Welsh League Division One
West End 2
THE Bluebirds’ second defeat in a row can be largely put down to a red card early on but was still extremely disappointing.
The effect of the heavy rain on the small Mayhill pitch meant that this would always be a tough game and West End are never easy opposition. The Blues did have a strong wind behind them in the first half but that did not save them from the body blow they suffered in the 10th minute when Ricky Watts saw his back pass slow in the mud and, in chasing back to dispossess West End striker Darren Griffiths, brought off a challenge which referee Dean John adjudged to be deserving of both a penalty and a red card. Colin Harris dispatched the spot kick.
The Bluebirds did in fact get back into the game very well and fully deserved their equaliser when Chris O’Sullivan, who had a very good game in midfield, spread a ball wide to Luke Borelli and when the ex-Lido player’s cross came in Tim Hicks was there to thump home his header.
Having made a real battle of the first half the Blues will have approached the second half with some degree of optimism, even playing into the wind. They continued to play well and did in fact create quite a few chances in the second period but were finally routed by a quite stunning winner, from a team who seem to have the knack of conjuring up spectacular goals against the Blues. This time it was Luke Chappell’s whistling shot from 30 yards which went with the wind to hurtle straight into the top corner of Chris Curtis’s goal.
Since Taff’s Well won their game on Friday the Blues now drop to second place but were spared a further drop when third-placed Goytre lost. The mood at the moment is of disappointment but it could all swing around on Saturday when the side travels to play Taff’s Well.
Haverfordwest County: Chris Curtis; Ricky Watts; Antonio Facciuto; Sam Rodon; Dale Griffiths; Sean Pemberton; Chris O’Sullivan; Declan Carroll (Steffan Williams, 72); Luke Borrelli (Joey Leahy, 72); Tim Hicks; Richie Lewis (Matthew Fisher, 72).
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