Haverfordwest County AFC head to the Recreation Ground on Saturday to take on Ammanford in the JD Welsh Cup third round’s televised tie.
The Bluebirds come into the game having lost just one of their last 10 matches in all competitions. That defeat came in our most recent fixture, as we were edged out 2-1 by reigning champions The New Saints at Park Hall, despite taking the lead through Ben Fawcett.
Ammanford, meanwhile, currently find themselves 11th in the JD Cymru South with five wins and nine defeats from their 14 league matches to date. Their most recent outing was a 2-0 loss at home to Caerau Ely last Friday. The Boars are currently the third highest scorers in the second tier, and their main marksman, Lewis Reed, has found the net nine times so far in 2024-25.
The Bluebirds were victorious over current JD Cymru South leaders Trethomas Bluebirds in the second round, running out 5-3 winners on penalties after the tie had ended goalless at LHP Stadium in Carmarthen. Luke Tabone, Corey Shephard, Ben Ahmun, Ben Fawcett and Dan Hawkins were all on target from 12 yards for the Town.
Our hosts booked their place in the last 32 with one of the upsets of the second round, as they defeated JD Cymru Premier side Aberystwyth Town 1-0 at Park Avenue thanks to an early goal from Callum Thomas.
The two sides met at the same stage of last season’s competition, with County running out 2-0 winners at the Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium thanks to second-half goals from Ricky Watts and Martell Taylor-Crossdale.
There will be two familiar faces in the Ammanford dugout on Saturday, with former Bluebirds defender Wyn Thomas currently the first team manager, while ex-County boss Sean Cresser is part of the coaching staff at the Rec.
In terms of availability, the Town will be without captain Dylan Rees after his red card in the last round, while fellow defender Luke Tabone is away on international duty with Malta, where he played the entirety of their 2-0 friendly victory over Liechtenstein on Thursday evening, before the Reds take on Andorra in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday 19 November.
Ammanford – At a glance
Founded – 1992
Ground – The Recreation Ground
Manager – Wyn Thomas
Captain – Morgan Clarke
Last five meetings
November 11, 2023: Haverfordwest County 2-0 Ammanford
February 21, 2020: Haverfordwest County 2-0 Ammanford
November 26, 2019: Ammanford 0-1 Haverfordwest County
March 22, 2019: Ammanford 2-0 Haverfordwest County
October 5, 2018: Haverfordwest County 4-0 Ammanford
Form guide
Ammanford
W W W L L
Haverfordwest County
W W D W L
Key player
Lewis Reed
Officials
Referee: Bryn Markham-Jones
Assistants: Johnathon Bebee-Bryant and Connor Thomas
Fourth official: Alex McInch
How to follow
If you’re not able to make it to The Rec tomorrow, you will still be able to follow the action live by tuning into S4C (Sky channel 104, Freeview channel 4). The match will also be broadcast on Sgorio’s digital platforms of Facebook, YouTube and S4C Clic, with Welsh and English language commentary available. Coverage gets under way from 2pm.
There will also be live, play-by-play updates on our X (formerly Twitter) page.
