Welsh League, Division One

Cambrian & Clydach 1

Haverfordwest County 1

THE Bluebirds will have left the Clydach Vale after a rather scrappy encounter, feeling that it had been rather a case of two points lost than one point gained.

Playing with the wind behind them in the first half, and on a rather greasy 3G surface, they showed a degree of purpose and shaded the proceedings. There were few clear-cut chances at either end and the nearest the first half came to a goal was in the 38th minute when Jordan Follows was very close to converting a chance. Then, on the stroke of half-time a successive pair of Kieran Howard’s corners, from left and right, put pressure on the Cambrian defence with Sam Rodon being repelled with difficulty.

The visitors took the lead in the 47th minute when Howard’s well-judged through ball

cleared two defenders and found Steffan Davies. The ex-Bow Street striker judged his lob neatly to notch his first goal in Bluebirds’ colours.

But in the succeeding half-hour the Blues were never really able to close the game down, nor to threaten a second score, although one confident penalty appeal, after Davies was brought down, was waved away. The came the Josh Ryall’s late equaliser, and the Rhondda side picked up the point which a gritty display had probably earned them.

The concluding minutes held a further share of drama, first of all when Declan Carroll received a red card for a second bookable offence and then when Cambrian saw Jacob Matthews’ injury-time shot crash back off the Bluebirds’ bar.

Wins for Cardiff Met and Penybont (a resounding 9-0 over AFC Porth) have put the pressure right back on the Bluebirds whose next game is away to Goytre United on Friday March 6.

Haverfordwest County: Craig Morris, Greg Walters, Antonio Facciuto (Spencer Williams, 82), Sam Rodon, Dale Griffiths, Sean Pemberton, Kieran Howard, Nicky Palmer, Steffan Davies, Jordan Follows (Owen Thomas, 75), Declan Carroll.

Sub not used: Matthew D’Ivry, Dan Evans (g/k).