A six-minute second half hat-trick by Pontardawe striker Scott McCoubrey sent the Bluebirds plummeting to their first defeat in ten games.

There was barely a blade of grass to be seen on a hard, bumpy Pontardawe pitch and it was always going be difficult to graft out a win. The first hour of the game was a dour affair, with neither side getting any real ascendancy. The one real flurry of excitement in the first half came when Darren Griffiths latched on to a through ball from David Evans and rounded the keeper. He appeared, as the Blues management saw it, to make contact with the falling Griffiths, but penalty appeals fell on deaf refereeing ears.

After an hour’s graft it seemed time for the Bluebirds to throw more firepower at the Pont defence, so two Bluebirds substitutions brought on the strong-running Anton Owens on the wing and third striker Jamie Evans. None of this however budgeted for the striking capabilities of ex-Lido player McCoubrey, who struck the Blues with a fine hat-trick between the 65th and the 71st minutes.

There was never likely to be any way back from that triple blast and the Blues were left to console themselves with the news that soon filtered through that Bryntirion, Taff’s Well and Goytre had all lost also, leaving the tussle for second place rather a matter of “as-you-were”.

Since most of the other sides around them have a game or two in hand, the dwindling number of matches left will leave the Blues in a harder and harder spot, but it’s never all over, as they say, till the fat lady sings.

The Bluebirds’ last three games see them with a tough run-in. Clear leaders Cambrian & Clydach away (Tuesday 17th), home to Caerau Ely on Saturday 21st, and what could in fact be a decider, second-placed Bryntirion away on Tuesday 24th.

Haverfordwest County: Peter Blain; Gareth Elliott (Jay Brockway, 80); Phil Cattlin; Dale Griffiths; Dave Evans (Anton Owens, 63); Owen Thomas; Ricky Watts; Rob Morgans (Jamie Evans, 63); Chris O’Sullivan; Darren Griffiths; Nicky Woodrow.