Visitors have the solution for winning at the Meadow (From Western Telegraph)

Visitors have the solution for winning at the Meadow

HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY 0 TOTAL NETWORK SOLUTIONS 3

In the first half of a game in high wind and rain, the Bluebirds played some of their best football of the season, but in the end the powerful League-leading fully professional TNS ground their way inexorably towards the win which the form book had always suggested.

TNS's record speaks for itself. They head the table on goal difference from Barry Town, but with two games in hand. They have nine wins and two draws from 11 games and they have conceded only three League goals all season.

And yet a passer-by, not knowing which side was which and happening into the game, might have found it hard, in an entertaining and high-quality first half, to tell which side was the League leader.

The Blues, in whose re-drafted side Simon Gilderdale, Richie Adams and Steve Hookings returned to league action and Samir Misbah made his first start of the season, matched the distinguished visitors all the way, creating in fact rather more chances.

The game was played in a strong wind and in driving rain, but the pitch, carefully nurtured by the Lamphey Cricket Club ground staff, held up remarkably well.

In these problem conditions, several Bluebirds performed very well in that first half. Chris O'Sullivan buzzed at the TNS defence on several occasions, despite taking two heavy tackles. Dylan Blain, back in midfield after another positional switch, looked very eager to go forward and on three occasions really menaced the Llantsanffraid defence.

Richie Adams, playing alongside the lanky Rhys Griffiths, also had a good game, running very sharply both on and off the ball and causing TNS problems with some lovely close control. But the pick of the pack for me had to be Colin Loss, back at the heart of midfield after a groin strain had kept him out of the Garw game. 'Lossie' grafted away with tremendou heart for the full 90 minutes and was at the centre of most Bluebirds' moves.

The James Williams-sponsored Bluebirds came desperately close to a goal in the seventh minute when, after a free kick had been played wide to O'Sullivan, the dapper winger chipped a ball goalwards only for Misbah, who had moved quickly forwards, to be just unable to get the vital deflection. In the 11th minute, a fine through ball from Adams saw Blain shoot just wide.

Then in the 25th, minute came what was for me the move of the game. Adams and Griffiths combined in a beautiful diagonal interchange before putting Blain through again. For the second time, Dylan's shot just nudged wide.

Quite clearly, the very polished TNS were not going to stay out of the action for too long and, in the 30th minute, a pile-driving 30-yard shot from striker Steve Antrobus (whose tussle with Eston Chiverton was a feature of the game) drew a fine save from Gary Haman, who turned Antrobus's shot over the bar.

In the 36th minute Blain went on another surging run down the middle (the sort of run he likes so much and which will one day bring him a real 'goal of the season').

This time he was bundled over just inside the box, but appeals for a penalty came to nothing. In the 37th minute an Adams run didn't quite get through and then, rather out of nothing, came a TNS goal in the 43rd minute.

The visitors played the ball square for a while along the front of the penalty area before skipper Gary Brabin's snap shot slithered through, clipped Haman's heel and flew into the roof of the net.

The Blues never really came back from this disappointment. In the second half, they may sometimes have made the mistake of assuming that, because the wind was now in their favour, they should boot the ball through from deep positions but, for whatever the reason, they just didn't attack with their earlier fluency and craft.

As the very fit TNS began to graft their way forward, the Blues came under real pressure and the visitors fully deserved the goals poached by Michael Wilde in the 63rd minute (after a nasty free kick had just slithered from Haman's grasp) and the goal which the ever-alert Antrobus headed from a corner in the 72nd minute.

During this passage of play Haman did pull off several quite blinding close-range saves and, although Griffiths had the ball in the net (to be ruled offside) in the 51st minute, and Misbah chipped just over from a Loss free kick, the second half really did belong to the visitors.

The match sponsors were Silcox Coaches, whose choice as Bluebirds' Man-of-the-Match was Gary Haman, and Gary's award was presented to him by Mr Tony Hopkins.

Well as Gary played, I think my own choice would be between Richie Adams and Colin Loss. The programme sponsor was Preseli Taxis, and the match ball sponsors were Dennis and Kathleen Cole. The mascots were Christopher Thomas, a defender with Merlins Bridge Juniors and a pupil of Tasker Milward, and Gavin Thomas, a forward with Merlins Bridge Juniors and a pupil at Sir Thomas Picton.

There was some cause for satisfaction at the afternoon's end however as Rhys Griffiths was presented with his award as October Player of the Month, and the Bluebirds' Calendar was launched. Meanwhile, the quiz which asked fans to name the club's past full internationals saw the match programme list an impressive 15 Wales players, and quiz winner Cliff Saies coming up with 16 for good measure and scooping the prize. The Blues are away to Aberystwyth on Friday, November 29, and a bus will leave the club at 4 o'clock.