The score doesn’t do justice to our performance. Youth team players Taylor Evans and Jack Todd made their first starts with three more youth players on the bench, Lewis Clement making his first team debut, Evan Daley and the returning Shaun Owen. All five players along with another youth player Sean Hanbury all played well. Andre Griffiths also slotted in at right back and gave a good account of himself while Owen Williams made his first appearance since he returned.

There was little between the sides in the first half, Sacha Walters should have given us the lead on 5 minutes but somehow sidefooted his shot wide with only the keeper to beat. Two minutes later in Haverfordwest’s first attack they scored, we conceded a couple of corners which we failed to clear, the ball bobbled around the area before Steffan Williams picked his spot to score. On 23 minutes a great diagonal ball from Taylor Evans found Sacha Walters wide right, he cut back in along the edge of the penalty area and tried a shot but it lacked power and was easily cleared. Jack Todd was doing well holding up the ball and making life difficult for the two Haverfordwest centre backs. We were seeing plenty of the ball but couldn’t create a clear opening, when Haverfordwest had possession the defence coped well with it and restricted them to long range efforts. Half time came with few chances to either side and we still had all to play for.

We started the second half with a corner but it was headed clear, on 52 minutes Steve Cann mishandled a low shot the ball just going the right side of the post for us giving Haverfordwest a corner.  We then had a period of possession without being able to create anything and when we lost possession Haverfordwest doubled their lead. Again Steve Cann failed to hold a low shot, this time he wasn’t so lucky as it hit the inside of the post and trickled back across the goal for Ryan Thomas to tap in from a yard or so. Carlos Indjai was injured in heading the ball out for a corner and was off the field when it was taken. Jack Todd did well to head the ball away for a second corner before we cleared the danger. The third goal was scored with 3 minutes to go and gave a somewhat false picture to the game, perhaps 2-0 would have been a fairer reflection and even then the goals could have been stopped.

Credit to the players who gave us good as they got except in the home penalty area. As I said earlier all the youth boys could be pleased with their performances which must give us hope for next season.

Lido side

Steve Cann – 2 Andre Griffiths – 3 Shane Williams – 4 Cai Owens – 5 Carlos Indjai – 6 Owen Williams –    7 Elliot Thomas – 8 Taylor Evans – 9 Sean Hanbury – 10 Jack Todd – 11 Sacha Walters

Subs – 12 Evan Daley for Carlos Indjai 78 – 14 Shaun Owen for Taylor Evans 59 – 15 Lewis Clement for Jack Todd 78

Penybont started in a positive fashion and could have taken the lead on 7 minutes when a low cross into the far post beat everyone the ball going out for a goal kick. Our first real attack saw the Penybont keeper quickly out if his area to just beat Sean Hanbury to the ball. We took the lead on 10 minutes when Jack Hurley picked up a through ball and from just inside the area fired a left footed shot that the keeper couldn’t keep out. Two minutes later only a great tackle in the area prevented Jake Simeone making it 2-0, Penybont were struggling to cut out the through ball and again only a good save by the keeper denied Sean Hanbury, the ball rebounded to Jack Hurley but his shot was blocked by a defender. On 16 minutes Sean Hanbury was unlucky with a volley that went just wide but from the goal kick the ball was played forward to him just inside the area and his left footed shot went across the keeper and into the net. We went three up on 21 minutes and again Sean Hanbury was the scorer. Taylor Evans beat a couple of players and squared the ball for Sean to score. Penybont pulled one back on 25 minutes, a right wing run into the box drew Aaron Jones out and the ball was squared for a simple tap in. Shaun Owen then cleared a free kick to Sean Hanbury, he found Jack Hurley but his shot went just wide. Jack Hurley forced the keeper into a save on 30 minutes and Jake Simeone shot wide when well placed. Matthew Andrews then cleared a Penybont free kick with the Lido winning a corner, Evan Daley headed the far post corner back in and Matthew Andrews scored with a left footed shot. Penybont pushed forward in the closing minutes of the half but Evan Daley cleared one attack while Aaron Jones turned another behind for a corner, this resulted in a shot which went wide.

Early second half pressure saw Sean Hanbury play a great ball in to Azeem Arshad he lay the ball off for Taylor Evans but his shot went just wide. We made it 5-1 on 57 minutes following a corner, a couple of chances were blocked by some resolute defending but eventually the ball fell to Sean Hanbury who completed his hat trick. Aaron Jones made a comfortable save from a header before making two superb saves in a matter of seconds. Firstly, he turned a close range header onto the crossbar and the ball fell to a Penybont player a couple of yards out with only Aaron to beat. Somehow Aaron managed to save the shot and clear the ball. Lido went down the other end and Matthew Andrews was denied a second goal, the Penybont defence blocking his shot. Penybont pushed forward looking to reduce the arrears but firstly they shot wide following a corner and secondly Aaron Jones again held a close range header. Sean Hanbury made it 6-1 on 82 minutes when he successfully converted a penalty and then following a run down the left he squared the ball for Connor Thomas but his shot was cleared off the line by some good defending. Connor wasn’t to be denied a second time however, the Penybont keeper raced out of the area to try a clear a through ball, Connor beat him to it and from outside the area found the net with a first time shot. A good performance by our players but credit to Penybont, despite the scoreline they didn’t give up and not only denied us a few extra goals but were themselves denied by some good keeping by Aaron Jones.

Lack of discipline is costing us dearly both in the pocket and on the field. Last week Ben Thomas was sent off, today Liam McCreesh. Liam was booked for dissent and continued his protestations, we won a corner and before it could be taken he again got involved and the ref gave him a second yellow, this was after 36 minutes. Josh Doyle was booked for an innocuous challenge when far worse from the opposition went unpunished and Sacha Walters was booked for disputing an offside decision. Disappointingly it’s the more senior players who are repeatedly getting booked yet they don’t seem to learn from it.

Despite going down to 10 men we didn’t look like conceding a goal and we played the better football however that changed when Cwmamman had a player sent off. It seemed to affect us more than them and we struggled to string two passes together after that. The goal on 66 minutes surprisingly came from open play, Kieran Parsons was unlucky, he made a great tackle to deny a goal but his defensive colleagues failed to react when the ball broke loose allowing Darren Griffiths time to recover and pick his spot. In the first half Chris Curtis made two top drawer saves turning a 25 yard pile driver from Kieran Parsons behind for a corner and then he tipped a Sean Hanbury header onto the crossbar and away for another corner. By contrast Steven Cann didn’t have a save to make. Josh Webber replaced Sacha Walters and his pace troubled the Cwmamman defence and he looked the most likely to create an equaliser but it didn’t come and we lost a game that a few weeks ago we would have won without too much trouble. Hopefully the players will reflect on this result and learn from it.

Lido side

Steve Cann – 2 Kieran Parsons – 3 Shane Williams – 4 Cai Owens – 5 Alex Gammond – 6 Josh Doyle –

7 Elliot Thomas – 8 Liam McCreesh – 9 Sean Hanbury – 10 Andre Griffiths – 11 Sacha Walters

Subs – 12 Josh Webber for Sacha Walters 74 – 14 Taylor Evans for Josh Doyle 88 – 15 Luke Evans

Liam McCreesh scored a late goal but it wasn’t enough. We conceded 2 first half goals but we weren’t able to draw level

The wind was the real winner in this game but we looked the more likely to score. The Llwydcoed keeper made 4 top class saves and we had a shot cleared off the line. Disappointingly having not had a game for weeks the reserves don’t play until Saturday week

Sean Hanbury opened the scoring on 7 minutes when he volleyed in a long diagonal cross. If it was on TV then it would be shown over and over again such was the quality of the goal. Llwydcoed equalised on 14 minutes when they were allowed to take a quick free kick while we were still getting organised. A lesson here that someone needs to stand on the ball to stop this happening. Jack Hurley restored the lead on 28 minutes when he received the ball from a throw in, he cut inside into the penalty area and hit a powerful left footed shot past the keeper. Both sides of the half time interval we missed further chances to increase the lead before on 57 minutes Jack Todd latched on to a through ball took it wide of the onrushing keeper and scored from wide out. Again numerous chances were not taken then in added on time Taylor Evans beat numerous players, pushed the ball past the keeper but before he could reach it to turn it into the net Sean Hanbury beat him to it for his second of the night.