Haverfordwest County AFC manager Tony Pennock praised his team’s performance after the Bluebirds kick-started their 2024-25 JD Cymru Premier campaign with an impressive 1-0 victory away at last season’s runners-up Connah’s Quay Nomads.

Ben Ahmun’s second-half penalty clinched all three points for County, who were impressive throughout the game at a sun-soaked Essity Stadium.

On a different day the margin of victory could have been wider, with the Bluebirds having numerous presentable opportunities in the final 30 minutes or so, but a resolute defensive display ensured they had done enough to earn a deserved victory.

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

On the result

Really, really pleased with the boys. It’s always tough coming here, and the conditions were tough for both teams, but I think our pre-season showed today. The boys are in a good place. We’re a very fit side, very strong, and it was a good performance from one to 11 and the four lads who came off the bench. Excellent.

On our start

We’ve got a very tough start. You look at the first five games, we’ve got five of last year’s top six, and Penybont who got to the play-off final. We all know how tough Penybont are. So it’s a good start. It’s one game, that’s all it is, and we have to work hard and prepare ourselves for another tough one away at Caernarfon next week.

As long as the boys look after themselves over the next few days, we’ll look forward to that trip as well, and hopefully give a good account of ourselves.

Bluebirds secure deserved victory over Nomads to start league campaign in style

Match Reports3 months ago

On the performance

We had a few chances towards the end when the game opened up. But Connah’s Quay are a top side. They’ve been a top side for a long, long time. So we knew it was going to be tough. We knew they would have spells with the ball, which they did, and we just had to be disciplined when we didn’t have the ball to get our rewards – and the boys certainly did that today.

On our squad depth

Our squad depth is a lot stronger this year than it has been. We haven’t got as many injuries as we’ve suffered over the last two years, and hopefully that continues over the season. But like I say, we take one game at a time. Our squad will rotate this year, if we’re lucky enough to be able to keep them all together, and hopefully it bodes well for the season.

On the penalty

Harri’s had another good game, as well as most of the lads today. He’s got himself in a good position and when Harri keeps the ball as close as he does in that sort of area, he does draw tackles from defenders. I didn’t really see it if I’m honest. I saw Harri go down and I didn’t really have a clear view of it, but everybody said it was a penalty and Ben’s put it away, which is pleasing, a centre-forward scoring goals, and it’s a great start for us.

On seeing the game out

At 1-0 they’re always in the game, and maybe they’re going to get an opportunity somewhere along the line, which they did, but Zac was solid. We’ve defended our box quite well when they have thrown the ball in, and maybe we should have finished the game off,  but we didn’t, so we have to do our job and defend from the front which the lads certainly did all over the pitch today.

On the next challenge

There’s no easy games in our division, especially away from home. So we’ll get ourselves ready, work hard this week in training and hopefully acquit ourselves properly again next week up in Caernarfon. They’ve had a free weekend, so they’ve had a rest, but we’ve had our first game, it was a tough one away, but we’ve walked away with three points and a clean sheet – so it doesn’t get much better than that after game one.