Football - Welsh Premier League HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY 1 NEWI CEFN DRUIDS 1 This was a game which the Bluebirds really wanted to win, but their portion for the afternoon was a point, one well-worked goal, and a few near misses.

The defence, without the suspended Wyn Thomas, seemed able to cope well with the Druids attack during the first half and the Blues had the better of affairs, pressing forward fluently and looking as if a goal wasn't too far away.

As so often has happened though, the goal didn't come. Darren Ryan put over one lovely swinging cross from the left but Jon Keaveney contrived to head wide of an open goal.

Then Keaveney and Ryan linked again for Ryan to break clear and fire just inches wide. Meanwhile the Druids never really threatened beyond the eighteen-yard line.

The visitors offered little threat to Lee Kendall, apart from set pieces. Barker did miss one good chance when he was put through, but sent in a weak grubber shot.

No danger was obvious until the Druids' goal in the 44th minute.

A dubious free kick was awarded and when the ball came in there was a scramble in the box before it broke to Mick McLean who shot home to Kendall's left.

The Eddie's Snooker Bar-sponsored Blues started the second half as if they would put matters right.

Ryan and Richie Adams on the flanks were running at the Druids defence and, although it probably needed someone to rip to the by-line a little more often, there was still danger in these attacks, with Dean Rossiter and Colin Loss prompting well, and Brace often overlapping very dangerously.

One good Keaveney run saw his cross from the left meet Adams, who was steaming in and crashed his shot against the bar.

But for all the Blues dominance, the Druids weren't out of this one. When they broke, they were often too quick to be shepherded out of danger, leaving Rob Jones in particular to pull off a string of fine last-ditch tackles.

The equalizer was a fine goal. Adams went on a scorching run, first wide and then inside and slid a well-weighted ball past the defender for Lee Brown to latch on to it and blast past keeper Mackin from eight yards. The Blues had deserved that one.

Then, not ten minutes later, they could have gone behind again when Barker broke quickly and Kendall pulled off a quite brilliant double save.

The dying minutes were an anti-climax as the Druids augmented their collection of 22 penalized fouls with three yellow cards and two red ones. The afternoon really wasn't quite what we'd hoped for.

Next Saturday, the Blues entertain Glantraeth in the third round of the Welsh Cup, kick-off 2.30.

Then, on Tuesday November 9th, they travel to Port Talbot for a second round tie in the FAW Premier Cup. If there is sufficient interest, the club will be running a bus to this game.