Sport

Late goals see Bluebirds into round three

Published

3 years ago

August 8, 2021

HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY booked their place in round three of the Nathaniel MG Cup on Saturday (Aug 7) as they beat Goytre United 3-0 at the Bridge Meadow.

The game was the Bluebirds’ first competitive game of the season, while opponents Goytre held a 100% record from their opening three JD Cymru South games.

With social distancing rules being relaxed there was a good crowd at the Bridge Meadow but they saw a first half that lacked any real chances.

The goals eventually came late on as the Bluebirds were finally rewarded for their dominance.

New signing and captain Dylan Rees was in the starting line up for the home side as was Henry Jones who also signed in the summer.

The first chance of the game fell the way of the hosts as Corey Shephard sent a strong shot just over the bar.

Ten minutes later, Shephard found Jack Wilson in the box but the striker saw his shot deflected wide for a corner. From the resulting corner Dylan Rees was brought down in the box but the referee pointed for a goal kick.

Kieran Lewis then found Wilson but he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and Goytre were able to clear.

Daniel Birch then saw a shot blocked for the visitors and the ball fell to Louis Gerrard but his low drive was comfortably gathered by County keeper Wojciech Gajda.

Birch then crossed into the box for Liam Griffiths whose header looped just over the bar with Gajda scrambling to try and reach it.

Dylan Rees and Henry Jones linked up well for the Bluebirds but, as had been the case on a couple of occasions in the first half, the final ball was lacking and Goytre were able to get the ball away.

On the stroke of half time Jones sent a long range effort wide of the posts and the score remained 0-0 when the referee brought the first half to a close.

Both sides knew that the first goal would prove crucial and it was the Bluebirds who were inches away from getting it, ten minutes in to the second half.

Kieran Lewis saw his low shot come back off the post and Goytre breathed a sigh of relief.

With twenty minutes to go the visitors enjoyed a good spell of possession. However, Callum Bateman may have rued his decision to shoot from a free kick in the middle of the half when he could have floated it into the box for a team mate.

Liam Griffiths then saw his effort go over but it wouldn’t have counted had it gone as the flag had gone up for offside.

Louis Gerrard was then played in but Gajda, who had had little to do, came out to clear the ball away.

With fifteen minutes to go the Bluebirds finally got the breakthrough as Shephard’s cross from the right fell kindly for Kieran Lewis and he had time to compose himself before lifting the ball into the net.

Gerrard then had another chance for the visitors as they looked for a late equaliser but his weak shot was easily saved by Gajda.

With the clock ticking towards 90 minutes, the Bluebirds broke and Wilson held the ball up well before squaring for sub Mason Jones-Thomas. He then sent a cross into the box and after Wilson left it Henry Jones was on hand to curl the ball back across goal and into the net.

In injury time, Goytre were reduced to ten men as Callum Bateman was shown a second yellow for late tackle.

*Corey Shephard had a good game for the Bluebirds*

There was still time for Jazz Richards to try his luck but when his shot was saved the ball fell to Shephard who fired in to the bottom corner for a deserved goal.

That was the last kick of the game and the Bluebirds will now look forward to the draw for the third round.

The Bluebirds begin their JD Cymru Premier campaign next Saturday (Aug 14) as they travel to Caernarfon Town.

Up Next

Wizards win Eddie Merry Cup on penalties

Don't Miss

Pembroke paramedic honoured for saving colleague’s life

Sport

Letterston marksman wins junior athlete award

Published

2 days ago

January 21, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A TALENTED young athlete from Letterston has been honoured at the British Shooting Awards 2024.

Seren Thorne was shortlisted for the prestigious awards and attended the gala event held at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. To the delight of her family and supporters, Seren was named the winner of the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award.

This accolade highlights Seren’s exceptional skill and dedication to the sport, marking her as one of the rising stars in British shooting.

Her mother, Sian Thorne, expressed immense pride in Seren’s achievement, sharing photos of the memorable evening.

The British Shooting Awards 2024 celebrated excellence in the sport, with a full list of winners available on their official website.

PHOTO CAPTION: Champion marksman: Seren Thorne receiving the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award (Pic: Supplied).

Sport

Previewing the 2025 Super Bowl

Published

3 days ago

January 20, 2025

Staff Writer

Each year millions of people across the world gather to watch one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the Super Bowl. Last year, 3.4 million people in the UK watched the Super Bowl, up 1.1 million from the previous year. Considering the growth in popularity of American football in the UK, we anticipate the viewership will be even higher for 2025.

The 2025 Super Bowl is scheduled to take place on 9 February 2025 at Caesars Superdrome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

NFL teams

12 teams began competing for a spot in the 2025 Super Bowl when the playoffs began on January 11. At this point, four teams were eliminated. This now leaves eight teams to compete in the Divisional playoffs. Four of these will make it to the Conference Championships before contesting for a spot at this year’s Super Bowl.

The eight teams left with a shot at competing in the 2025 Super Bowl are:

Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Commanders

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs took the title for the second year in a row. However, the latest Super Bowl odds puts the Detroit Lions as the favourites to win this year’s Super Bowl, following a series of impressive performances in the regular season.

The national anthem and halftime show

Before the game commences, a special guest performs the national anthem. Last year, Reba McEntire offered a moving performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, and this year the task falls to jazz singer Jon Batiste.

It’s not just the football match that people look forward to. Super Bowl halftime shows are a spectacle in themselves and many look forward to the performance as much as the game itself. This year, 17-time grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is headlining the halftime show. Lamar previously headlined the Super Bowl in 2022.

How can I watch the Super Bowl in the UK?

The Super Bowl is being broadcast to fans free on ITV, including live online via ITVX on your laptop, mobile, or tablet.

Sky Sports is also broadcasting the event which you can watch online via Sky Go, NOW TV, or using the Sky Sports mobile app. You could also head to your local pub as plenty of pubs in Pembrokeshire will be showing the big game.

Will you be tuning in?

With a surge in popularity for American Football, it’s anticipated that more people from the UK than ever before will be turning their TVs on for the big event this year. Will you be watching this year’s Super Bowl?

Sport

Division Four West rugby: Thrills and tight contests on a chilly Saturday

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Herald Sport

Exciting matches, hard-fought battles, and standout performances define the weekend’s action.

Dreigiau Emlyn Edge Harlequins in Close Contest
Dreigiau Emlyn 21 – Pembroke Dock Harlequins 15
Dreigiau Emlyn secured a narrow victory over Pembroke Dock Harlequins, strengthening their position in the top half of the table. Gethin Davies scored two crucial tries, while Deiniol Rees added three penalties and a conversion to steer the hosts to victory. The Harlequins kept the game competitive with tries from Craig Barnett and Tom Donovan, with Ben Hathaway converting one and kicking a penalty. However, Emlyn’s composed performance ensured they held on for the win.

Teirw Crymych Outgun Llangwm in High-Scorer
Llangwm 22 – Teirw Crymych 33
Teirw Crymych powered to a 33-22 victory over bottom-placed Llangwm, bolstering their challenge for the league’s top spots. Sion Williams and Morgan Jones led the visitors’ try-scoring efforts, with additional tries from Sion Owen and Nick Bevan. Adam Phillips was reliable from the tee, adding four conversions. Llangwm fought back with tries from Aidan Rees and Ryan Banner, while Harry Makepeace contributed two conversions and a penalty. Despite their spirited display, the hosts couldn’t match Crymych’s attacking prowess.

St Davids Win Key Clash Against Llanybydder
Llanybydder 17 – St Davids 29
St Davids took a significant step away from the relegation zone with a vital 29-17 win over Llanybydder. Harvey Godkin, Nathan Foster, Zac Morgan, and Morgan Griffiths all crossed the whitewash for the visitors, with Bob Froy converting three and adding a penalty to secure a bonus-point victory. Llanybydder’s John Evans delivered an impressive hat-trick of tries, with one conversion by Matthew Rowlands, but St Davids’ all-round performance proved too much for the home side.