Welsh League Division One: Haverfordwest County 4-2 Ton Pentre

The Bluebirds were looking for a confidence boost after three defeats in a row and they may just have delivered it with a burst of three goals in four minutes to overturn a 2-1 deficit, writes Robert Nisbet.

The early stages were scrappy on both sides but County had two raiding wingers in Scott Thomas and Jack Wilson to set against Jones’ probing for Ton up front.

But the home side created more chances and went ahead in the 34th minute when a lovely through ball from Harri Rowe was touched on by Steffan Williams for Thomas to crack in a low angled finish for a fine debut goal.

Around the 40th minute Ton created a little pressure and forced three corners, the third of which saw three failed clearances at the back before Kieran Bassett drove in the equaliser.

Just a minute after half-time they took a shock lead when Jones lashed in a sudden 25-yarder.

For a while an exuberant Bulldogs side were beginning to look in a real ascendancy but a substitution switch by Blues manager Wayne Jones turned the game.

Tom Dyson’s arrival for the tiring Williams saw Sean Pemberton, who had excelled at centre half for an hour, move up front, where he proved the lynch-pin.

The result was three quick-fire goals.

In the 74th minute Watts’ through ball was tipped on by Wilson for Scott Thomas to drive in low for his second.

In the 76th a lovely ball forward from Rowe saw Pemberton send Wilson in for the third goal and just two minutes later a similar touch from Pemberton set Wilson up for his brace.

Wilson could easily have completed a deserved hattrick in the final quarter of an hour which saw the Bluebirds right back in control.

Despite the disappointment of a rather scrappy display for the first hour and more, the Blues will be heartened by that fine fight-back, by the simple fact they sent in thirty shots on goal, and good displays by recent signings Rowe and Thomas.

Add to that the facts that Ricky Watts is back to his best position in midfield and that right back Jake Merry is looking increasingly secure, and we might just hope that the game’s stylish ending may yet mark the turning of a corner.

The Blues’ next match is away to Goytre on Saturday, April 6, followed by a trip to play Penybont on Tuesday, April 9.

They return to the Conygar Bridge Meadow, to play Port Talbot on Saturday, April 13.

Haverfordwest County: Steve Hall (Kyle Stuart, 66); Jake Merry, Harri Rowe, Sean Pemberton, Tim Hicks, Ricky Watts, Elliot Thomas, Elliot Scotcher, Steffan Williams (Tom Dyson, 62), Scott Thomas (Jake Kelly, 80), Jack Wilson.