HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY 3

GOYTRE UNITED 0

Haverfordwest County left it late to see off Cymru South visitors Goytre United in the MG Nathaniel Cup, but three goals in the final 20 minutes will leave them in good heart for their Cymru Premier opener at Caernarfon Town on Saturday.

The Bluebirds stuck to their task well and gradually tightened their grip on the game, before goals from Kieran Lewis, Henry Jones and Corey Shephard sealed a deserved win over a Goytre side that was reduced to 10 men just before the end.

With a quarter of an hour to go, Lewis pounced in the box to fire home the opening goal, and in stoppage time Henry Jones converted a great cross into the box from substitute Jazz Richards to double the home side's lead at the far post.

Goytre's frustration showed when Callum Bateman received a second yellow for a late challenge on Bluebirds' skipper Dylan Rees, and there was still time for Shephard to fire home a third goal to add further salt to the visitors' wounds.

Manager Wayne Jones was unable to call upon Ben Fawcett, Lee Idzi, Jack Serrant-Green and Kyle Patten, and expected a tough test against Lee John’s Goytre side, who had already won all of their three opening Cymru South matches.

The visitors had the first chance when Callum Bateman fired a low shot just past the post, but last season’s Player of the Year, Jack Wilson, was linking up well with Henry Jones in the early stages with the some smart runs for the Bluebirds.

Shephard saw his looping effort go just over the crossbar, and then found Wilson who weaved his way through the visitors' defence only for his effort to deflect for corner, from which a shove on skipper Dylan Rees failed to result in a penalty.

When Lewis pounced on a loose ball, he was unable to drag the ball back for Wilson to strike, but at the other end Daniel Birch’s low effort was closed down by Elliot Scotcher, before Louis Gerrard’s shot was claimed by Wojciech Gajda.

Liam Griffiths also went close for Goytre as his header from Birch’s cross ended up on the roof of the net, but as the game settled down it became more of midfield tussle which made for a goalless first forty-five minutes.

After the interval, Lewis’ low-driven shot hit the post, before Mason Jones-Thomas and Jazz Richards were introduced for Kurtis Rees and Ricky Watts, with Dylan Rees now playing in a central role and Scotcher able to push further forward.

The lively Shephard escaped a sliding challenge and shot wide, but the homesters' determination finally paid dividends as Lewis squeezed home a shot from close-range to break the deadlock – and only one side now looked like winning it.

As Goytre piled men forwarded for a corner-kick, Haverfordwest broke superbly on the counter-attack to net their second goal, and Wilson brilliantly played in Jones-Thomas, who laid it on to Henry Jones curl in his first goal for the team.

The visitors saw red when Bateman lashed out in a rash challenge to earn a second booking, and after Richards was denied by Coughlin following a great run, Shephard was there on the follow-up to send Bluebirds fans home smiling.

HAVERFORDWEST: W Gajda, D Summerfield, E Scotcher, A Jones, R Watts (J Richards, 64), C Shephard, H Jones, J Wilson, D Rees (C), K Rees (M Jones-Thomas, 64), K Lewis. Substitutes not used: Scott Tancock, Josh Le-Grice.

GOYTRE UTD: S Coughlin, S O’Sullivan, D Birch, L Gerrard, N Glendon, J Baker, B.Flay, K Steadman, L Griffiths, J Hopkins, C Bateman. Substitutes: M Thomas, J Roberts, J Pike, R Dix.