Welsh League Division One

Haverfordwest County 1

Cambrian & Clydach 0

THIS keenly-contested game offered quality play on both sides, but was settled by a really fine strike when the Blues attack and midfield combined to play Rhys Dalling in for the neatest of finishes, writes Robert Nisbet

This was the third in a sequence of home matches in which the Blues have taken on the top three sides in the table and, as on the previous two occasions, this game was finely-poised from the start. Cambrian had maybe the slightest of early edges as attackers Richard French and Jamie Crisp darted quickly towards goal, but by the 20-minute mark the game was poised.

The back four, with Stefano Antoniazzi in his strongest ball-winning form, looked extremely solid and James Gwilt had another fine game. The midfield, not always the Blues’ strongest point this season, was in good form, as the guile of Lee Hudgell complemented Greg Walters’ powerful forward runs and both were backed by the ever-improving Kieran O’Brien. With both Ashley Bevan and Steffan Davies unavailable, Jamie Evans was switched to lead the forwards and was able to keep up a pressure which threatened to make the chances for his wingers Rhys Dalling and Steffan Williams.

The game’s one goal came in the 39th minute and was the sort of minor classic which deserves to settle a tight game. Williams and Hudgell combined cleverly just inside the Cambrian half, before Hudgell slipped a beautifully-weighted ball in behind the centre half for Dalling to dart through and put away the kind of one-on-one chance at which he is particularly good.

A Cambrian second-half fight-back was inevitable but, because the Blues refused to sit on their lead and spent a long time chasing the second goal, the Rhondda side was never able to mount a real onslaught. There were a few flurries. James Gwilt had to make one brave and skilful block at the feet on the onrushing Shane Davies, and he coped very well with a few shots but his most hair-raising moment came when he had to dive to save a fluky deflection squeezing out of one of Antoniazzi’s tackles.

At the other end, Walters went very close from Hudgell’s corner, an Evans flick-on nearly put Dalling in again, Facciuto’s free kick was inches over the angle of bar and post, and the last attack saw keeper Hall hang on to one of Walters’ 25-yard specials.

This Saturday the Bluebirds, who have now moved up to sixth in the table, will entertain eighth place Taff’s Well, kick-off 2.30pm.


Haverfordwest County: James Gwilt, Matthew Broome, Antonio Facciuto, Sean Pemberton, Stefano Antoniazzi, Kieran O’Brien, Steffan Williams, Greg Walters, Jamie Evans, Rhys Dalling (Nicky Palmer, 70), Lee Hudgell. Subs not used: Spencer Williams, Rhydian Davies, Chris O’Sullivan.