Sport

Missed chances cost college

Published

10 years ago

March 29, 2016

ECFA BCS League

Pembrokeshire College 1st XI 0

Coleg y Cymoedd 1st XI 2

Louis Thompson: Clears the danger

AFTER HEAVY overnight rain the Conygar Bridge Meadow was in surprisingly good nick as the Valero sponsored Pembrokeshire College welcomed their visitors from Coleg y Cymoedd for their last league game of the season.

The game was set up nicely as the visitors from Nantgarw arrived in good form, sitting in second place in the table, but the hosts themselves came into the game on the back of an impressive 4-2 victory against a strong Cardiff and the Vale side in their last outing.

The game started at a frantic pace with both sides eager to strike the first blow, and kicking into a strong wind, it was Pembrokeshire who were seemingly going to be up against it in the first half. However this wasn’t the case in the opening 15 minutes as the hosts’ fluent passing style allowed them to keep the ball on the deck, eliminating the effect of the wind, and allowing them to create several openings.

One such opening arrived in the fifth minute as Dan Raicu found himself one-on-one with Liam Barter in the visitors goal. The wide man seemed to have too much time as he made his way towards the goal, and as he failed to make up his mind Barter smothered the ball at his feet and the chance had gone.

The game was something of a midfield battle with the majority of the first half play fought in the middle third as the visitors began to utilise the wind with some testing balls in behind Matt Dickinson and Jacob Knox at full back.

From one such ball they created their first half chance of the game as they won a corner on the right hand side. A troubling ball into the heart of the area caused mayhem in the Pembrokeshire defence, and when the ball fell to Owain Morgan, he produced a stunning overhead kick, which shaved the paint off the upright.

With 25 minutes on the clock the visitors almost took the lead with another spectacular effort. After Ben Aldred in the Pembrokeshire goal had cleared the danger straight up the pitch, Cymoedd left back Connor Wescombe ran onto the ball on the halfway line and hit a blistering first time half volley, which was destined for the bottom corner. Luckily for the hosts Aldred was able to scramble across and produce a fine save with his feet.

After soaking up a period of Cymoedd pressure, the home side began to come back into the game, and on 32 minutes their Welsh Colleges Under 18 international Alfie Stotter, fresh from returning from the Caput Mundi tournament in Rome, found himself through on goal. But Barter in the visiting goal was proving to be inspired, and he again rushed out to smother the ball, and another Pembrokeshire chance was gone.

Just before the interval the hosts opened up Cymoedd again, with Raicu ghosting past his man on the outside before pulling a tantalising ball back across goal to the unmarked Lewis Watts, who from 8 yards dragged his shot agonisingly wide with the goal at his mercy, to send the sides in level at the break.

The second half began with Pembrokeshire in the ascendency, and with the wind now gusting crossways towards the right hand side, winger Fraser Finlay was beginning to see a lot of the ball, and the tricky wide man created several chances for his side, before a hammer blow took the wind out of the visitors sails.

Completely against the run of play, Cymoedd took the lead after venturing into the hosts half for the first time in ten first half minutes, but a brilliant goal it was. After forward Stotter had conceded possession on the halfway line, an inch perfect first time through ball released the impressive substitute Sam Jones, whose turn of pace took him beyond Matt Dickenson before he smashed an unstoppable shot high into the roof of the net to leave Ben Aldred with no chance.

The home team were left shellshocked and couldn’t rediscover their composure in a frantic five minutes, resulting in them conceding again, this time from the spot after Welsh Premier League star Spencer Williams brought down the elusive Jones for a certain foul when the Cymoedd winger was running down a blind alley away from goal.

Jones dusted himself off to take the kick himself, and his well struck effort was brilliantly saved by Aldred, but with no Pembrokeshire defenders following up, the ball fell again to the feet of Jones who dinked the ball nonchalantly over the stricken Aldred to double his sides advantage.

Pembrokeshire almost responded immediately when Finlay hit a superb 25-yard left footed effort against the crossbar after cutting in from his wing, but chances for the rest of the game were few and far between, as a demoralised home side struggled to regain their early momentum and the visitors went into cruise control, finding the corners and running down the clock at every possible opportunity.

Ultimately it was a disappointing day for Pembrokeshire College, but they can take great positives in the fact for large periods of the game they were in control, and but for some poor finishing they could well have been 3-0 up and out of sight, a lesson they will be sure to take into their next game.

Teams:

Pembrokeshire College: Ben Aldred, Jacob Knox, George Taylor, Ewan Jones, Matthew Dickinson, Dan Raicu, Spencer Williams, Louis Thompson, Fraser Finlay, Alfie Stotter, Lewis Watts.

Subs: Donovan Griffin, Ben John.

Coleg y Cymoedd: Liam Barter, Jesse White, Scott Peacock, Declan Hansen Spure, Connor Wescombe, Iefan Ball, Callum Evans, Jamie Crisp, Owain Morgan, Connor Waters, Owain Sprackling-Jones.

Subs: Tristan Notley, Sam Jones, Josh Maksimovic, Joel Ball, Joe Evans.

Sport

Pembrokeshire cricket results and tables – Week 5

Published

1 day ago

May 24, 2026

Herald Sport

Week 5 of the Thomas Carroll Pembroke County Cricket League delivered some emphatic wins, standout individual performances and movement at the top of several divisions as clubs battled for early-season momentum.

Match	Result
Neyland v Burton	Neyland (152-7) beat Burton (151 all out) by 3 wickets
Narberth v Carew	Carew (163 all out) beat Narberth (119 all out) by 44 runs
Herbrandston v Cresselly	Cresselly (205 all out) beat Herbrandston (60 all out) by 145 runs
Whitland v Saundersfoot	Saundersfoot (265-8) beat Whitland (179 all out) by 86 runs
Lawrenny v St Ishmaels	St Ishmaels (148-9) beat Lawrenny (144 all out) by 1 wicket

Top performers:

Jon Mansbridge (Saundersfoot) – 120
Ethan Hall (Carew) – 60
Charlie Arthur (Cresselly) – 6-19
Alan Webster (Neyland) – 30 & 4-20

Division 1 table

Pos	Team	P	Pts
1	Carew	5	79
2	Saundersfoot	5	70
3	Neyland	5	65
4	Cresselly	5	51
5	St Ishmaels	5	40
6	Herbrandston	5	39
7	Burton	5	39
8	Narberth	5	34
9	Whitland	5	32
10	Lawrenny	5	23

Match	Result
Llechryd v Hook	Hook (140-9) beat Llechryd (136-7) by 1 wicket
Haverfordwest v Johnston	Johnston (114-6) beat Haverfordwest (113-8) by 4 wickets
Fishguard v Llangwm	Fishguard (158-8) beat Llangwm (157-8) by 2 wickets
Cresselly II v Pembroke	Pembroke (235-7) beat Cresselly II (130 all out) by 105 runs
Llanrhian v Pembroke Dock	Pembroke Dock (104 all out) beat Llanrhian (92 all out) by 12 runs

Top performers:

Jack Harries (Pembroke) – 102
Steve Mills (Johnston) – 59* & 4-8
Jack Jones (Llanrhian) – 66*

Division 2 table

Pos	Team	P	Pts
1	Johnston	5	78
2	Pembroke	5	71
3	Haverfordwest	5	67
4	Cresselly II	5	64
5	Hook	5	62
6	Pembroke Dock	5	52
7	Fishguard	5	42
8	Llanrhian	5	37
9	Llangwm	5	30
10	Llechryd	5	30

</details> <details> <summary>Division 3 results</summary>

Match	Result
Pembroke II v Haverfordwest II	Pembroke II (179-4) beat Haverfordwest II (178-5) by 6 wickets
Burton II v Hundleton	Burton II (121 all out) beat Hundleton (113 all out) by 8 runs
Carew II v Kilgetty	Kilgetty (178-2) beat Carew II (174-5) by 8 wickets
Lamphey v Laugharne	Laugharne (259-5) beat Lamphey (190 all out) by 69 runs
Saundersfoot II v Stackpole	Saundersfoot II (143-4) beat Stackpole (142-6) by 6 wickets

Division 3 table

Pos	Team	P	Pts
1	Kilgetty	5	78
2	Laugharne	5	66
3	Carew II	5	62
4	Lamphey	5	54
5	Saundersfoot II	5	53
6	Hundleton	5	52
7	Burton II	4	52
8	Pembroke II	5	37
9	Haverfordwest II	5	30
10	Stackpole	4	20

</details> <details> <summary>Division 4 results</summary>

Match	Result
Haverfordwest III v Herbrandston II	Herbrandston II (99 all out) beat Haverfordwest III (65 all out) by 34 runs
Hook II v Lawrenny II	Lawrenny II (148-7) beat Hook II (136-7) by 12 runs
Crymych v Llechryd II	Crymych (253-5) beat Llechryd II (131-7) by 122 runs
Carew III v Narberth II	Narberth II (77-1) beat Carew III (76 all out) by 9 wickets
St Ishmaels II v Neyland II	St Ishmaels II (166-8) beat Neyland II (139 all out) by 27 runs

Division 4 table

Pos	Team	P	Pts
1	Narberth II	5	87
2	Lawrenny II	5	74
3	Hook II	5	65
4	Crymych	5	60
5	St Ishmaels II	5	55

</details> <details> <summary>Division 5 & 6 results</summary>

Division 5

Cresselly III beat Hundleton II by 81 runs
Llangwm II beat Llanrhian II by 9 wickets
Whitland II beat Pembroke Dock II by 85 runs

Division 5 leaders:

Cresselly III – 86 pts
Whitland II – 72 pts
Llanrhian II – 67 pts

Division 6

Neyland III beat H’West/Cresselly by 9 wickets
Haverfordwest IV beat Kilgetty II by 8 wickets
Laugharne II beat Whitland III by 143 runs

Division 6 leaders:

Whitland III – 71 pts
Lamphey II – 56 pts
Neyland III – 55 pts

Sport

Three days of world-class motorsport set to return to Mid Wales this September

Published

4 days ago

May 21, 2026

Herald Sport

Expanded Rali Ceredigion event to bring elite rally drivers, historic cars and millions for the local economy

THE ROAR of rally engines will return to Mid Wales this autumn as the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion makes its much-anticipated comeback from Friday, September 4 to Sunday, September 6.

Now firmly established as one of the biggest events on the UK motorsport calendar, the rally will once again bring world-class competition to the roads of Ceredigion and Powys, with drivers competing across three major championships.

The event will host rounds of the FIA European Rally Championship, the British Rally Championship and the European Historic Rally Championship, the latter making its first appearance at the Welsh event.

Organisers say the addition of historic rally cars will add a new attraction for spectators, with iconic vehicles from previous generations expected to take part alongside today’s top competitors.

Expanded programme planned

Building on the success of previous years, the 2026 event will begin with a ceremonial start and rally showcase on Aberystwyth promenade on Thursday evening (Sept 3), before competitive stages get underway across Mid Wales throughout the weekend.

The rally has grown into a major tourism and economic boost for the region, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and putting local communities, businesses and landscapes in front of an international audience.

Figures from last year’s event showed a total economic impact of £11.6 million, including an estimated £5.59 million in direct spending, with businesses across the region reporting increased visitor numbers, overnight stays and higher spending.

Council backs return of event

The Leader of Ceredigion County Council, Cllr Bryan Davies said: “We’re proud to welcome Rali Ceredigion back to the county for 2026. The event continues to grow year on year, bringing significant benefits to our communities, local businesses and the wider economy.

“With an expanded programme and the addition of the European Historic Rally Championship, this year’s event promises to attract even more visitors to the region.

“As a council, our focus is on working closely with organisers and partners to ensure residents are well informed and that the event is delivered safely and successfully for everyone.”

Organisers are working alongside Ceredigion County Council, Powys County Council and emergency services to ensure the event is delivered safely, with details of road closures, timings and routes expected to be released in the coming months.

Historic rally cars to join line-up

Rali Ceredigion Director Charlie Jukes said organisers were excited to expand the event once again.

He said: “The addition of the European Historic Rally Championship is a fantastic development, adding even more variety and appeal for fans, with a wider range of iconic rally cars expected to take part.

“Rali Ceredigion continues to grow in scale and reputation and we’re proud to work alongside local authorities, partners and communities to deliver an event that showcases the very best of the region and generates a significant positive impact.”

Residents and businesses are being encouraged to plan ahead, with community engagement activity expected to begin before the summer.

Photo caption:

Rally return: Last year’s JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion attracted thousands of spectators and delivered a major boost to the local economy (Pic: Supplied).

Sport

Vikings make history with cup final win

Published

4 days ago

May 21, 2026

Herald Sport

HAKIN UNITED have made Pembrokeshire football history after retaining the West Wales Intermediate Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Penlan at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Ashley Bevan’s first-half goal proved decisive on Thursday evening as Scott Davies’ side became the first Pembrokeshire team to win the competition in back-to-back seasons.

It was another memorable night for the Vikings, who have now reached three finals in four years and added the cup to their league success to complete an outstanding double.

Penlan began strongly, with Kyle Hughes seeing a deflected effort drift narrowly wide before Kieran Jenkins curled a shot into the arms of Hakin goalkeeper Rory Williams.

Williams was called into action again after a defensive mistake allowed Jenkins a sight of goal, while at the other end Jack Britton was unable to generate enough power on a header inside the area.

Hakin grew into the contest, with Camron Thomas and Bevan both seeing efforts blocked following a half-cleared corner.

Williams then produced one of the key moments of the match, racing from his area to make a perfectly-timed sliding challenge as Penlan threatened to break through.

Ben Aldred went close with a rising 25-yard strike which flew over the bar, before the game became increasingly scrappy, with Britton and Jordan Kilby both booked for late challenges.

The breakthrough came in the 34th minute. Shane Walsh made ground down the left and squared the ball across the area for Bevan, who slid in to finish and give Hakin a 1-0 half-time lead.

There was a brief delay after the interval while the stadium lights were switched on, before Penlan pushed for an equaliser.

Dylyn Perkins had a shot blocked by Britton, while Bevan remained a constant threat for Hakin and later fired over after Kieran King’s cross was only partly cleared.

Hakin suffered a blow when Aldred landed awkwardly after clearing a dangerous Perkins free-kick and was forced off. Craig Nicholson came on and slotted into a solid defensive line alongside Jay Power, King and the impressive Camron Thomas.

Penlan defender Jack Jenkins was booked for bringing down Bevan from behind, while Hakin substitute Liam Parks almost added a second when he latched onto a through ball over goalkeeper Luke Davies, only to lose his footing at the vital moment.

Parks later cut the ball back for Mason Dolling, whose low effort flashed just wide.

Penlan’s hopes suffered a late setback when substitute Anthony Finselbach was shown a straight red card by referee Ben Williams for a challenge on Matthew Broome.

At the final whistle, Hakin’s players and supporters celebrated a famous victory.

The Vikings have now won the West Wales Intermediate Cup five times and sit third on the all-time winners’ list, behind West End and Ragged School, who have lifted the trophy seven times each.

Penlan: Luke Davies, Jenson Lorey, Corey Young (Jaye Tebay 89), Liam Logan (captain), Jack Jenkins, Jamie James, Kyle Hughes, Navan Green (Anthony Finselbach 76), Thomas Davies, Kieran Jenkins, Dylan Perkins (Jayden Blackmore 76).

Substitutes not used: Robert Shannon, Kian Finselbach.

Hakin United: Rory Williams, Kieran King, Camron Thomas, Ben Aldred (Craig Nicholson 70), Jay Power, Jack Britton, Cameron Brunton (Mason Dolling 59), Jordan Kilby (Mark Jones 90), Ashley Bevan (Liam Parks 74), Ryan Wilson (captain), Shane Walsh (Matthew Broome 83).

Referee: Ben Williams.

Assistants: Cilan Thomas and Nick Pryor.

Fourth official: Kevin Price.