Sloppy defending cost blues dear as Cwmbran take the points (From Western Telegraph)

Sloppy defending cost blues dear as Cwmbran take the points

CWMBRAN TOWN 3 Haverfordwest County 1

The Bluebirds could never recapture the form which they had showed against Aberystwyth and a combination of some hesitant finishing and some sloppy defending let them down badly against a side from whom they would have hoped to take at least a point.

After Gary Haman had done well to keep his goal intact in the first ten minutes, the James Williams-sponsored Bluebirds got right into the game and their midfield performance was a bright one.

Chris O'Sullivan was sparking dangerously on the right wing and Dylan Blain again gave notice that he could now have found his niche as a midfield player going forward in support ofthe attack.

Behind them Simon Gilderdale put in another splendid performance. But it was Blain in fact who put the Blues ahead in the 23rd minute and it was a well-worked goal.

O'Sullivan made space for himself and crossed deep into the box, where Rhys Griffiths headed down and Blain pounced to bury the chance from inside the area. What will really gall the Blues management though is that, by the 30th minute, the Blues could have been three up.

Just before the Blain goal, Richie Adams shot wide from a chance which he would normally have converted easily and later, put through by Griffiths, he opted to play the ball back to his co-striker (who had wandered offside) when a shot would have been better.

Adams does now seem to be to be feeling the pressure of his goal drought and will probably not show up as the dangerous attacker we all know he can be until he does find the back of the net.

He is getting into all the right positions, indeed he's doing everything right until the 12-yard line, but then the inhibition seems to be setting in. Once he does score (and a tap-in or two would probably do it) he could be back as a real force, but right now he's finding life up front a struggle.

Cwmbran's equaliser and the goal which put them 2-1 up both have to be put down to poor distribution out of defence. On each occasion the Blues were making their way out of the penalty area when a bad pass gifted the ball to the Crows and first Chris Watkins and then Richard Carter let rip with long-range efforts which gave Haman no chance.

Haman had no chance either with Cwmbran's well-worked third goal which saw the home side work the ball through out of defence.

Ironically, it was ex-Bluebird Chris Summers who got on the end of this chance and buried it. All of this was the more disappointing when the news came through of Aber's 3-1 win over Barry Town, a result which gives us a perspective on the Blues' fine performance of the week before.

But Cwmbran Stadium on Friday did not offer a repeat performance. The Blue travel next week to Bangor to take on highflying City at Farrar Road in what will certainly be another stiff game.

Fans who watched last week's highlights of Bangor's game with TNS might have had their hopes stirred by a highly erratic performance by the Bangor goalkeeper, but it will still need a lot for the Blues to bring back a point.

Haverfordwest County: Gary Haman; Simon Gilderdale, Adie Harris, Eston Chiverton, Chris O'Sullivan, Dylan Blain, Wayne Price, Colin Loss, Steve Hookings, Rhys Griffiths, Richie Adams. Subs: Lee Hudgell (for Adams, 71), Rob Jones, Samir Misbah.

l The Bluebirds Tote had rolled over for nine weeks until last weekend and it took a run of three straight numbers to crack it. The first three numbers out in last Saturday night's National Lottery were 34, 35 and 36, and it was these numbers which won the £5,000 prize for Sara Lamb of Neyland.

The Tote is proving increasingly popular, and is a source of some satisfaction to Tote manager Kenny Ellis, whose efforts continue to bring in valuable revenue for the Bridge Meadow club.

Anyone wishing either to participate in the Tote or to help in selling tickets can contact Kenny on (01437) 764526.