Haverfordwest County slip further from their aspirations of the top six in the JD Cymru Premier after a 2-1 defeat to Caernarfon Town at the Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium.

Noah Edwards opened the scoring for Caernarfon with a run from the halfway line to the edge of the Bluebirds penalty area, where he slotted the ball across goal into the bottom far corner.

The score was doubled at the hour mark when Cai Jones got the last touch during a goalmouth scramble following a corner from captain Darren Thomas.

Mason Jones-Thomas netted a sliding shot eight minutes later, but the goal turned out to be merely a consolation, as the visitors travelled back to Gwynedd with the three points.

-Wayne Jones rues first half. Reaction here.

The Bluebirds had the chances to equalise after the inspiration from the first goal, but the away side held on and it was a case of 'too little, too late' for County.

Wayne Jones and his team’s fans will be furious they were not awarded a late penalty for a potential handball, as they pushed for the late equaliser.

Lee Idzi certainly was the busier of the two goalkeepers early on, being called into action in the first minute through Thomas’ ferocious shot, palming it behind for a corner.

Immediately after, Idzi had to be alert to keep out Evans’ header from the subsequent corner.

Caernarfon carried on strong, with Jones having a volley saved by Idzi before the Bluebirds keeper kept his side in it again when Michael Hayes was put through one-on-one, all in the first ten minutes.

But with attackers including the talents of Jones-Thomas, Danny Williams, Alhagi Sisay, Jack Wilson and Ben Fawcett, the home side were always going to have chances.

Jones-Thomas had an early chance as he ran in on goal, but his shot lacked power towards Liverpool loanee Jakub Orjzynski in the Town goal.

Haverfordwest’s goalscorer did have the best chance to open the scoring for the Bluebirds, when his shot on the counter attack hit the post and went away.

Danny Williams got involved early on too, intercepting the ball on the left, but his cross went through Sisay’s body, and Fawcett’s touch was too heavy and Caernarfon managed to clear.

Sisay was next to cross from the left only minutes later, with the game still goalless and open, but his was inches in front of Jones-Thomas.

Wilson also had several chances in the first half, with a 25-yard free kick and a volley narrowly missing the Town goal.

Caernarfon kept trying to add however, and looked the better side for bulks of the match, with Jones having two quickfire shots at goal.

The first was saved by the goalkeeper, before the second was blocked by Jazz Richards, going behind for the corner which led to Jones grabbing the eventual winner.

It was the Bluebirds with the chances however once they had gotten back into the game, with Danny Williams heading Richards’ cross narrowly wide, before Fawcett also couldn’t find the target with his left-foot strike.

Jones-Thomas missed two glorious chances very late on, as Wilson’s wide header was the last chance as the Bluebirds lost their penultimate home match of 2021.

The Bluebirds are still in tenth position, but now five points from the top six spots which, Caernarfon have climbed into after the victory.

Next up for Jones’ men is a trip to Flint Town next weekend before the last home game of the calendar year at home to Bala Town.

HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY AFC: Idzi, Richards, Scotcher, Watts, Fawcett, Wilson, D Rees ©, Sisay (Jones 56’), Jones-Thomas, Patten, Williams

Unused subs: Gajda, Humphreys, King, Davies

CAERNARFON TOWN FC: Ojrzynski, Bailey, Williams, Evans, Gosset, Hayes (Dafydd 90’), Thomas ©, Edwards, Williams, Jones, Beaumont-Broadband

Unused subs: Huxley