Welsh League Division One:

Haverfordwest County 1-4 Penybont

THE Bluebirds were well beaten by a very good Penybont side who were skilful and quick to the ball and who could well be among the front runners as the season proceeds.

The Blues had gone into the game with another re-shuffle, making a change and a positional switch in the back four, to cover Kristian Speake’s absence, and brought Rhydian Davies into the midfield. But a rather bigger re-shuffle followed after 13 minutes when Steffan Davies had to leave the field after a knock, and the lack of a tall ball-winner at the head of the line was one of the Blues’ problems.

The defence was under constant pressure from spritely attackers like Josef Hopkin and Marcus Griffiths, who had scored four against Monmouth the week before. As a result they were having to pump the ball away first-time and right up to the attackers, Steffan Williams and Rhys Dalling, who really needed it threaded through on the deck.

The Blues had gone ahead in the 10th minute, when Steffan Davies had gone on a strong run down the right by-line and sent in a low cross for Rhydian Davies to poach his third goal in 30 minutes of match play. To be honest, that goal had been against the run of play and it was followed by a 21st minute equalizer when Hopkin looped his header well beyond James Gwilt’s reach. Over the next quarter of an hour, Penybont pressed and Gwilt made fine saves from Hopkin and Griffiths, and Griffiths hit the bar.

But the two goals that came before halftime, both to Griffiths, had to be put down to defensive error. A muddle between Sean Pemberton let Griffiths in in the36th minute, and a penalty conceded in the 38th minute saw the Penybont man drive in the spot kick.

The Blues improved a little in the second half and put in a few neat close-passing exchanges. They tried pushing Pemberton up front again, and their best attack of the match followed as Spencer Williams’ fine ball from left to right was crossed back in by Luke Harris for Pemberton’s nod-on to be just beyond Lee Hudgell’s stretch. But at the other end Gwilt was called upon to make two more superb saves, and their fourth goal, driven in by Tom Atyeo after a corner, was no more than Rhys Griffiths’ Penybont side deserved.

Next Saturday, the Blues travel to play Monmouth Town.

Haverfordwest County: James Gwilt; Luke Harris, Spencer Williams, Sean Pemberton, Stefano Antoniazzi, Nick Palmer, Chris O’Sullivan, Rhydian Davies (Leon Luby, 77), Steffan Davies (Lee Hudgell, 13), Rhys Dalling (Nathan Banner, 60), Steffan Williams.
Sub not used: Fraser Finlay.