Vauxhall Masterfit Welsh Premier BANGOR CITY 0 - Haverfordwest County 1 It is always difficult to go to Bangor and get the three points and the Bluebirds will be delighted with this fine win, their first at Farrar Road in Deryn Brace's reign.

With Wyn Thomas returning from injury the Blues were able to revert to their favoured 3-5-2 formation, which is only possible really when you have back three players as good as Thomas, Brace and Rob Jones to tie down the opposing forwards.

This formation meant the Blues could once again play with five men in midfield, an area which has been less successful recently. Wayne Jones and Chris O'Sullivan were able to play wide on the flanks, with 'Sully' in particular posing all sorts of problems for the Bangor defence.

The three players in the centre of midfield, Dylan Blain, Phil Catlin and Nick Palmer, all played extremely well, complementing each other very nicely.

Palmer is now over the jadedness which seemed to afflict him after his return from Australia and again looked a very, very good player.

Lee Kendall in goal had very little to do, apart from one scorching save from Paul Roberts in the second half, but at the other end there were excellent performances from strikers, Lee Hudgell and Richie Adams.

Both looked very pacey and very elusive and gave the Citizens' defence trouble all afternoon.

Under this kind of pressure it was very difficult for Bangor to mount serious attacks. This really was a classic case of defending on your opponents' 18-yard line.

Given this sort of overall dominance it was just a matter of when the Blues could get the goal or goals which would clinch the points. After Adams sent his first-half glancing header just wide, the clinching moment came just 30 seconds after half time, with a superb solo goal from Catlin.

Wyn Thomas played a long ball upfield and keeper Price's clearance only reached Catlin 35 yards out. 'Cats' has shown himself willing to shoot from that kind of range before.

In his debut game last season he saw the Port Talbot keeper off his line and hit the bar with a shot from the halfway line.

Again, on Saturday, seeing Price straying, he judged his drive perfectly to float it over the keeper's head and into the net for the winner.

Kendall then twice saved very well, tipping over a stinger from Paul Roberts and going down well at the feet of Kenny Burgess.

The nearest the game came to a second goal though was with an absolute humdinger of a shot from Wayne Jones, whose 30-yarder Price was only able to touch on to the post for a fortuitous save.

The game was won by that time though and the Blues just had to weather the predictable late Bangor rally before a very well-deserved three points made their way back to the Bridge Meadow.

This coming Saturday, the Blues are at home to Caersws, kicking off at 2.30pm.

After their customary bad start, the mid-Wales side are now putting another very good run together, and still have a host of very stylish players to bring down.

Striker Grahame Evans has gone to the Conference of course, but influential midfielder Sean Jehu is now back with the club. A good and keen game is in prospect.

Haverfordwest County: Kendall; Brace, Wayne Jones (Miller, 85), Palmer, Wyn Thomas (Owain Thomas, 89), Rob Jones, O'Sullivan, Hudgell, Adams, Catlin, Blain. Not used: McNabney