Haverfordwest County manager Tony Pennock was pleased with the clinical nature of his side’s 3-0 victory over Llanelli Town at the Ogi Bridge Meadow on Boxing Day, as the Bluebirds made it back-to-back home wins in the JD Cymru Premier.

Goals from Owain Jones and Corey Shephard gave the Bluebirds a 2-0 half-time lead, with subsitute Ben Fawcett – in his final home game before departing for Australia next month – rounding off the win inside the final 20 minutes.

The result saw the Town close the gap to seventh place Cardiff Metropolitan to just three points ahead of Tuesday’s meeting in the capital, with two games left to play in Phase One.

Here’s what the manager had to say in full after the game:

On the game

I thought at times we were sloppy today, but it was important that we got the win today after our recent form. We’ve put ourselves in a decent position now compared to where we were when we lost to Llanelli back in September. Three points, a clean sheet, three goals, it’s pleasing, and we look forward to Cardiff Met away next week.

On having a point to prove against Llanelli

In the league game we had a lot of opportunities, a lot of chances, we didn’t take them and Llanelli took their goal really well from a set-piece. Then the Welsh Cup game, Llanelli were far better than us that night. So it’s pleasing to get a win against him today, and it gives us some momentum going forward for the rest of Phase One.

I think we had 14 attempts on goal, something like that, 12 on target, it’s pleasing. Ows’ goal settled us down and then Sheps has scored again. Sheps has been important with the goals he’s picked up for us this year, and then it’s great for Fawcey to come on in his last game and get the third goal, and that was the end of the game then once we got the third one, everything was pretty much done and dusted then.

On Ben Fawcett’s final home game

We’ve known for a while what Ben’s plans were, he told me last season, so we wish him all the best. He’s been fantastic for the football club, a local lad as well, comes through the academy, played for the college, played for us as a youngster and been in the first team since 2018 when he made his debut. We’re going to miss him, he’s a popular lad in the squad, popular around the club, and we wish him all the very best with his future in Australia.

On keeping touch with those just above us

That the most important thing. You can’t forget that we were bottom of the league when we lost at Llanelli back in September. Since then, our form has been good. Three wins from our last five, and a draw, so we’ve just got to keep the performances like that moving forward really. But again, it’s pleaing to win at home, that’s two on the bounce at home now and our home form was important last season. It has been since I’ve been here and we need to maintain that for the rest of this Phase and moving into Phase Two.

On the attendance of 991

It was the biggest crowd in the league today. It shows that our support has been excellent, it has been since I’ve been here really, and it’s improved every year. We’ll hopefully have another big crowd at home to Briton Ferry Llansawel in a week’s time on Friday night, because we know how big Friday nights are at the Meadow.