Bluebirds drop crucial points (From Western Telegraph)

Bluebirds drop crucial points

10:47am Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

Haverfordwest County 1
Bala Town 1

A fine goal from Tom Ramasut in the second minute suggested the Bluebirds might do better than notch up a very disappointing third draw on the trot.

Sunday’s game was played on a pitch which was quite hard after the long dry spell, and both sides made regular errors in control. Despite several goalmouth scrambles, there was neither the drama nor the quality of the excellent 3-3 mid-week draw against Prestatyn, enlivened by a Jack Christopher hat-trick, but spoiled for the Bluebirds, in the last minute, by the award of a penalty for what the Haverfordwest camp saw as a clear case of ball-to-hand.

For the Bala game, Derek Brazil kept the same starting line-up, but pushed Terry Evans on just ahead of the back four, to allow Ramasut to get further forward. The move paid off in spectacular and immediate fashion when ‘Rammers’ latched on to a long second-minute clearance by Lee Idzi, harassed keeper Bimpson into making a hash of his save and coolly lobbed him from 20 yards.

There were several moments later in the half when the West Wales Properties-sponsored Bluebirds might have added a second. Tom Billing’s shot was blocked after Ramasut had played him in, and Lee Hudgell sent a dipping cross inches over the bar.

But at the other end Bala’s wide players Mark Harris and the busy Steve Fisher were floating in some very good crosses. All were dealt with well by Idzi, and central defenders Mark Dodds and Jehu (West) man of the match Gareth Elliott looked solid. There was just the one real scare, in the 28th minute, when Bala’s Danny Jellico headed against the bar.

Then, in the second minute of the second half, it was a reverse case of déjà vu, as Bala pinched a goal from almost nowhere. Ricky Evans’ free kick from a deep left wing position took a bounce and seemed to creep its way through a crowded area.

There followed an uneasy quarter of an hour for the Bluebirds when Bala looked by far the sharper side.

Jack Christopher and Chris O’Sullivan, who had both played very well against Prestatyn, lacked a real edge on Sunday. Hudgell had some good moments, while Billing was a strong line-leader, but was occasionally slow to move the ball on.

The Blues were certainly unlucky to have used all their subs to cover injuries by the 68th minute, with Ramasut and Ross Jones being missed in midfield, vigorously though Jamie Bradford played.

The result was that the Bluebirds dropped two points, and wins will be needed now.

This Sunday the Blues travel to the Gnoll to play Neath.

Haverfordwest County: Lee Idzi, Terry Evans, Mark Dodds (Jamie Grimes 45’), Kyle Graves, Gareth Elliott, Ross Jones (Josh Hartrick 68’), Chris O`Sullivan, Tom Ramasut (Jamie Bradford 61’), Tom Billing, Jack Christopher, Lee Hudgell Sub not used: Nicky Woodrow.