HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY 3 CARMARTHEN TOWN 1 A BRACE of beautifully-struck goals early in the second half by Chris O'Sullivan was enough to take this game well out of Carmarthen's reach and secure the West Wales Senior Cup.
Throughout the first half, the FBM-sponsored Bluebirds were much the more methodical in approach play and had a clear territorial advantage, although Carmarthen were extremely quick on the break.
The first goal came in the 13th minute when O'Sullivan curled in a lovely free kick, three Blues players converged on the ball and Gareth Elliott hammered into the roof of the net.
It was clear that left wing back Lee Hudgell had the better of Carmarthen's Haydn Fleming, and he was plied with the ball, by Elliott in particular, until, in the 31st minute he went on one scorching run past two defenders before Richie Adams met the cross and crashed his shot over the bar.
As the game wore on, Carmarthen still looked sharp on the break but the Blues seemed to be running the midfield with Nick Palmer in particular looking good, and O'Sullivan and Hudgell threatening on the flanks.
The game was then virtually settled by O'Sullivan's strikes.
In the 48th minute he was played in by Phil Catlin and crashed in a low shot from fully 25 yards. Sixteen minutes later, Adams and Hicks opened the defence to let him in again and O'Sullivan finished with an equally spectacular strike.
Carmarthen had pulled one back within the minute when a fine move split the Blues defence wide open and Danny Thomas rifled the ball home.
Thereafter there was some strong running by Carmarthen, notably from Sacha Walters on the right, but the Blues defence looked very solid, with Elliott, on his first real outing before home fans, during this present stay at the Meadow, looking extremely composed.
In fact, most danger came at the other end, notably when an O'Sullivan cross broke first to Adams and then to Hudgell whose efforts were just beaten out by Carmarthen.
Two curling free kicks from O'Sullivan brought the best out of keeper Andrew Delve. Carmarthen had been well and truly outplayed and Lee Kendall was left to hold aloft the silverware.
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