Sport
Rooks ready for Grave semi
CAREW take on Giants Grave tonight (Mar 27) with the Rooks looking to go one better than last season when they were beaten by eventual winners Goodwick United in the semi-final.
Their game will take place at the home of Garden Village in Swansea but assistant manager Jeremy Griffiths says the side are not fazed by having to travel there and that they are ‘looking forward to it’.
A few of Carew’s players have already played at Garden Village for the County side but for a number of the players it will be a new experience.
Carew played Giants Grave in the quarter finals last season and earned a 5-2 win but conditions are likely to be a bit different this time around.
Opponents Giants Grave play their football in the Neath Premier Division and are currently sitting ten points off the leaders with three games in hand.
They have nine wins from their 12 games so far this season and only have one defeat on their record.
Giants Grave were beaten finalists in the 2012-13 season when they lost to Dafen Welfare and that remains their only final appearance to date.
Carew have reached the semi-final for the second successive season after last reaching the final in the 70s and they will be looking to make it an all Pembrokeshire League final.
Route to the final
Having reached the last four last season, Carew received a bye for the first round and began their run to the semis in round 2 where they were drawn away to Burry Port.
Two goals each from Jordan Richards and Scott Ferney and another from Lloyd Hughes saw them to a 5-2 win over the Carmarthenshire League Division 1 side.
In round three the Rooks took on Loughor Rovers and eased to an 8-0 win with Hughes scoring four and Jordan Richards scoring a hat trick. Ferney grabbed the other goal.
Shaun Whitfield, Sam Christopher, Scott Ferney and Jordan Richards each scored in round four to earn a 4-0 win for the Rooks away at Maltsters Sports.
In the last eight, Carew played Mumbles Rangers at home and they came from two goals down to win 3-2 with brothers Sam and Jack Christopher on the score sheet alongside Whitfield.
Jordan Richards and Scott Ferney have been in good form in the Cup and the pair will be looking to bring the Giants down.
Giants Grave began their Cup campaign away at Llangennech and needed extra time before earning a 2-1 win.
In the second round they beat Carmarthen Stars 3-1 at home thanks to goals from Richard Barnes, Dean Evans and Ross Hudson. They then beat Trallwm by the same scoreline three days before Christmas.
The Carmarthenshire sides kept coming for Giants Grave as they played Bwlch Rangers in Round 4 but Grave earned a 3-0 win.
They then beat fellow Neath Premier Division side Bryncoch 2-1 in the quarter finals to reach the last four.
What they say
The Herald spoke to members of the Carew team ahead of the game to find out how they were feeling.
Carew’s Assistant Jeremy Griffiths added that it ‘will be nice to go somewhere different’ having already played on the Bridge Meadow recently in the Senior Cup Semi-final and added that it would be excellent if they got to the final.
He said: “We played Giants Grave in the quarter finals last season and beat them 5-2 at our place but we are expecting it to be a lot tougher this time.”
Giants Grave tweeted that they have two coaches booked for their game and that they were ‘looking forward to playing Carew once again’.
The final will take place at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea on Tuesday, May 7.
Sport
South-West Wales Athletes Aiming to Shine at the Summer Olympics
Two of the finest athletes in south-west Wales are dreaming about bringing home medals from the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Track cyclist Emma Finucane and sailing star Micky Beckett will head to France in a buoyant mood after enjoying a successful build-up to their respective events.
Welsh athletes collected a record-equalling 11 medals at the Tokyo 2020 Games and hopes are high that the tally could be beaten this year.
The Carmarthen-born rider cemented her rapid rise up the sprint ranks by winning a gold medal at the 2023 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.
She became Great Britain’s first women’s sprint world champion since Becky James in 2013 and is now on track to chase more medals at the Olympics across three events.
The 21-year-old has yearned to compete at the Summer Games since watching Team GB sparkle at London 2012 and she is eager to make her mark this summer.
“It’s a massive dream of mine and it’s pretty cool that I’m kind of living my dream,” Finucane said. “I’m just trying to enjoy the journey and hopefully I’ll get selected and compete for my country.
“And it’s exciting because as the Team GB women’s sprint. I feel like we’re in a really good place to do well at the Olympics, not just compete as Olympians.”
Pembrokeshire-born sailor Beckett will also head to Paris with his sights firmly set on winning gold in the hugely competitive ILCA 7 class.
He will renew rivalries with Australian Matt Wearn, who controversially claimed the World Championship title ahead of Hermann Tomasgaard and Beckett earlier this year.
Online bookmakers rate Wearn as the favourite to emerge victorious this summer, but Beckett’s recent form gives him every chance of turning the tables.
Several new sports betting sites in Australia cut the Welsh sailor’s Olympic odds after he completed a trio of World Cup successes at a recent event in Palma.
Beckett believes the hard work he has done over the past few months gives him every chance of toppling Wearn when the action gets underway this summer.
“There is still plenty of work to do and managing form is probably the most important thing of any athlete’s job,” Beckett said. “There is no point being the best in the world unless you are the best in the world when it counts.
Sport
Kilgetty and Carew Share Spoils in End-of-Season Showdown
In the picturesque setting of Kilgetty, under the soft glow of the evening sun, local football fans were treated to an enticing clash between Kilgetty and Carew in the Pembrokeshire League Division 1. With the season winding down, both sides took to the pitch amidst numerous squad rotations, following a hectic week of multiple fixtures.
The match kicked off in a leisurely pace, resembling more of an end-of-season friendly than a fierce competition. Kilgetty seized the early initiative, with the trio of Josh Bevan, Richard Tebbut, and Richard Cope causing headaches for the Carew defense, skillfully led by Gareth Lewis. It was Jac Waters who broke the deadlock for the home side, putting Kilgetty ahead 1-0 as the first half came to a close.
However, Carew emerged revitalised after the break, with Jonty Bennett, James Hinchcliffe, and Zac Rowell putting in the hard yards to level the score. The introduction of Harvey Drummond for the ineffective Sam Christopher added further depth to Carew’s attacking prowess, culminating in an equaliser courtesy of the excellent Hinchcliffe.
As tensions rose, the game took on a newfound intensity, marked by needless bookings, after a clearly offside goal and a few heated moments on the field. Despite the fatigue evident from their recent fixture congestion, both teams showcased their competitive spirit, treating the fans to an entertaining second half.
In the end, neither side could break the deadlock, with Kilgetty and Carew having to settle for a well-fought 1-1 draw. While neither team was at their absolute best, the match provided a fitting conclusion to their respective seasons.
Sport
The stage is set – Senior Cup Final
It’s the time of the year again, Saturday see’s Bridge Meadow host the senior cup final. The sun has been shining and both teams will be dying to get on the pitch. This year the final will be contested by Goodwick United and Clarbeston Road.
League champions Goodwick will go into the final as favourites, and most around the county expect a Goodwick win. It has been an outstanding season for Goodwick however cup success has evaded them so far. Clarbeston Road have impressed everyone this season and really deserve their place in this years final.
Neill Crawshaw will referee the game, with Tudor Walters and Stefan Jenkins running the line.
There will be a unique contest on the pitch as brothers Will Haworth and Laurie Haworth come face to face on opposing teams. Adrian their father was a great player in the county, and played in many cup finals himself.
The stage is set, Clarby will feel less pressure than Goodwick and will be a threat with Haworth, John and Davies in attack. Meanwhile Goodwick are also blessed with quality players in every department, there is no weak link in O’Sullivans team. Cup football and finals in particular never go as people predict. On paper Goodwick are firm favourites, Clarbeston Road will be happy the game will be played on grass though and not paper, anything can happen! Hopefully it’ll be a good crowd down at the Meadow for the show piece of Pembrokeshire football.
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