Welsh League, Division One

Briton Ferry Llansawel 2

Haverfordwest County 0

THE pitch was hard and the bounce was high but that does not fully explain a lacklustre Bluebirds performance which saw them surrender the three points to a Briton Ferry side which was keen and enterprising but by no means outstanding.

During the first quarter of an hour there were a few signs that the Blues midfield might get a real grip on the game as Chris O’Sullivan and Sean Pemberton were able to collect balls in midfield and work them through inside the full backs for Luke Borelli and Steffan Williams to dart down the wings. But there was little real threat to the home side’s goal until the 25th minute when Williams was tripped in the penalty area. Borelli’s spot kick was parried on to the post by the keeper who was then able to grab the rebound as the Blues striker charged in.

As so often happens, it was the side who’d had the reprieve who seemed to come back the stronger and a few attacking flurries by the Old Road side culminated in a 35th minute goal when their big centre back Ian Hillier took a long throw from out on the left and when the ball was cleared from the Bluebirds area he was able to move in and blast his shot past Craig Morris.

The Blues managed one better attack just before half-time when Borelli’s shot forced a point-blank save and Kieran Howard’s effort hit the post from the rebound, but they couldn’t really have begrudged the Ferrymen their half-time lead.

That single-goal half-time deficit was certainly not what the Blues would have wanted but matters were made much worse in the 54th minute when Steve Davey’s free kick from fully 30 yards sailed straight over Morris’s head and into the net.

There was the briefest of recoveries when Jordan Follows was introduced shortly afterwards but after he had wriggled into a few defensive gaps and prodded one short-range effort at the keeper the Bluebirds were never really able to make any further impact. Steffan Davies did battle away to try to knock balls down to his co-forwards but the whole side seemed to be relying far too much on the single tactic of the ball over the top and, apart from one powerful and promising shot from Walters which cannoned off a defender they were unable to produce any really telling strike on goal.

Goytre United’s big win over AFC Porth on Saturday pushes them past the Blues into third spot. Next Saturday the Blues are away to Aberdare Town.

Haverfordwest County: Craig Morris, Greg Walters, Antonio Facciuto (Matthew D’Ivry, 75), Sam Rodon, Dale Griffiths, Sean Pemberton, Chris O’Sullivan, Kieran Howard (Jordan Follows, 55), Steffan Davies, Luke Borelli, Steffan Williams (Owen Thomas, 65).

Sub not used: Dan Evans (g/k)