By James Dow
Haverfordwest County AFC extended their unbeaten run in the JD Cymru Premier to six matches after a goalless draw with Penybont at SDM Glass Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.
The game, which was played out in the front of the live Sgorio cameras, was a very tight affair with both teams very much cancelling each other out for large parts of the contest.
The Bluebirds came closest to finding the net, with Ben Fawcett heading onto the post and Ben Ahmun having a close-range effort tipped over the crossbar.
The second half never really got going for either side, with chances few and far between for both teams in front of goal as the respective defences held sway. Iori Humphreys had a good opportunity late on, but he was denied by home goalkeeper Adam Przybek.
The result means the Town remain third in the standings, seven points behind second place Bont and seven points ahead of Caernarfon Town – who we visit next Saturday – in fourth.
Team news
Manager Tony Pennock made two changes to the side that defeated Bala Town 3-2 in our first game of the Championship Conference, with Iori Humphreys and Alaric Jones coming into the side in place of Jacob Owen and Luke Tabone. Meanwhile, on the bench, Development team goalkeeper Corey Mathias was named in a first team squad for the first time.
Haverfordwest County AFC: Z. Jones, Humphreys, Jenkins, A. Jones (Tabone 45′), McCarthy, Abbruzzese, Shephard (C), Walters, Hawkins, Fawcett (O. Jones 61’), Ahmun
Substitutes not used: Mathias, Rees, Watts, Kenniford, D. John
First half
The Bluebirds started well in the opening stages of the match, and were awarded an early free-kick for a handball just outside of the box which Rhys Abbruzzese fired straight into the Penybont wall.
Bont captain Kane Owen was next to have a close-range free kick minutes later, but similar to the earlier effort, it was struck straight into the wall.
County were a matter of inches away from scoring the first goal of the match when a deep ball into the box from Kyle McCarthy was met by Lee Jenkins, who played it on to Fawcett with his headed effort striking the left post.
Ben Fawcett fodfeddi o roi Hwlffordd ar y blaen…
So close! Fawcett’s header comes back off the post 🫣
📺 https://t.co/ASc5KEbvQ7 | @HaverfordwestFC pic.twitter.com/nWTaePujjS
— Sgorio ⚽️ (@sgorio) February 1, 2025
As the first half went on, the Bluebirds continued to push and cause problems in the Bont penalty area with Ahmun producing an acrobatic effort which was tipped over the bar by Przybek.
Ahmun came close again minutes later when he broke through the Penybont defence leaving him one-on-one with Przybek, but the goalkeeper stood tall and parried his right-footed effort away from danger.
The hosts had their first real effort on goal in the 35th minute when a loose ball evaded the Town defence and fell to Chris Venables, but his low strike was saved by Zac Jones who got down well to deny the forward.
The Bluebirds were forced into an early change when defender Alaric Jones landed on his arm after diving for an attempted header, meaning he had to leave the fray to be replaced by Tabone, who came on for his 50th top-flight appearance for the club.
Second half
Penybont had a couple of early chances in the second half via set-pieces, with Gabriel Kircough and Ben Morgan both dragging their free-kicks high and wide.
The Bluebirds were able to deal with the early pressure from the home side, and nearly opened the scoring through Humphreys who went on a marauding run through the Penybont midfield and found himself inside the six-yard area, but the youngster was unable to generate enough power on his left-footed effort, which Przybek was able to turn behind.
County continued to be the more dangerous side, with Ahmun coming close again when he rose highest to meet Jenkins’ cross into the box, however the forward glanced his header over the bar.
The Bluebirds put a number of crosses into the area in the closing stages in an effort to find a late and deciding goal – including a free-kick from Abbruzzese which midfielder Greg Walters headed wide – but the game always seemed destined to end goalless and that’s exactly how it panned out, with both sides adding a point to their tally.
