Haverfordwest County 0.

Welshpool Town 1.

This fast, skilful and very even game was settled by a cracking 30-yard free kick from Steve Rogers just nine minutes from the end.

This was the fourth game in succession in which the Bluebirds had gone down one-nil, but there can be much heart to be taken from this last performance. Against Neath in midweek they had been poor, but on Saturday they gave a very good, third-placed Welshpool side a really tough game.

Derek Brazil had shuffled his pack a little, bringing Jonathan Coates back in the centre of midfield, pushing Adam Raymond out to the left flank, where he played very well, and moving Lee Hudgell across to a spot just behind striker Tim Hicks in a 4-5-1 formation.

There was also a very welcome return to the Bridge Meadow for former Bluebird Marc Otten, recovered from a long injury lay-off, but transferring now from West End. It was very good news that he should immediately have slotted into such an assured defensive partnership with Simon Gilderdale.

The early minutes saw both sides probing more than really attacking, with Hicks running strongly at the Welshpool defence.

However the first dangerous strikes on goal didn't come until the 20-minute mark when County keeper Lee Kendall twice did very well to thwart the visitors' Calvin Davies.

The Blues hit back when Adam Raymond's ball in from the left set up Lee Hudgell, whose downward-driven shot flew up to crash back off the bar. Chris O'Sullivan followed up to float over an angled cross which again hit the bar.

Just after the hour mark, Welshpool started to press and there was a series of torrid attacks after left-wing corners. The only results which the visitors gained though were a stiff talking to for Dave Cunnah from referee Morgan, and a red card for the burly Richard Harris.

Brazil now decided to give Jack Christopher a run in place of the tiring Raymond, but neither side had a clear advantage until a sudden winner nine minutes from time, when Steve Rogers hit a 30-yard free kick into the top left of Kendall's net.

The Bluebirds' heads were down for just a minute or so before they rallied strongly and well. They did in fact have the ball in the net in the 85 minute when Jack Christopher headed on from O'Sullivan's cross and Jonathan Coates squeezed the ball in, but the flag was up for offside.

Haverfordwest County: Kendall; Durham (Jenkins, 78), Wayne Jones, Gilderdale, Otten, Catlin, O'Sullivan, Hicks, Raymond (Christopher, 67), Coates, Hudgell. Subs not used: Briers, Wilson, Clarke.