Sport
Records tumble in oar-some challenge
THE DINAS HEAD Challenge took place last Saturday, when a record number of 32 boats entered for the annual eight-mile rowing race from Goodwick to Parrog Newport. The event, hosted by Newport Boat Club, has become a favourite with rowers from all over Wales, with many types of boats entering, including Celtic Longboats, an Australian surf boat, yoles and two of the oldest boats in the race, the Margaret Whitehall from Fishguard and Danny Boy from Newport. With almost perfect sea conditions and an off-shore wind the scene was set for some very fast times. Beating the existing record time set by the Aberdfi men in 2006, was a distinct possibility. As the boats set off it was the Australian surf boat crewed by the Newport men that pulled away from their nearest rivals showing exceptional pace as they rounded the Dinas Head. Further back it was Newport juniors, competing in their first ever Dinas Head, who were passing boats at ease and performing well above their expectations. Also in hot pursuit was the top men?s team from Solva who had passed much of the field and were pushing to catch the front runners. Not far behind and having started in 13th place it was the highly rated mixed team from Cardigan along with the veteran men?s team from Mumbles and the two top ladies teams from Aberporth and Wisemans Bridge that were moving up the field. A large crowd of supporters had gathered at Newport boat club to welcome the boats home, and it was the Newport men in the Australian surf boat that crossed the finish line first, recording the fastest ever time in the open category of 59mins 49secs, followed by the Solva men in a time of 55:03 smashing the existing overall fastest time by over a minute. The records continued to tumble, with the Cardigan mixed team finishing in 58:07, Mumbles veteran men in 59:03, and the Wisemen?s ladies in a time of 1:01:46. One of the biggest cheers of the day was for the Newport Juniors, who were also raising money for the Air Ambulance, and they finished in a new record time of 1:02:03. Thanks goes to all the competitors and to the many members and staff of Newport Boat Club for their assistance on the day.
News
South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association results
THE RESULTS of the catch-up games played over the Christmas/New Year period are as follows:
- Llanteg 10 – 0 Hundleton
- Reynalton 8 – 2 Badgers
- Cosheston 10 – 0 St Twynnells
Updated League Table
Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | S/D | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
East Williamston | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 127 | 74 |
Carew | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 86 | 65 |
Reynalton | 11 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 31 | 62 |
Hundleton | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 65 | 60 |
St Johns | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 69 | 58 |
Cosheston | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 54 |
Llanteg | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | -22 | 44 |
St Twynnells | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | -108 | 41 |
Badgers | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 36 | 40 |
Kilgetty | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | -85 | 40 |
Lamphey | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | -155 | 22 |
Singles tournament success
A big thank you to everyone who participated in the singles tournament this weekend. After a competitive Round Robin in the morning, players were divided into red and blue streams for the afternoon knockout stages.
- Red Stream Winner: Simon Hall (Reynalton)
- Runner-up: Andrew Maclean (East Williamston)
- Blue Stream Winner: Margaret Richards (Reynalton)
- Runner-up: Chris Clarkson (Lamphey)
Upcoming event
The next tournament will be the Doubles, held at Heatherton on Saturday, 15th February. Entry forms will be distributed shortly once details are finalized.
Sport
Pembrokeshire Second Division Match Report – January 11, 2025
A THILLING weekend of football in Pembrokeshire’s Second Division delivered key results that tightened the race for promotion and intensified the relegation battle.
Narberth 2-0 Hakin United II
Narberth bolstered their title aspirations with a commanding 2-0 victory over league leaders Hakin United II. Brychan David broke the deadlock with a clinical finish, and Jordan Williams secured the win with a second goal. The result leaves Narberth just two points behind Hakin in a hotly contested title race.
Merlins Bridge II 0-2 Fishguard Sports
Fishguard Sports continued their march towards a top-three finish, claiming a vital 2-0 win away at Merlins Bridge II. Ieuan Llewellyn coolly converted a penalty to give Fishguard the lead, while Luke Thomas added a second to seal the victory. With games in hand, Fishguard remain firmly in contention at the top end of the table.
Lawrenny 1-2 Neyland
Neyland edged a close contest against Lawrenny with a 2-1 win that keeps their top-half ambitions alive. Thomas Cole scored for the home side, but goals from Aidan Rees and Jack John secured all three points for Neyland in a hard-fought encounter.
Monkton Swifts II 1-7 Johnston
Johnston produced a dominant performance, thrashing Monkton Swifts II 7-1. Ryan Doyle netted twice, with further goals from Steve Allen, James Larsen, Marcus Allen, Callum Rees, and Joey George. The emphatic victory consolidates Johnston’s strong campaign, while Monkton Swifts II remain perilously close to the relegation zone.
Carew II 3-3 Solva
Carew II and Solva played out a dramatic 3-3 draw in a match filled with excitement. George Davies scored twice for Carew, with Charlie Perkins also on target. Solva responded with two goals from Josh Bland and an own goal that levelled the match. Both sides remain stuck in mid-table, with the result doing little to ease their relegation concerns.
Sport
Haverfordwest cruise to comfortable 33-0 win over Cefneithin
Haverfordwest 33 – Cefneithin 0
HAVERFORDWEST made a strong return to league action at Pembroke Road with a convincing 33-0 victory over bottom-placed Cefneithin. Despite a six-week absence from competitive rugby for the visitors, both sides put in a commendable effort to play expansive rugby in challenging conditions.
The Blues wasted no time asserting their dominance, scoring within the first minute of the match. After receiving the ball around halfway, centre Jack Evans made a powerful break, evading defenders and linking up with supporting players. The move culminated with scrum-half Liam Eaton receiving the ball and passing to outside-half Jack Codd, who slotted over the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
Haverfordwest’s forwards controlled the set-pieces, but their attempts to run the ball often resulted in knock-ons, as they looked to flick passes rather than build consistent phases. Cefneithin, on the other hand, showed more composure in their play, particularly through their half-backs Jack Willingham and Aled Thomas, and their back row of Raymond, Roberts, and Dickie.
The Blues’ midfield duo of Jack Evans and Matty Phillips posed constant threats, and it wasn’t long before they added to their tally. In the 24th minute, after some powerful carries from Jack Clancy, Jake Evans, Josh Young, and captain Karl Busch, Codd orchestrated a move that saw Evans slice through the Cefneithin defence to score under the posts. Codd converted the try, albeit off the upright, to make it 14-0.
Haverfordwest continued to press, but missed opportunities came in the form of a line-out throw-in that went crooked after Codd had kicked them close to the Cefneithin try line. However, the Blues weren’t to be denied, and soon after, another well-placed diagonal kick to the corner resulted in a fumble from the Cefneithin defence, allowing winger George Hopkins to pounce and dive over the line. Codd added the conversion from the touchline to give Haverfordwest a commanding 21-0 lead at the break.
The second half saw the Blues continue their dominance. The bonus-point try came in style when winger Guy Barrons was involved in a quick-moving attack. Quick hands among the forwards, including Dan Berry and Tom Carrington, created space for full-back Owain Roberts to break through and score under the posts. Codd’s simple conversion extended the lead further.
By this stage, Cefneithin had opted for uncontested scrums due to injuries, but the Blues kept pushing forward. A late fifth try came courtesy of back rower Mikey Griffiths, who dotted down after a determined run. Although the try was unconverted, Griffiths was later named man of the match for his tireless performance.
With this win, Haverfordwest maintain their strong position in the league, while Cefneithin will look to regroup after a challenging return to action.
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