Brace bemoans a lack of composure as Blues lose out again (From Western Telegraph)

Brace bemoans a lack of composure as Blues lose out again

Connah's Quay Nomads 3 Haverfordwest County 1

This was always going to be a difficult game, against a side lying fourth in the table and unbeaten at home, but Deryn Brace's feeling after the game was that the Bluebirds could so easily have come away with a better result, given a little more composure in defence.

He felt the Blues matched their opponents in all phases of play and, although the Nomads had more of the game territorially, the Bluebirds' counter-attacking was of sufficient quality to keep them in the game as a credible force.

But sadly it was a case of three costly mistakes in defence finally costing the visitors a point.

The James Williams-sponsored Bluebirds weathered a tempestuous opening when, in the second minute, there were vehement Nomads appeals that keeper Gary Haman had impeded the league's leading scorer Tommy Mutton in the box. The referee however was unmoved and the Blues survived.

The Nomads continued to press forward but the Blues seemed quite able to contain them and match them until a disastrous spell of four minutes midway through the first half, when Nomads took a two-goal lead.

First, Stuart Terry scored with a far-post header from an Adam Arkell cross, and then it was Arkell who accepted a pass from Craig Hutchinson to score from 12 yards.

The Blues continued to hang in there and were rewarded in the 66th minute, when one of their breakaways led to a fine goal. Wayne Jones' cross from the left was flicked on by Simon Gilderdale for Rhys Griffiths to bundle the ball home at the far post.

That was goal which had several plus points. It was the Bluebirds' first away goal of the season and new signing Griffiths' second in two games.

But that was all the comfort which the Blues were going to extract from the afternoon. Seven minutes later Paul Mazzarella fed the free-scoring Mutton who scored with a 16-yard drive and the Bluebirds were sliding to defeat. However the Blues now have a run of three games against sides in the lower half of the table. They will hope to get back to winning ways against Newtown on the Bridge Meadow on Saturday next, kick-off 2.30 pm.

The following Wednesday, October 30th they travel to Stebonheath to play Llanelli. A bus will leave the club at 5 pm.