justin Harris, Anthony Rennie, Tyler and Hollingsbee were all superb.

Llanfoist, who had bullied teams all season, realised they were in for a tough game on five minutes when Tyler went in for one of his bone-crunching fifty/fifty tackles, resulting in his opponent hobbling off.

There were very few real chances in the first half but one came Neville Harris' way and he dispatched it into the corner of the net.

In the second half, it was backs to the wall at times but Raglan still created a couple of good chances.

The best chance, to the amazement of his teammates, came off the head of Carl Oxford, who was unfortunate to see his effort cleared off the line.

Kris Jordan, Nev Harris and Dembicki all had efforts saved.

Griffith in goal finally got the clean sheet he had been looking for all season and Raglan were in the final against local rivals and league champions Llanarth.

The cup final takes place this Friday (13th May) in Goytre at 6pm.

Go along and cheer the villagers to victory, all are welcome.