Sport

Bluebirds seal vital win over Druids

Published

3 years ago

March 1, 2022

HAVERFORDWEST County ended Phase One of the JD Cymru Premier in perfect fashion with a 2-0 win over bottom side Cefn Druids at The Rock.

First-half goals from Alhagi Touray Sisay and Jack Wilson put the Bluebirds two to the good after just 18 minutes, with County controlling the ball throughout and creating numerous opportunities to extend their lead.

While the sides are only separated by one place in the league table, there was a noticeable difference in the way the two teams approached the game, with the Bluebirds confident to play through the thirds and attack whenever possible.

The victory is County’s first in the league since the end of October, when they beat Newtown 1-0 at the Ogi Bridge Meadow, and provides the team with a real morale boost heading into the start of Phase Two of the season.

In his first game in charge, manager Nicky Hayen made four changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Aberystwyth Town a fortnight ago, with Jazz Richards and Alaric Jones returning from injury, Kurtis Rees replacing Corey Shephard in midfield and Touray Sisay selected to partner Jordan Davies up top. Captain Dylan Rees missed the game through suspension, after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season against Aber last time out.

County started the game on the front foot, and were rewarded for their positive intent when Elliot Scotcher’s free-kick from the right side found it’s way through to an unmarked Touray Sisay in the middle of the goal, and the striker tapped in from close range to give the Bluebirds the perfect start.

Hayen’s side only had to wait two minutes to double their lead. Touray Sisay offloaded the ball to Wilson just outside the area, and the wing-back took a couple of touches before firing a rocket of a shot into the top right corner, leaving goalkeeper Michael Jones with no chance.

There was one negative from a hugely encouraging first-half, with midfielder Kieran Lewis forced off after 37 minutes, with Ricky Watts coming on in his place.

Having been untroubled by the Druids attack in the first-half, County nearly gave the hosts a way back into the game when a stray pass inside their own penalty area handed possession to Niall Flint, but Lee Idzi did well to get down and save his shot from close range.

Keen to extend their advantage in the early stages of the second-half, the Bluebirds nearly made it 3-0 when Davies was freed down the left side by Watts, before he turned and chipped a cross into the area which picked out Touray Sisay, but his effort came back off the left post.

Despite this missed chance, the striker was having an impressive afternoon, and he continued to cause the Druids defence problems, with Flint and Phil Mooney both shown yellow cards in quick succession for fouls on the front man.

Shortly after replacing Richards, wing-back Ryan George had a chance to shoot from inside the area, but the Ancients defence were able to snuff out the danger just in time.

The final chance of note for the Bluebirds came with five minutes remaining, when Scotcher’s cross from the left side hit the crossbar and rebounded back into play, but the awaiting Jones couldn’t direct his header goalwards from a couple of yards out.

In stoppage time, Hayen handed debuts to Alex Worley and loanee Caleb Hughes, who joined the club in the January transfer window.

The victory sees the Bluebirds move to within one point of 10th placed Barry Town United, who lost 2-1 at home to Caernarfon Town.

Related Topics:Football Haverfordwest County JD Cymru Premier

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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

4 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.

Division Four West continues to deliver thrilling rugby as teams battle for position in a tightly contested league.