Haverfordwest County 1
GAP Connah's Quay 0

This was a game in which it seemed for a very long while that a Bluebirds’ goal would just never come, but Mark Dodds’ last-minute header finally gave the side three points they totally deserved.

It was a curious game, the first half saw the West Wales Properties-sponsored Bluebirds playing a measured and patient passing game so cautiously, that at times it was rather like watching a game of chess. They clearly had the measure of a moderate Connah’s Quay side, yet although they worked very skilfully through the midfield, the decisive pass seemed to elude them.

Much of this final lack of cohesion must have stemmed from the fact that so many of the players are not yet used to playing alongside one another. There was a great deal of individual skill on view from Lee Hudgell, Chris O’Sullivan, Ross Jones at moments, and most certainly from Tom Ramasut, who seems to have hit a richer vein of form than ever on this second return to the Bluebirds The result was that they had few real chances in the first half and no real crack at the goal, even though Nicky Woodrow put keeper Terry McCormick under pressure as crosses came in, and Jack Christopher couldn’t quite reach a ball from Ramasut.

At the other end, ex-Wrexham striker Michael Hayes, who had scored the Nomads’ winner against TNS the week before, was prepared to shoot on sight but his three first-half efforts flew wide.

The second half began with the Blues’ defence still dominant. The polished Terry Evans and Jehu (West) man-of-the-match Dodds were solid. Ever-improving Kyle Graves and Jamie Grimes always sought to press forward. For all that, Hayes again managed to wriggle into space twice, one of his shots whistling just wide and the other drawing a good low save from Lee Idzi.

On the 60-minute mark the Blues fans began to feel it was really time for a goal. By 75 minutes, as the Nomads’ time-wasting began to kick in, it was fingernail time. Then Graves drew a good save from McCormick with a 20-yard shot. Tom Billing and Josh Hartrick replaced O’Sullivan and Christopher, each recovering from injury and illness, and a final last surge began.

Hartrick went on a fine run past three defenders before being crowded out. Billing’s blasted shot was deflected for a corner which set up a huge scramble fortuitously cleared by the Nomads. Hudgell was only inches from getting a touch to Billing’s low cross before his own low shot crashed back off the post. Only in the last minute did ‘Hudge’ find room on the right to curl his cross to the far post for Dodds to head home.

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