It took an opportunist late strike by sub Phil Cattlin to stave off Bluebirds' embarrassment in a game against Third Division opposition.

It has to be said that Llantwit Fardre, who are currently running away with their league, looked a far better side than the three division gap would suggest.

So when the Bluebirds began to freeze in the second half, the nasty prospect of another banana-skin result began to run through the team and their supporters.

After Lee Idzi had done very well to tip over Lee Graves' header in the first minute, the Blues began to take charge.

They seemed to be missing Chris O'Sullivan and Nick Woodrow, and strikers Jack Christopher and Ian Jones were constantly being crowded by two big centre backs.

Christopher did get three headers on target and sent a cross-shot just wide after Wayne Jones' deep cross had reached him, but the Blues made few really dangerous assaults on the Llantwit goal. Simon Gilderdale did put one header past keeper Rudall but was penalized for pushing.

As the second half moved on the Blues' play grew more and more ragged. Jonathan Coates and Tom Ramuset were building up quite stylishly in midfield, Lee Hudgell was increasingly raiding well down the left, and the Blues' best player, Terry Evans, kept pushing forward down the right, but no-one seemed prepared to take a real pot at goal.

They were given a real object lesson in the 71st minute when Llantwit's rangy centre forward Ryan Prosser, a hat-trick hero in the previous round, wriggled past two defenders and crashed a rasping shot against Idzi's post.

In the very next minute Prosser was surprisingly substituted, but it seemed that the lesson had been learned. Four minutes later, as Hudgell's left wing cross was headed out by a defender, Cattlin leaned into a 20-yard volley and hammered in a quite unstoppable winner.

A win is always a win, but this one was very hard-earned against a side which kept running to the 90th minute.

The Bluebirds return to league action next weekend when they entertain Neath Athletic on the Friday night, kick-off 7.30pm. Neath have made a good start to their first season in the Welsh Premier, and so far have nine points to the Bluebirds' 13. Among their squad is former Bluebirds winger Billy Timothy. Billy is one of the quickest players in the league, and if he should be marking Lee Hudgell, it could be a very interesting duel.

Haverfordwest County: Idzi; Evans, Wayne Jones, Gilderdale, Elliott, Raymond (Cattlin, 62), Ramuset, Ian Jones, Christopher (Peter Thomas, 88), Hudgell (Durham, 80).