Dafabet Welsh Premier

Haverfordwest County 2

Bangor City 1

THE Bluebirds ran out deserved winners after an exciting game which saw rapidly-changing phases of attack and in which they scored two out of the three good goals.

The Blues went into the game full of confidence after goals by Jordan Follows and Luke Borrelli had given them an excellent 2-1 away win at Port Talbot on Tuesday. But they had a couple of setbacks early on when Nicky Palmer was forced off with a tweaked hamstring after 6 minutes and Dale Griffiths had to follow with a recurrence of his groin strain 12 minutes later.

During this early period Bangor were beginning to look the more threatening side, but then, as happened throughout the game, a game of six distinct sixths, the momentum moved in the other direction and it was the Blues who were pressing. Sean Pemberton and Luke Borrelli sent in stinging shots and a four-man move was ended by an offside flag.

Then the game swung back the Citizens’ way and the Blues survived one hairy moment, after a Bangor corner, when two shots crashed back off the bar with an equally dangerous effort in between them being superbly saved by Scott James. But the defence, well marshalled as ever by the dominant Sam Rodon and Pemberton, survived and the game was goalless at half-time.

Matters were given a sudden new direction in the opening minute of the second half, when Kieran Howard sent a beautifully-flighted corner to the far post and Jack Christopher found ample room to plant a really solid header in the bottom corner.

But the goal simply seemed to spark Bangor into one of their strongest bouts of attacking of the afternoon.

Their continuing tactic was to bombard the Blues’ goal with high crosses and, with Rodon and Pemberton heading away and James gaining in confidence all the time the Blues were able to weather this onslaught and began a new wave of their own attacks.

Several moves menaced as Christopher and Declan Carroll both headed wide, before the fine second goal in the 69th minute, as Howard curled a free kick well out of keeper Roberts’ reach.

In the 78th minute one of the few Bangor moves which did strike down the middle opened the defence right up and Joe Williams pulled a goal back.

The Bluebirds did not just play the clock down but kept up some decent pressure on the Citizens’ defence and were able to control the last 10 minutes to go to a pleasing win which takes them to 8th place in the table.

The ball sponsors were Jill and John Donachie and programme sponsors were Cleddau Press.

Haverfordwest County’s next game is away to Carmarthen Town on Friday.

Haverfordwest County: 1. Scott James, 2. Ricky Watts, 20. Spencer Williams, 5. Dale Griffiths (10. Declan Carroll 18'), 6. Sam Rodon, 14. Kieran Howard, 18. Nicky Palmer (4. Sean Pemberton 4'), 8. Greg Walters, 7. Luke Borrelli, 9. Jordan Follows, 17. Jack Christopher (11. Steffan Williams 64').

Sub not used: 15. John Roberts.