Vikings too strong for Dafen Welfare in quarter-final clash

Dafen Welfare 1 – Hakin United 3

HAKIN United booked their place in the semi-finals of the West Wales Intermediate Cup with a confident 3-1 victory away at Dafen Welfare on Saturday.

The win sets up a mouthwatering semi-final encounter with St Josephs, who knocked out Goodwick United in the previous round.

It was captain Ryan Wilson who opened the scoring for the Vikings in the 18th minute, lashing home from the edge of the area after a neat lay-off from Shane Walsh.

Dafen levelled 20 minutes later through Elliott Jones, whose superb 20-yard free-kick left the keeper rooted to the spot.

But the visitors responded in style. Liam Parks restored Hakin’s lead just before the break, racing onto a Jack Britton through ball and rifling a shot into the top corner.

Midway through the second half, Britton got on the scoresheet himself, heading in from close range after a goalmouth scramble to make it 3-1.

Dafen’s hopes of a comeback were dashed in stoppage time when Scott Evans received a second yellow card, leaving the home side down to ten men.

Hakin saw out the closing minutes with composure, sealing a deserved win and keeping their cup dreams alive.

HENRI CYNWYL, a first-year student at Pembrokeshire College, claimed an impressive win over the weekend, taking top spot in the third round of the F1000 British Junior Championship at the Kath Curzon Memorial Rally in Pembrey.

Henri, aged 16 and from Newcastle Emlyn, is now leading the championship standings, competing against junior rally drivers from across the UK.

Dominating the event from start to finish, Henri crossed the line 12 seconds ahead of Scotland’s William Patterson, with fellow Scot Thomas Babb finishing third.

“I’m just really chuffed with the result and a huge thank you to my sponsors, family and friends. The support has been terrific,” said Henri, who will head to Wigan in May for the fourth round of the championship.

The six-stage rally, organised by the Port Talbot Motor Club, presented challenges for the 19-strong Junior team, but Henri remained focused throughout with navigator Izzy Holman, from Buckinghamshire, by his side.

“I just kept it flat all day. It was a great stage event, and I’d like to thank the organisers for doing a great job,” he said.

Henri also praised Mark Williams and his team at Castle Motors for preparing the car and Daf Lloyd, his service crew, for ensuring everything ran smoothly on the day.

“It was also terrific to see one of my sponsors, Bob Morris from Granant Concrete, at the rally. He was out competing too but unfortunately had mechanical issues,” Henri added.

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Henri Cynwyl celebrates his latest win in the F1000 Junior Championship (Pic: Supplied)

Red Roses run riot with 11-try demolition in Cardiff

CARDIFF was a sea of red and white on Saturday (Mar 29) as England’s Red Roses tore through Wales in a brutal 67-12 Six Nations thrashing—led by Ellie Kildunne’s lightning-fast second-half hat-trick.

The England full-back, earning her 50th cap, crossed three times in just nine minutes, treating a record Welsh crowd of 21,186 at the Principality Stadium to a rugby masterclass. At just 25, Kildunne’s tally now stands at 39 international tries, and with the form she’s in, you wouldn’t bet against 50 by next year.

Wales started with fire—Jenny Scoble crashed over early to send the home crowd wild—but that only seemed to wake England up.

Maddie Feaunati, fresh off her player-of-the-match heroics against Italy, punched holes in the Welsh line all afternoon and grabbed two tries of her own. Meg Jones, playing for the first time in this year’s tournament after the heartbreaking loss of both her parents, scored a sensational solo effort and pointed skywards in a poignant tribute.

Too strong, too fast, too clinical

Once England got going, the scoreboard barely stopped ticking. Sarah Bern and Feaunati added to the tally before the break, though England were guilty of sloppy passes and scrum penalties that left coach John Mitchell with some notes to scribble down.

But any talk of a Welsh comeback was shut down hard in the second half.

Kildunne turned on the afterburners, riding through tackles like a rodeo star with her trademark celebration on full display. Wales did grab a second through Kate Williams, but it was little more than consolation.

Abby Dow marked her return from injury with two tries, Abi Burton scored twice on her full debut, and Zoe Harrison pulled the strings with class—including a pinpoint cross-field kick to Dow for one of the day’s standout tries.

A record crowd, a rising tide

Despite the result, the day belonged just as much to the fans. Wales smashed the previous record for a women’s sporting crowd on home soil, surpassing the 16,845 set by the national football team. The roof was closed, the flames roared, and the stadium rocked.

Wales fought tooth and nail, refusing to roll over, and did manage to avoid their heaviest defeat to England—an 81-0 hammering from 2005 still holds that title. But the gulf in class was clear.

England’s dominance rolls on—31 straight wins in the Six Nations, 22 unbeaten in all competitions. The question now isn’t whether they’ll win the tournament. It’s who, if anyone, can stop them.