Haverfordwest County returned to competitive football after a month away with a 1-1 draw away at second-placed Newtown AFC.

Danny Williams opened the scoring early on for the Bluebirds, before Newtown captain Aaron Williams salvaged a point from the penalty spot when Ryan George clattered into Nicky Rushton.

County’s last victory was the 1-0 win over Newtown at the Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium back in October, with four losses and two draws being the Bluebirds’ end to 2021.

That time had also seen a change in manager, but with Nicky Hayen still awaiting a work visa, Gary Richards and Jazz Richards were in charge of the trip to Latham Park.

George, along with new striker Jordan Davies, made his debut for County, and it only took nine minutes for the gelling team to take the lead, when Jack Wilson’s throughball found Williams to slot home.

The first half was definitely one which belonged to Haverfordwest County, with Jack Wilson’s soft shot and Williams’ header being the best of the visitors’ chances before half time.

Both sides were forced to make a first-half substitution through injury, with transfer-listed Ben Facwett coming on for Kyle Patten.

Fawcett got involved early in the second half, when his low cross narrowly missed Alhagi Touray Sisay, before Newtown goalkeeper Dave Jones saved a one-on-one against the Spaniard later on.

Only minutes later, Sisay had another chance via a counter attack, but the rest of the second half was County soaking up the pressure from the second placed side.

Newtown had chances from James Davies, Williams and Rushton, whose fierce shot forced Lee Idzi to make a wonderful save.

But the home side got the goal back through captain Williams’ penalty, and rescued a point extending their unbeaten run to four games.

The point sees the Bluebirds climb above Aberystwyth Town into tenth and out of the bottom two, and three points from eighth.

It is a return to Pembrokeshire next up with County hosting Penybont at the Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium at 7.45pm on the evening of Friday, January 28.

NEWTOWN: Jones, Taylor, Roberts, Sears, Mwandwe (Davies 29'), Rushton, Evans (Edwards 89'), A Williams, Cowans, Hughes, Walker

Unused subs: M Williams, Downs, Hesden, Arsan, Guest

HAVERFORDWEST: Idzi, Richards, Scotcher, Wilson, D Rees, K Rees, Lewis (Sisay 60'), George, Patten (Fawcett 19'), Williams, Davies

Unused subs: Gajda, Le-Grice, Jones, Jones-Thomas, Humphreys