- Lloyd (25')
- Fawcett (9')
Haverfordwest County AFC continued their unbeaten start to the JD Cymru Premier Championship Conference with a 1-1 draw away at Caernarfon Town which also extended the Bluebirds’ unbeaten run to seven matches.
Ben Fawcett’s sixth goal of the season gave County an early lead, but Louis Lloyd responded to level the contest.
The game was a real battle on a bitterly cold afternoon at the Carling Oval, with clear-cut opportunities few and far between in a physical contest that saw both sides give everything.
Haverfordwest County are now unbeaten in their last three visits to Gwynedd, and were more than worthy of a point against a Cofis side that had won their last three matches in the JD Cymru Premier by an aggregate scoreline of 8-1.
The Town remain third in the Championship Conference, having gained a point on second place Penybont and maintained their seven-point advantage over Cardiff Metropolitan and the Canaries with seven games remaining in Phase Two.
Team news
Manager Tony Pennock made two changes to the side that drew with Penybont last Saturday, with captain Dylan Rees returning to the starting XI along with Luke Tabone. Meanwhile, Jacob Owen and Harri John returned to the matchday squad.
Haverfordwest County AFC: Z. Jones, Humphreys (J. Owen 89′), Jenkins, Tabone, McCarthy, Abbruzzese, Rees (C, Kenniford 81′), Shephard, Walters, Fawcett (Hawkins 81′), Ahmun
Substitutes not used: Knott, Watts, H. John, D. John
First half
Having used the opening exchanges to settle in and get used to the surface, the Bluebirds took an early lead when Iori Humphreys controlled a pass upfield and went past Gruff John before advancing to the edge of the area and playing a ball through for Fawcett, whose first-time effort beat Ben Hughes at his near post to make it 1-0.
The Town defence was looking strong, with the midfield three of Rees, Corey Shephard and Greg Walters battling hard, and County created their second opportunity with 24 minutes on the clock when we won possession back inside Caernarfon’s defensive third before working it to Ben Ahmun, however the in-form striker’s effort from the right side of the area was deflected behind.
Less than a minute later, the Bluebirds were picking the ball out of their own net after the hosts regained possession on the halfway line before an incisive through ball played Lloyd through on goal, and the in-form forward dinked the ball over Zac Jones to bring his team level.
Haverfordwest County came agonisingly close to retaking the lead two minutes before the interval when Fawcett won a duel with Morgan Owen before breaking into the left side of the area and seeing his left-footed effort take a tough off Ryan Sears, with Hughes parrying the ball onto the foot of Ahmun before John recovered just in time to take the ball away from the striker’s clutches just a matter of yards from goal.
Second half
It took a while for the second period to really get going, with the hosts creating the first opportunity of note 20 minutes after the restart when on-loan The New Saints midfielder Jake Canavan’s ball into the area found Lloyd unmarked, however his left-footed effort went over the crossbar.
A minute later, there were appeals for a penalty from the home side when on-loan The New Saints forward Josh Lock went down inside the area, however the youngster was shown a yellow card for simulation.
The Bluebirds’ first chance of the second half saw them go very close again when Lee Jenkins’ long throw into the area was headed into the path of Fawcett by Ahmun, however with the striker stretching to direct the ball goalwards he lost his footing and saw it dribble narrowly wide of the left post.
Luke Tabone must have thought he had made it 2-1 with 19 minutes of normal time remaining when Jones’ long kick upfield found Jenkins who headed it into the area and into the path of his fellow defender, however the Maltese’s first-time right-footed effort – which was heading for the top right-hand corner – was pushed behind by Hughes.
Lock tried his luck from distance a couple of minutes later, but his attempt was well wide of the right post, and then a well-timed challenge from John took the ball away from Humphreys just as he was waiting to get on the end of a ball across the area.
Pennock introduced a couple of fresh legs inside the final 10 minutes with Kyle Kenniford and Dan Hawkins replacing Rees and Fawcett, however despite the best efforts of both sides there were to be no more chances as they settled for a point apiece in north Wales.
