Haverfordwest County won their Boxing Day Cymru Premier fixture 3-0 over visitors to the Bridge Meadow Stadium Llanelli Town on Friday (Dec 26) which put a smile on debut making Bluebirds Mascot, Barti.
The Bluebirds played some flowing football in the sunshine, Greg Walters and captain Corey Shephard the fulcrums with neat touches and driving runs into the penalty area, Dan Hawkins and Owain Jones beneficiaries as they deep in the reds half. Walters and Shephard were content to lead the transition, using Ricky Watts and Rhys Abbruzzese.
The first clear cut chance came the way of Llanelli on 7 minutes when Ethan Cann under pressure from a covering Watts skied his shot from 20 yards high over keeper Luc Rees goal having run 20 metres onto Danny Williams through ball.
Watts, a veteran of decades of involvement with his home town club belied his years with engine purring as he matched former team mate Danny Willimas stride for stride, then having the composure to settle the offensive play with pin point passes to front man Ahumn and attacking midfielder Kyle Kenniford.
Ahumn had a header tipped wide on the quarter of an hour, Kenniford’s quick feet making space and his tinsel feet saw him find space to deliver a cross with the outside of his boot, keeper Alex Pennock, in front of his family on the home bench, equal to the task.
Elliot Scotcher limped from the field to be replaced by Alaric Jones, the Tenby based centre half still having issues with a calf injury, which caused some disruption until Jones settled, the ball ending up in the home net from a corner but ruled out by the assistant referee as the delivery came from an offside position, the quality of Alex McInch’es team in black never questionable as he allowed the game to flow, much to the appreciation of a season best crowd of 991.
The opening goal came courtesy of a strike from 20 meters by Owain Jones, the attacking midfielder benefiting from the build up play of Hawkins and Walters around the penalty box, testament of the home sides desire to move the ball quickly across the floor and probing with purpose.
Confidence is a strong ethos within the home side, Pennock palming away Jones effort on 27 minutes with an extended hand, Ahumn laying the ball on a plate for his team mate, Jones again drawing a save from an alert Pennock after skipper Shepherd played a measured ball into path allowing for a clean strike from the right without breaking his stride pattern. Haverfordwest had stretched the game isolating the visitors back three deep in their half, Owain Jones exploiting this space finding Ahumn free on the right edge of the penalty box and he drew an inch perfect pullback to Shepherd, who doubled his sides lead on the half hour with a shot into the bottom left corner of Pennock’s net.
In contrast the Bluebirds defence formed a strong line, holding their territory which drew Williams and Tristan Jenkins offside, Abbruzzese marshalling the left flank with aplomb to the frustration of Harrison Bright who was yellow carded on 36 minutes for a second foul in as many minutes when he left his foot across the fullback, who for the remainder of the half was like granite to stem the efforts of Willimas and Jenkins, the latter having a shot high from 20 meters and forcing goalkeeper Rees to dive at his feet, being the Reds only opportunities after the opening exchanges ahead of the half time whistle.
The second half started with a near immediate yellow card for centre half Alaric Jones, his rash challenge on 49 minutes allowing the visitors an offensive opportunity which they dwindled, Rees then a commanding presence to clutch the ball and allow his troops to reset, Shepherd again leading his flock forward with incisive runs to the byline whilst at the other end man of the match Abbruzzese read the game succinctly and never delivered a wayward pass.
Walters and Ahumn combined on the hour mark for the striker to set up Shepherd who on this occasion couldn’t trouble Pennock, Australia bound Ben Fawcett replacing Owain Jones as he played closer to Ahumn, the Haverfordwest efforts rewarded when Hawkins played in Fawcett whose turn of pace out stripped the defence with 20 minutes to play, his shot agonisingly drifting across the far post.
Walters took a yellow card for the team on 73 minutes when he pulled back an advancing Cann, Rees also carded for delaying the restart 2 minutes after as the Bluebirds composure wore thin.
The break in play benefitted the home side as Hawkins again combined with Ahumn on 75 minutes before Fawcett took responsibility to bury his sides third goal with an assured strike from 10 yards, former Bluebird striker rolling the changes for his Llanelli side as Rio Booth replaced Jac Norris and Tristan Jenkins made way for Morgan Evans to give his side more momentum, Cann pulling the strings but alas the final ball evading a red shirt.
Haverfordwest were defensively strong and organised, Rees called on only once to save a speculative shot from substitute Booth which he did with assurance, Abbruzzese again faultless in his second half performance, even having a foray forward to draw a save from Pennock as the gamed ebbed to its final frontier, where Hawkins made way for Iori Humphries, Shepherd replaced by Ashley Watkins and Panashe Makwiramiti for Ahumn, the final significant action seeing Booth cautioned for tripping Fawcett as the game had 3 minutes of added time.
Haverfordwest County
Rees L; Abbruzzese; Scotcher (Jones: 15); Watts; Shephard C ©️ (Watkins: 85); Hawkins (Humphries: 85); McCarthy; Walters; Kenniford; Owen; Jones O; (Fawcett: 63) Ahumn (Makwiramiti: 85).
Substitutes not used
Knott;
Llanelli Town
Pennock; Bright; Hopkins ©️; Lloyd; Cann; Jenkins (Evans: 76); Parsons; Norris (Booth: 76); Williams (Gibbings: 67); Lester; Sanca.
Substitutes not used
Lewis; Parry; Baker.
Match Officials
Referee: Alex McInch (Cardiff)
Assistant Referees: Ian Bird & Connor Thomas
4th Official: Joseph Gibson
Match Photos from Ethan Ellis
Photo Gallery (click to view in full)
