Sport

Late Smith penalty seals Pembroke win

Published

7 years ago

January 3, 2019

A LATE penalty from Toby Smith earned Pembroke a 15-13 victory in a hard-fought encounter with Pembrokeshire rivals Fishguard on Saturday (Dec 29).

It was an excellent game between two good teams with Pembroke feeling a little rusty having not played for three weeks while the heavy pitch suited a Fishguard side who were looking to avenge their narrow 16-17 defeat at home to Pembroke earlier in the season.

There was no sign of rustiness however as the home side started the game well and could have gone ahead but Johnny Palmer was held up over the line.

Sean Dalling also looked to be free but he was ankle tapped near the line and the Seagulls were able to recover.

Having weathered the early storm the Seagulls then took the lead as Andrew Williams touched down under the posts. Kial Keane then added the extra two points.

Pembroke responded well and were soon back on level terms as Dan Colley ran a good line off Toby Smith to touch the ball down under the posts. Smith then added the extras.

The home side then went ahead as a good break by Tom Lewis set up captain Scott Powell who crashed over. This time the conversion was missed by Pembroke held a 12-7 lead.

They could have had a third try soon after as Dan Colley touched down but it was ruled out for a marginal forward pass.

The Seagulls then narrowed the gap as Keane scored a penalty and the score at half time was 12-10 in Pembroke’s favour.

In the second half Fishguard came at Pembroke well and they took the lead with another penalty from Keane to make it 12-13 to the visitors.

It was an evenly contested half but it was Pembroke who had the final say as Smith sent a penalty through the posts in the last minute to seal a 15-13 victory.

Pembroke’s win keeps them fourth in the table and they will look for another win on Saturday (Jan 5) as they host Carmarthen Athletic.

Fishguard will look to get back to winning ways as they travel to Burry Port who sit just below them in the table.

Related Topics:derby Fishguard League 2 West Pembroke pembrokeshire Rugby

Up Next

Trundle leaves Bluebirds

Don't Miss

Adams hits five as Pennar thump Herbie

Sport

World Cup qualifiers 2026: How are Wales doing?

Published

11 minutes ago

November 18, 2025

Staff Writer

The 2026 World Cup is going to be bigger and better than ever before, with the tournament expanding to accommodate an additional 16 teams this time around, for a total of 48.

This makes qualifying a little more interesting as many more teams have the opportunity to perform on the highest stage. Teams like England were able to secure their place in the competition fairly early, while other groups have been under more pressure to secure top spots – Wales included.

So whether you’re a casual viewer here for the drama, or a dedicated fan watching both on TV and across online betting apps for the best odds, here’s a rundown of how Wales are doing in the World Cup qualifiers.

How are Wales performing?

Wales have been in qualifying Group J, alongside Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein. Despite tough competition, Wales, led by head coach Craig Bellamy, have produced some great performances and have given themselves a reasonable chance of making the finals. This would be their third qualification ever, following on from 2022’s success.

They had a strong start against Kazakhstan, in which they claimed a solid 3-1 victory at home. They then drew 1-1 against North Macedonia thanks to a 96th minute equaliser, and thrashed Liechtenstein 3-0 back in June. The undefeated streak ended with a 4-3 loss to group favourites Belgium in Brussels (and again a loss to Rudi Garcia’s team in Cardiff last month).

With another victory over both Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein under their belts, these results have put Wales in a good position within the group, but they nonetheless face a fight to qualify, being two points behind Belgium, and behind North Macedonia on goal difference.

If Wales win and Belgium lose (as unlikely as that seems), they would qualify for the World Cup automatically as group winners.

Lose or draw and it’s the play-offs for Craig Bellamy’s men. In some senses, there’s less pressure on tonight’s match as Wales have already at least qualified for the play-offs as one of the Uefa Nations League group winners. However, finishing second in the group would give them an easier path to qualification.

Looking ahead to the 2026 play-offs

If Wales miss out on topping the group (which is likely), they will have to settle for a play-off spot, which is a much more challenging route to qualification.

Should they lose or draw tonight, they will have to face a top-seeded team away from home to have a chance at reaching the play-off final. However, should they beat North Macedonia, they will play weaker opposition at home.

Today’s crucial game for Wales

The 2026 qualifiers have and continue to be highly competitive in Europe. Wales are in the mix, having proven that they can challenge, but are sitting very much in between favourites and underdogs.

Tonight’s match is looming, the stakes are high, and anything could happen. A win could put them on the path to automatic qualification if Liechtenstein can overcome the odds, while a draw or loss will force them to rely on the hardest play-off route. Welsh fans will be hoping for a strong performance, as well as a bit of luck.

Sport

South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls: Week eight results and league table

Published

22 hours ago

November 17, 2025

Herald Sport

THE SOUTH Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association – known as the Friendly League – has released the latest results following week eight of the competition.

Last week’s matches saw:

East Williamston 8–2 Cosheston
Kilgetty 7–3 St Twynnells
Reynalton 5–5 St Johns
Llanteg 8–2 Lamphey

The fixture between Hundleton and Carew was postponed, while Badgers had a bye.

Updated league table – Week eight

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Shot Diff	Points
East Williamston	7	7	0	0	160	62
Reynalton	7	4	1	2	34	40
St Johns	7	3	1	3	-2	35
Cosheston	7	3	0	4	33	33
Badgers	7	3	0	4	-10	33
Llanteg	7	3	0	4	-39	33
Carew	6	3	0	3	-20	30
St Twynnells	7	3	0	4	-45	30
Hundleton	6	3	0	3	-8	29
Lamphey	8	3	0	5	-19	29
Kilgetty	7	3	0	4	-54	26

More fixtures are set to follow as the Friendly League moves into the second half of the season.

Sport

Haverfordwest County Women make it two wins from two in Phase 2

Published

1 day ago

November 17, 2025

Herald Sport

HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY AFC Women continued their strong start to Phase 2 with an impressive 4–2 victory over a determined Morriston Town side on Sunday.

It was a superb all-round performance from the Bluebirds, combining sharp team play with some outstanding individual finishes. Striker Kayla Jones led the way with a well-taken brace, while Ella May Mumford and Tayla Gibbs also got on the scoresheet to secure all three points.

The win makes it back-to-back victories in Division A, further strengthening the squad’s momentum going into the next fixture.

Haverfordwest County now turn their attention to their next home match on Sunday 23rd, when they host Bonymaen Colts Ladies.

Squad: Rhian Jones, Freya Watkins Williams, Erin Frost, Katie Gibbins, Mollie Flanagan, Bethan Chapman, Tayla Gibbs, Ella May Mumford, Emma Smith, Ffion Kirk, Kayla Jones.