Sport

Swans keep boyhood dreams alive

Published

7 years ago

January 24, 2018

By Jonathan Twigg

“Premier League games against the big teams are always very special, and tonight’s game will have added spice with the result being vitally important to both teams” said under fire Swansea Chairman Huw Jenkins OBE on Monday (Jan 22).

The game started in a stonewall tribute to local St Joseph’s player Mitchell Joseph who tragically died whilst playing from a cardiac arrest, along with footballing greats Cyril Regis and Jimmy Armfield, a World Cup winner in 1966.

The result, a 1-0 win for Swansea over Liverpool, achieved with 28 percent possession, a fifth of their opponent’s shots at goals and a third of the corners won. The only statistic that mattered was the score line. A story born from any boyhood comic, where the evil character could have been Captain Can, a German wearing the oppositions armband of leadership. ‘Sleepy G’ this game wasn’t as bottom of the table Swansea, six points from safety started with three central defender to defeat the ‘Reds’ for the first time since Spurs rumbled them at Wembley in September.

The start was cagey, Swansea lacking belief to be direct, compensating by fronting up in challenges but having no outlet amidst the footballing ‘capital of Wales, way down by the sea’.

Chances were created by both sides but restricted in their tenacity through technical discipline, Manager Carvalhal stated post match ‘when you come up against a F1 car you may struggle in a race. If you put that F1 car amongst some London traffic it is no longer a F1 car as it has to respond to the traffic around it’.

An analogy worthy of any comic book hero; maybe a new Tinkerman has risen from the Phoenix and all boys know what happened to the last Tinkerman to grace the Premier League.

Liverpool sloppiness four minutes before half time gave away a corner which they didn’t deal with and pin ball around the penalty spot saw the ball fall to centre back Alfie Mawson. He swung a right foot to bury the opening goal, his third of the season but at a cost with his central defensive partner Fernandez taking a bloody nose from his own players celebrations.

Liverpool’s indiscipline saw a yellow card for a clinical challenge by Robertson on Ayew and another for Matip, when he poleaxed Clucas as the red engine oil stuttered to disable the turbo boosters. Referee Neil Swarbrick signalled the half time interval which brought a crescendo of voices, the volume not heard at that level all season.

Liverpool’s tempo after the break was more warming as Swansea midfielder Fer was guilty of picking up the man in blacks cards, albeit as confetti after Swarbrick dropped them to the amusement of the ‘Jack army’.

The atmosphere was reminiscent of 1980s and you ‘could not help but fall back in love’ with the beautiful game; McNaughton made a last ditch tackle on Robertson recalling memories of February 1981, when 22,604 at the Vetch Field cheered the Mersey beat when current Club legends Leighton James and Alan Curtis netted in a 2-0 victory. The Liberty faithful, 20,886 were treated to the same intense feeling as the halcyon days, with the big Pole in the goal tipping a driven free kick from Salah over the bar on the hour mark.

It would be incorrect to state ‘only one set of fans were singing’ at this juncture but the powerful Fabianski was commanding in goal even at times heading his side in the right direction and reducing the Champions League last sixteen entrants to speculative long range shots.

Swansea put Carroll on for Dyer, as did Klopp, Lalanna for Chamberlin and Ings thrown on for Wijnaldum but the white wall ensured any cracks were quickly cemented over, with Van der Hoorn a beacon shining before Fabianski before Ayew, unbounded and uncompromised was broken, to be replaced by Bony.

To Max Boyce singing Hymns and Arias the enormity of Swansea lifting themselves to 20 points against a team who defeated the previously unbeaten league leaders Manchester City just a week ago glistened through. ‘Comon City’ was an eruption of volcanic proportions and certainly for those ‘Swansea till they die’ proponents seeing four minutes of added time read like a comic book finale.

Salah blasted over and Firmino, clear in front of goal felt the reverberations of the choir as his header rebounded off the upright. “We are in hospital” said Carvalhal, “in a serious condition, but no longer in Intensive Care.” One in the onion bag for my Harry and all Jacks, for when the chips are down it becomes ‘together stronger’. Alive and kicking, still bottom of the Premier League but just six points off a place in the top half.

A storyline only for the comic book? Maybe not as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp acknowledged, ‘the stadium was theirs tonight and the confidence grew from it’, which abodes well for the next four months on the rollercoaster.

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Manderwood Pembrokeshire Football League – Division 1: Match reports

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2024

Herald Sport

Goodwick United 3–0 Merlins Bridge
League leaders Goodwick United claimed a commanding 3–0 victory over Merlins Bridge at the Pembrokeshire Sports Village. Rhys Jones broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute with a spectacular 25-yard free kick. An own goal by Nick Squire early in the second half doubled the advantage, and Jones sealed the win with a stoppage-time strike. The result keeps Goodwick four points clear at the top as they push to retain their title.

Carew 16–0 Herbrandston
Carew delivered a record-breaking performance, thrashing Herbrandston 16–0 at the Gerald Hicks Memorial Ground. James Hinchliffe led the charge with six goals, supported by Shaun Whitfield’s rapid hat-trick. George Waters contributed four goals, Gareth Lewis added two, and Leon Davies completed the rout. The emphatic win lifted Carew out of the relegation zone, while Herbrandston remains firmly at the bottom of the table.

Clarbeston Road 5–2 St Ishmaels
Clarbeston Road cruised to a 5–2 victory over St Ishmaels at Knock Field. Ben John missed an early penalty for Clarbeston but redeemed himself by assisting Jake Wesley’s equaliser. Laurie Haworth and Dan Rees found the net, with Wesley adding a second to complete the scoring for Clarbeston. St Ishmaels’ captain Brennan Devonald netted twice, but his side dropped into the relegation zone.

Monkton Swifts 1–4 Hakin United
Hakin United strengthened their title challenge with a 4–1 win over Monkton Swifts. Dylan Davies put Monkton ahead early, but Hakin responded through Ryan Wilson and Mark Jones to take a 2–1 lead into halftime. Jay Kilby scored twice in the second half, sealing a vital away win for the Vikings.

Milford United 2–2 Pennar Robins
Milford United and Pennar Robins played out an entertaining 2–2 draw at Marble Hall. Liam Davies gave Milford the lead, but Jamie Wilkes equalised for Pennar. Dan James then put Pennar ahead, only for Leon Davies to bring Milford level again. Milford’s Sam Davies was sent off late, but neither side could find a winner in the closing stages.

Tenby 2–3 Kilgetty
Kilgetty staged a thrilling comeback to defeat derby rivals Tenby 3–2 at the Clicketts. Joe Leahy opened the scoring for Tenby, with Jordan Gorman quickly levelling for Kilgetty. Scott Ferney restored Tenby’s lead before halftime. However, Kilgetty turned the tide in the final ten minutes as Lloyd Hughes equalised, and captain Richard Cope struck the decisive winner to secure a dramatic victory.

Sport

Local rugby action: Thrills, wins, and tough battles across divisions

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2024

Herald Sport

Crymych 19 – Llanelli Wanderers 33
Llanelli Wanderers showcased their title aspirations with a decisive bonus-point victory over Crymych. Despite a spirited effort from the Preseli Men, who trailed 12-18 at halftime, they couldn’t capitalize on second-half opportunities.

Crymych’s hooker Lee Griffiths scored two tries in the first half, and a late penalty try offered some consolation. The Wanderers, under Sean Gale’s guidance, proved dominant with tries from Rhydian Morgan, Lewis Jones, Rhodri Owens, and Sam Icke. Jones contributed two conversions and three penalties, keeping the Wanderers in contention at the top of the table. Crymych remain in a relegation battle.

Division One (West)

Pontarddulais 17 – Tenby United 26
Tenby United maintained their unbeaten streak with a hard-earned seventh victory of the season, defeating a determined Pontarddulais side. Though missing a bonus point, the disciplined Seasiders secured a valuable win.

Lloyd Thomas played a pivotal role, kicking four penalties and converting tries by Gwion Jones and Rob Luly. Acting skipper Jones shone with an individual effort. Pontarddulais responded with tries from Ethan Miles, Lewis Edwards, and Iwan Evans. Tenby stay second in the league with a game in hand over leaders Aberystwyth.

Division Two (West)

Whitland 13 – Fishguard & Goodwick 10
A late Harry Fuller penalty sealed Whitland’s narrow victory in a fiercely contested clash with Fishguard and Goodwick. The Seagulls led 7-3 at halftime after Ben John’s converted try answered Johnny Thomas’s penalty.

Rhys Nicholas turned the game in Whitland’s favor with a crucial intercept try, converted by Thomas. Although Mark Jones briefly leveled the scores, Fuller’s decisive penalty secured Whitland’s fourth win of the season.

Carmarthen Athletic 23 – Milford Haven 10
Carmarthen Athletic overturned a halftime deficit to claim a solid home win over Milford Haven. The Mariners led 10-6 at the break, thanks to Robbie Jones’s converted try and a James Trueman penalty.

The Athletic surged back with 17 unanswered points, including tries from Gethin Phillips, Morgan Morse, and Deian Morgan. Zak Williams added the conversions and penalties to seal the victory. Milford missed out on a losing bonus point in their fourth defeat of the season.

Division Three (West)

Cefneithin 16 – Cardigan 29
Cardigan continued their strong form with a bonus-point win over Cefneithin. The Teifisiders led 15-6 at halftime, with Marcus Castle and Shaun Leonard crossing the try line. Leonard was instrumental, adding another try and three conversions.

John Lumb and Jack Taylor scored second-half tries as Cardigan capitalized on excellent possession. Cefneithin fought back with a try by Jonathan Morgan and three penalties from Carwyn Evans but fell short.

Division Four (West)

Llanybydder 17 – Neyland 43
Neyland dazzled with a six-try bonus-point victory over Llanybydder. Leading 24-5 at halftime, the All Blacks saw tries from Owain Evans, Matthew Coles, Owen Hamer, and skipper Georghe Williams.

Young winger Josh Watts added two second-half tries. Llanybydder responded with tries from Jake Evans, Dan Davies, and Dan Jones, converted by Ethan Sion Mathias, but Neyland’s dominance was unshaken as they returned to the top of the table.

Teirw Crymych 17 – St Davids 17
Teirw Crymych and St Davids battled to a draw in a thrilling encounter. The Bulls dominated early, building a 14-0 lead with tries from George Plummer and Trystan Griffiths, both converted by Adam Phillips.

St Davids stormed back with tries by Will James and Tom Clarke, before George Raymond’s late try leveled the scores. The conversion went wide, leaving both teams to share the points.

Dreigiau Emlyn 14 – Narberth Athletic 3
Narberth Athletic’s unbeaten run ended at Ddol Wiber as Dreigiau Emlyn’s forward strength secured a gritty win. A single forward-driven try and three penalties proved enough for the Dragons.

Athletic struggled to convert pressure into points, their only score coming from a Shane Rossiter penalty. The Dragons celebrated their third victory of the season.

Llangwm 17 – Pembroke 22
In a heated Division Four West derby, Pembroke edged out Llangwm in the first leg of the Palmer Cup at Pill Parks. The Scarlets held firm against a late surge to secure the win.

Llangwm opened strongly, with James Morgan and Dan Richards scoring tries, both converted by Harry Makepeace. Pembroke’s forwards turned the tide, with Jamie Brayford (2), Robin Badham, and Josh Greenwood crossing the line. Despite Llangwm’s late efforts, Pembroke extended their winning streak to three matches.

Sport

Pembrokeshire Vikings triumph over Port Talbot panthers

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE VIKINGS faced a tough challenge against the formidable Port Talbot Panthers at Milford Haven RFC on Sunday afternoon. In a fiercely contested battle, the Vikings emerged as worthy winners with a final score of 33-17.

The Vikings’ try scorers included Dave Roberts, Karl Bate, Shaun Treadwell, Richard Williams, and Jack Elliott. Callum Power added to the scoreboard with four successful conversions. Karl Bate’s standout performance earned him the Man of the Match award.

A special mention goes to Sean Phillips, who made a welcome return to the team. Phillips delivered a brilliant 30-metre line break, unselfishly passing the ball to Dave Roberts, who crossed under the posts. His contribution exemplified the team spirit that defines the Vikings.

Matches between the Vikings and the Panthers are always marked by fierce rivalry, but also by strong friendships forged on and off the field. The team eagerly anticipates the return fixture in 2025.

The Vikings also extended their gratitude to Barry from Pembrokeshire College, a loyal supporter of the team. Additionally, thanks were given to sponsors Austwel LTD, Hedley Asset Management, and The Pembrokeshire Herald for their ongoing support.

Next match: A historic showdown

This Saturday, the Pembrokeshire Vikings will travel to Llandaff RFC to make history in a match against Rygbi Senedd Cymru. The team looks forward to another thrilling encounter as they continue their successful season.