Haverfordwest County 0 New Saints (TNS) 3.

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

The New Saints are a fine side, however, and are now 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.

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 limited the chances for New Saints.

In the 14th minute, Michael Wilde had just the briefest of moments to get on a cross from Dwayne Courtney and gave Lee Kendall no chance. The second chance saw the visitors' Steve Beck with a moment's space, but he was brilliantly blocked by the Blues' debutant midfielder Liam McCreesh.

Jack Christopher and Tim Hicks ran at that defence with terrific heart and perseverance, but found it difficult to make much headway.

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.

In the second half the Bluebirds seemed to shift up a gear and applied real pressure for the first time. The catalyst was Chris O'Sullivan, who started to give the TNS defence a few problems.

Nearly all the Blues' chances 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 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 by pressurising Doherty into offering a chance, but Christopher's shot slipped wide.

Finally, as so often happens, the home side pushed forward once too often, and Alfie Carter got a third goal in the last minute.

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