Haverfordwest County 0.

New Saints (TNS) 3.

The Bluebirds will be bitterly disappointed by this result, since the feeling of most onlookers was that a scoreline of 1-0 or even 1-1 might have better reflected the drift of the afternoon's action.

The New Saints are a fine side however, and now very likely to become deserved champions once again.

On bank holiday Monday, they did what they do best. They absorbed pressure, were patient, and then, when the chances came, took them clinically.

By contrast, Derek Brazil will have to console himself with the thought that his young side gave absolutely all they had, in what in fact was one of their very best displays of the season, and can, in time, only get better.

The first half saw only two real chances on goal, as the Bluebirds' new 3-5-2 line-up closed the visitors down time and again. The back three of Ryan Durham, Simon Gilderdale and Gareth Elliott were superb, and kept the New Saints to just two chances. As is the way with a quality side, one of them was converted. In the 14th minute, Michael Wilde had just the briefest of moments to get on to a cross from Dwayne Courtney and gave Lee Kendall no chance. The second chance saw the visitors' Steve Beck with a moment's space and room, but he was brilliantly blocked by the Blues' debutant midfielder Liam McCreesh.

Beck was in fact showing up extremely well for TNS, as were Scott Ruscoe and central defenders Michael Jackson and Tommy Holmes.

Jack Christopher and Tim Hicks ran at that defence with terrific heart and perseverance but found it difficult to make much headway, and the Blues only had one real sniff of goal, in the 44th minute, when Jon Coates went on a break from halfway and fired over the bar.

Suddenly, as the second half started, the Bluebirds seemed to shift up a gear and to apply real pressure for the first time. The catalyst was Chris O'Sullivan, who started to give the big TNS defence a few problems. Nearly all the Blues' chances in this half (and there were several of them) came from Sully's crosses, corners and free kicks. Two of his drives on goal went straight to keeper Doherty, one was headed just over by Hicks, and another similarly by Christopher. A third grazed Durham's forehead as the big defender loomed ominously on the far post.

The game's most dramatic twist came in the 77th minute, when Kendall, who had seemed on course for another immaculate game (although in fact he had very few direct shots to save) mis-timed a simple clearance and gifted the ball to TNS for John Leah to slot it away.

The last ten minutes were fast and furious. Sub Jackie Gryka joined Hicks and Christopher as a third striker, and they all but forced a goal when they pressurised Doherty into offering a chance, but Christopher's shot slipped wide. And finally, as so often happens, the home side pushed forward once too often, and Alfie Carter got a third goal in the last minute.

Haverfordwest County: Kendall, Durham, McCreesh, Gilderdale, Elliott, Cattlin (Gryka, 78), O'Sullivan, Hicks, Christopher, Coates, Hudgell. Subs not used: Otten, Raymond, Briers.

New Saints: Doherty, Baker, Courtney, Jackson, Holmes, Leah, Ruscoe, Stones, Wilde, Beck, Toner. Subs (all used): King, Carter, Lamb.

The Bluebirds have three games remaining. On Saturday next, they travel to Broughton to play Airbus UK. Next Tuesday evening (17th) they are away to Porthmadog, before the final home game against Bangor City on Saturday, April 21st.

Jack the lad salvages a point.

On Saturday, Haverfordwest County travelled to Newi Cefn Druids and gained a 2-2 draw.

Mark Otten gave the visitors the lead. However, the home side went 2-1 behind after goals from Osian Jones and Lee Jones.

The Bluebirds thankfully salvaged a point, after Jack Christopher struck a last minute equaliser.