ST JOHNS and Hundleton both recorded emphatic victories in recent Christmas and New Year catch-up fixtures in the South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association’s Friendly League.

St Johns claimed an 8–2 win over Llanteg, while Hundleton delivered the same scoreline against Carew, as clubs continue to work through postponed fixtures from the festive period.

The results had a notable impact on the league standings, with both winning sides strengthening their positions in a tightly contested table behind leaders East Williamston.

St Johns and Hundleton are now level on sixty-two points, although St Johns have played one more game. Reynalt on remain close behind, while Carew’s defeat saw them slip back despite having games in hand on several rivals.

With fixtures continuing to come thick and fast, the battle for the top half of the table remains finely balanced as the league moves into the latter part of the season.

South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association

The Friendly League – Christmas / New Year Catch-Up Table

DETERMINED Carmarthen racing driver Rhys Lloyd is hoping it will be third time lucky when he lines up for the Dubai 24 Hour this weekend, with the gruelling race taking place on Saturday (Jan 17).

The forty-year-old Welshman has competed in the famous endurance event twice before but failed to see the chequered flag on both occasions — once due to mechanical problems and once following an accident.

Now, Lloyd says he is in the best shape of his career as he prepares to take on one of the toughest endurance races in global motorsport.

“I’m absolutely determined to get the job done this time and drive over the line — for me, for my family, for Wales and for my team,” he said.

“I can’t wait to get back on circuit. I’ve been working really hard on my fitness and preparation, and I know the experience I’ve gained from previous 24-hour races will really count.”

Night-time challenge

Lloyd is part of a four-man French outfit, Circuit Toys with Toyota Gazoo France, and is the only Welsh driver among almost 286 competitors across 68 cars. He will be racing a Toyota Supra GT4 Evo2 against teams from Europe, Japan, Australia and the United States.

He added: “As a team, the key is getting through the night. Those long hours of darkness are physically and mentally draining, but we have the car and the experience to achieve a strong result.”

The Dubai 24 Hour was first held in 2006 at the Dubai Autodrome and was created as a winter endurance event for European teams during the off-season. It has since grown into one of the most prestigious endurance races outside Europe.

The event is regarded as particularly demanding due to its extended night running, with sunset around 5.30pm and sunrise at approximately 7.15am — meaning more than fourteen hours of the race is driven in darkness.

Global endurance fixture

Sanctioned by the 24H Series and originally organised by Dutch promoter Creventic, the race has attracted major manufacturers over the years, including Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, Audi, BMW and Ferrari.

A distinctive feature of the Dubai 24 Hour is its day-to-night-to-day format in desert conditions, with teams forced to manage temperature swings, sand on the circuit and long green-flag runs.

By the 2010s, the race had established itself as the traditional season opener for international GT endurance racing and remains a key fixture on the global motorsport calendar.

Qualifying for this year’s event takes place on Friday (January 16), with the race starting on Saturday (January 17).

From karting to endurance champion

Carmarthen-based property businessman Lloyd has enjoyed a long and varied motorsport career, beginning in karting where he became Welsh Karting Champion in both 1999 and 2000.

He later moved into rallying and saloon cars, winning the Welsh Sports and Saloon Car Championship in 2008 and being named Welsh Young Driver of the Year. That same year, he also claimed the LMA Euro National Saloon Car Championship.

After stepping away from regular competition for around a decade to focus on business, Lloyd returned to motorsport in endurance racing, competing internationally in TCR and Britcar competitions.

He enjoyed major success at the 18 Hours of Hockenheim in 2020 and 2021 and went on to win the overall and class titles in the 2023 Britcar Endurance Championship with his own team, Dragon Sport.

Lloyd is also the founder of Dragon Sport, which competes in national endurance and tin-top championships and runs a driver development scholarship.

Picture caption:

Determined: Carmarthen racing driver Rhys Lloyd is aiming to finish the Dubai 24 Hour endurance race this weekend (Pic: DB Public Relations).

MILFORD ATHLETIC’S Under 12s recently produced an entertaining performance despite a narrow defeat in a high-scoring friendly against St Clears.

The closely fought match finished St Clears 5, Milford Athletic 4, with Milford pushing their opponents all the way in an exciting contest that showcased attacking football from both sides.

Finley led the scoring for Milford with an impressive hat-trick, while Chaise added the fourth goal in a game that remained in the balance until the final whistle.

One moment stood out in particular, with Milford’s third goal described by coaches as the best the team has scored since it was formed two-and-a-half years ago. The move involved every outfield player, with all nine players passing the ball before Finley finished clinically into the top corner.

Coaches praised the teamwork and commitment shown by the squad, highlighting the progress made by the players and the quality of football on display.

The match also marked the first outing for the team’s new jackets, which were sponsored by Milford Haven Round Table. The club expressed its thanks to the organisation for its support, describing the sponsorship as greatly appreciated.

Despite the result, the performance was seen as another positive step in the development of the Milford Athletic Under 12s squad.

Young stars: Milford Athletic Under 12s pictured in their new team jackets following the friendly against St Clears (Pic: Club).