Newtown 1.

Haverfordwest County 0.

This game was played on a very sticky pitch and Newtown's one 15-mimute spell of pressure in the first half was enough to provide the solitary goal.

Latham Park was never going to be an easy ground to visit, partly because manager Darren Ryan has made sweeping changes in the side. In fact a total of 43 players (including ex-Bluebird Tony Bird) have worn a Robins shirt this season.

Derek Brazil made the encouraging move of starting with three players from last season's youth team, Bobby Briers, Adam Raymond and Jonathan Clarke, with a fourth, Jack Christopher, coming on at half-time.

The first three had been subbed by the end, but Briers and Clarke came off largely for tactical reasons, to allow Brazil to push more men forward.

Raymond meanwhile had a fine game for the first hour, before Jonathan Coates was brought on to add a little experience.

It seemed from the start that close control would be very difficult on a tacky pitch. As it was, the Robins did adapt a little better in a good patch midway through the first half. Glenn Tolley had smacked one shot against Lee Kendall's cross-bar earlier on, before Dominic Sharrad went through to score in the 38th minute, with the visitors' defence clearly thinking that the striker was offside.

The nearest the Blues came to a goal in the first half was when Jodie Jenkins latched on to a through ball to send a flick very nearly inside Jon Rowley's far post.

From half-time on the Blues were working very hard to combat a slippery pitch and a rugged defence.

As the second half started manager Brazil brought on Simon Heal for right back Briers, to offer a more attacking option.

He also brought on Jack Christopher to give him a third striker, pushing the Tenby lad up alongside Jenkins and pulling Tim Hicks back into a space just behind the front two, in a forward midfield position.

This formation looked very dangerous, as Hicks pushed forward, Christopher won ball in the air, and Jenkins lurked in the danger area.

It was again Jenkins who came nearest to an equaliser when Wayne Jones and Lee Hudgell combined well to play a ball in from the left, Christopher flicked on and Jenkins' header was just finger-tipped to safety by the alert Rowley.

Heal and Hudgell were now starting to threaten on the flanks, Heal chipped one ball just over and Newtown were being stretched, but they managed to hold on.

The result was obviously a disappointment but Derek Brazil will take heart from several displays. In the centre of defence, the composed Simon Gilderdale and the gritty Gareth Elliott provided a very stiff rearguard.

Adam Raymond looked both solid and constructive in midfield, while Tim Hicks played extremely well in his new deeper role and could well give his manager an important new dimension.

Haverfordwest County: Kendall; Briers (Heal, 46), Wayne Jones, Gilderdale, Elliott, Catlin, Clarke (Christopher, 46), Hicks, Jenkins, Raymond (Coates, 64), Hudgell.