Friday night crowd entertained by Bluebirds win (From Western Telegraph)

Friday night crowd entertained by Bluebirds win

Haverfordwest County 2 LLANELLI 1

This third convincing home win in a row sent the Bluebirds steaming to 6th place in the League of Wales, with a game in hand over the five clubs above them.

It was a handsome victory in a contest reminiscent of many of the Meadow teams games against Carmarthen in the past, with the Blue Birds neat close-passing game showing a marked contrast to the swinging long-ball game of their opponents.

The Blues nearly took the lead in the fifth minute when Carl Mainwaring played the sweetest of one-twos with Carl Thomas, only to stab the centre-forwards return ball inches wide. But then the game settled into its rhythm with Llanellis fast open game causing all sorts of problems for the home sides back four.

A particular danger was former Bluebird John Wile, operating in the unfamiliar role of Centre forward. His stinging shot in the 14th minute drew a blinding save from keeper Miles, but Miles had no chance with Wiles rasping 15 yard shot three minutes later and Llanelli were one up.

For 20 minutes the Bluebirds were under the cosh, as Llanelli spread the ball wide and fast, and the home back four were looking stretched and vulnerable. The turning point was a tactical switch by manager Jason Jones in the 35th minute. He brought Jamie Rickard back from mid field to left-back to make up a back five, providing an extra cover which Jones complemented after half-time by pulling Mainwaring back to a position just in front of the back five.

One paradoxical effect of this reshuffle was that Rickard looked a more potent attacking influence moving forward from left-back. It was he in fact who set up the equaliser in the 39th minute, when his beautifully curled corner from the right carried to the far post where it was stabbed home by Paul Walker.

The Blues looked much more secure in the second half, even though the mid field had a mixed performance. Mainwaring often held the ball up very well only to distribute slowly, and Busby came into the game in bursts. Skipper Andy Hughes was always a forthright influence.

However, with the less congested mid field, the Bluebirds were able to sling long balls forward to the strikers, which is a good tactic if you have a striker who can latch on to the ball and make trouble.

They emphatically had such a striker in the rejuvenated Carl Thomas, last seasons forgotten man and the find of this season.

Thomas had another superb game and, along with Gavin Rees and Jerry Chandler who increasingly dominated the defensive proceedings, the burly centre forward would have vied for an award as Haverfordwests man of the match. He chipped at and worried the Llanelli defence with some lovely close control and it was fitting that he should have notched the winner when he finished off a picture move in the 61st minute.

Paul Walker played the sweetest of long crosses from the right hand touch line to the very feet of the upsurging Rickard, who wriggled around two defenders before chipping a precise cross to the 6th yard line for Thomas to thump his header past keeper Davies.

The rest of the game saw a lovely twenty-minute cameo appearance from striker Steve Mardenborough, arousing hopes that we may shortly see him partnering Thomas up front.

There was also further Llanelli pressure but by now the manner of their attacking was growing increasingly desperate and long passes began to look more hopeful than penetrating John Wile had one chance to level matters when he got in a position to meet Andy Hills cross but headed tamely wide.

For Llanelli, it was too little too late. For the Bluebirds it was a resolute, well executed win. For the large Friday night crowd it was a very good evenings entertainment.

Haverfordwest travel to Rhayader on Wednesday, for their League of Wales Cup Pool D match. After Rhayaders draw with Aberystwyth last week, a point will be enough to secure the Blues a quarter final place The Pool D sequence will be rounded off with the home game against Aberystwyth on the Bridge Meadow on Tuesday, October 2nd, kick-off 7.30 pm.

Haverfordwest County: Ben Miles; Paul Walker, Jeremy Chandler, David Burrows, Gavin Rees, Andrew Hughes, Dean Busby, Carl Mainwaring, Carl Thomas, Chris Miller, Jamie Rickard. Subs: Mardenborough (for Miller, 70), Robert King (for Walker, 73), Mickey George (for Busby, 80).