By James Dow

Haverfordwest County AFC tasted defeat for the first time in the JD Cymru Premier Championship Conference as champions-elect The New Saints ran out 5-1 winners in Shropshire on Saturday lunchtime.

The hosts raced into a three-goal lead within 30 minutes in front of the live Sgorio cameras after Luke Tabone’s own goal and strikes from Danny Davies and Aramide Oteh, before Owain Jones pulled one back before half-time.

Jordan Marshall found the net on the hour mark to put the result beyond doubt, before substitute and namesake Williams rounded off the scoring 15 minutes before the finiish on a tough afternoon for the Bluebirds.

The result was the Town’s first defeat in eight matches with Tony Pennock’s men having made a positive start to their maiden Championship Conference campaign, and we will be looking to bounce back when we travel to Maes Tegid to take on Bala Town next Saturday, March 15.

Team news

Pennock made one change from the 1-0 victory over Cardiff Metropolitan a fortnight ago with Ben Ahmun returning to the side after suspension, with Greg Walters also returning to the squad having served his one-game suspension.

Haverforfwest County AFC: Z. Jones, Humphreys (J. Owen 46′), Jenkins, Tabone (H. John 73′), McCarthy, Abbruzzese, Rees (C, Kenniford 66′), Shephard, Watts (Walters 46′), O. Jones (D. John 61′), Ahmun

Substitutes not used: Knott

First half

The home started on the front foot with full-back Marshall beating his man before releasing a low ball into Leo Smith, but Kyle McCarthy did well to get himself in the way of the midfielder’s close-range effort.

Marshall continued to threaten, delivering a dangerous ball into the six-yard area, but Zac Jones was able to get his hand to it to take it away from Oteh who was waiting to pounce.

Zac Jones continued his great start to the match when he made a fantastic reaction save to deny Davies after a well worked move saw Smith play the ball through to the defender to give him space to shoot.

The Bluebirds had their first chance just after the quarter of an hour mark when a Ricky Watts cross bounced off the TNS defence to Jones, whose left-footed curling effort was heading on target but the home defence got a head to the ball to clear the danger.

The Saints took the lead just a minute later when Adam Wilson beat Rhys Abbruzzese on the right-hand side before delivering a low ball into the six-yard area which struck Tabone and rolled past Jones to give the home side the lead in unfortunate circumstances.

The hosts added a second three minutes later when the ball was played to Marshall who set up Davies to convert past Jones from close range.

TNS found a third goal with the half-hour mark approaching when Danny Redmond made a marauding run through the Bluebirds defence before playing a pin-point pass around the defence to Oteh, who took a touch before slotting the ball past Jones.

Owain Jones ensured the Bluebirds had something to cheer just a couple of minutes later when a long ball upfield from Zac Jones wasn’t dealt with by defender Harrison McGahey, and the striker capitalised with his initial effort coming back off the crossbar before he tapped the rebound into an empty net.

Second half

Pennock made two changes for the second half, with Watts and Iori Humphreys replaced by Walters and Jacob Owen.

Craig Harrison’s side were the first to create a chance after the restart when Smith’s cross to the far post found Ryan Brobbel unmarked, but the midfielder blazed his effort over the bar.

Haverfordwest County were battling hard to remain in the contest, knowing another goal for the Oswestry outfit would all but seal the result, and they were duly able to find one when Marshall’s effort from inside the area took a slight but decisive deflection off the unfortunate Kyle McCarthy to wrong-foot Zac Jones and allow the ball to fly over the Kiwi stopper and into the net.

Ahmun sent an attempt over the bar after the striker had broken clear of the Saints defence from Corey Shephard’s long ball, before the home team netted for a fifth and final time with 15 minutes remaining when Jordan Williams’ effort from just outside the area diverted off Shephard to take it away from Zac Jones and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

Highlights

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