Division One Hakin United 1 Narberth 1
Narberth not only raised their game in this match, but had the better of proceedings, but with David Gillard unavailable, the visitors lacked finishing power. After 19 minutes, the Bluebirds took the lead when Grant James was brought down in the box to enable Raff Barnett to score from the penalty spot. Narberth continued to attack and to create chances, but were guilty of missing the target on at least three occasions. For a short period during the second half, the Vikings put the Bluebirds under pressure without creating that many chances. However, the scores were level after 65 minutes when Narberth failed to clear the ball firstly to concede a corner and then failed to clear the ball again from the corner. Scott Davies picked up the loose ball and somehow scored through a crowded area, which appeared to leave goalkeeper James Morgan unsighted. Morgan showed his capabilities with a brilliant save to prevent Gary Dawes from scoring a goal, but the Narberth goal area was in danger when Kristan Bennett burst out of defence with a superb solo effort, but his shot hit the posts. It was a strong all-round performance by the Bluebirds, who proved to be the better team in terms of performance, but were unable to get the winner, with the Vikings maintaining their reputation of being a hard side to beat. For Narberth, there were good performances by Richard Henton, who was superb at the back, and Marc Hughes, who snuffed out the threat often imposed by Gary Dawes.
Pennar Robins 0 Carew 4
Carew travelled to fellow strugglers Pennar on Saturday in a game in which nothing less than a win would do. In the end, Carew came out worthy winners, with Carl Wainwright the hero, getting all four goals. The first 10 minutes saw both sides competing well, desperate not to give away an early goal. The first real chance fell to Pennar, when a hopeful shot from the edge of the box bounced awkwardly in front of Kerrison and somehow the ball ricocheted off him and just over the bar. Carew started to get on top. The experience of Wayne Cannon, who partnered Wainwright up front, was beginning to show as he held the ball up well and started testing the 'keeper from long distance. Carew had a couple of golden opportunities to take the lead through Wainwright, which he failed to convert The breakthrough came on 20 minutes when Wainwright again found himself in front of goal with only the 'keeper to beat and this time he made no mistake, driving the ball home from 10 yards. This goal calmed the nerves of Carew and soon they were taking control in all departments. The Pennar defence looked shaky and Richard Bullock was finding himself in plenty of room on the left of midfield and was starting to thread some tricky balls though to the front men. The next goal soon followed after Cannon did well down the left-hand side, beating the offside trap and crossing for Wainwright to score his second from close range. Given the position both sides are in, whoever took the lead was going to have a massive psychological advantage, and this certainly showed as Carew's tails were up and Pennar's heads started to drop. Just before half-time, that man Wainwright picked up his third goal. Pennar came out second half looking a different side. The Carew defence was kept very busy for the first 10 minutes, with Daryl John and Martin Scourfield making some vital interceptions and tackles to keep Pennar out. However, after 70 minutes, it was game over when Carew moved the ball well in midfield and found Bullock on the left, who in turn slotted it through for Wainwight. From a tight angle, 12 yards out, he drove a sweetly struck shot past the 'keeper and into the far corner to make it four. The result was a fair reflection on the game and Carew were delighted to pick up all three points to move slowly but surely away from the bottom of the table. It was a game where Carew finally took their chances; it makes such a difference when chances are converted into goals.
Tenby 2 Neyland 1
Tenby gave a much stronger performance in this match and had good shape in defence. For the first 20 minutes, the Tenby players had most of the possession and Ben Brooks went close to scoring on two occasions. The constant pressure paid off and after seven minutes Mike Beynon scored a route one goal. Goalkeeper Christian Phillips had a big kick out. It was headed on with a one-touch header by Ben Brooks, the ball bounced and Mike Beynon gave the 'keeper no chance with his first time effort. Tenby continued to press forward, with Mark James, Mike Lindsey and Bobby Briers each coming close to scoring and, when play switched to the other end, Christian Phillips was on the top of his game in goal. The Tenby players maintained their fitness in the second half, which was a repeat of the first, in that for the first 20 minutes Tenby mounted attack after attack. However, Neyland strove to get back in the game and equalised after 60 minutes through Adam La Rosa after a goalmouth scramble. Second half substitute Ashley Prior and Mark James each had near misses and Prior enjoyed the chance to play his last match for the club before emigrating to Spain. The winner was a long time in coming and was a last ditch effort by Anthony Griffiths. Mike Lindsey took a free-kick from 25 yards, it hit the underside of the bar and Griffiths was on hand to head the ball home. Manager Steve Briers was delighted with the performance of the team and thought that it could be the turning point in Tenby's league campaign this season.
Reserve Division One
Carew 3 Milford Athletic 1
Carew pulled off a win at the end, but Milford Athletic put up a terrific fight to thwart many of the Carew attacking movements. The Rooks took the lead with a cracking goal by Phil Jones, who did not give the Athletic 'keeper a chance when he finished off a move from the left with a terrific left-footed volley. A near-post goal by Ceri Bradley increased the lead for Carew before the interval. At the start of the second half, Athletic fought back to reduce the deficit, but Carew gradually began to take control. With 10 minutes of the match remaining, Ceri Bradley scored with a screamer from 20 yards after being put into a scoring position following an intelligent pass by teenager Ben Cole. Ceri Bradley would have been nominated as the Carew man of the match for the quality of his finishing in this match.
Kilgetty 0 Monkton Swifts 7
Anyone glancing at the scoreline would have thought that Monkton dominated this game from start to finish, but five of the goals came in the last 10 minutes. Throughout the first half, Kilgetty more than held their own and Swifts were only able to score once in the first half. Again in the second half, Kilgetty were in the game until Monkton increased the lead after 25 minutes. Kilgetty heads dropped in the final stages of the match, the floodgates opened and Swifts kept hitting the back of the net. Leroy Thomas and Mark Parsons each scored twice for the visitors, backed up by goals from Liam Stapleton, Robin Stanley and an own goal. For Kilgetty, Allan Williams showed his experience on the left side of midfield and Tom James had a good game as a sweeper.
Narberth 1 Milford United 3
Narberth were in this game in the first half, although they fielded an under-strength team. Only one goal was scored in the first half when Leigh Broome gave the visitors the lead. In the second half, Milford United took advantage of some defensive problems with two excellent goals by Jason Warlow and Nicky Kerrison from counter- attacks. By this stage, the visitors were well and truly in the driving seat, but Harry Allen did get a late goal for the Bluebirds with a diving header from a free-kick taken by Wayne Scourfield. In fairness to the Bluebirds, they did mount a number of attacks in the second half, but the United 'keeper was up to the task of preventing shots by Nicky Phillips and Harry Allen from finding the back of the net. For the Bluebirds, Harry Allen played well in midfield, Steve Williamson caused some problems for the Milford United defence up front, while Anthony Evans, together with Wayne Scourfield, provided a solid unit at the back.
Reserve Division Two
Letterston v Pendine Match Postponed
Manorbier United 0 Tenby 4
Tenby's James Robinson scored the first of his four goals after just three minutes and it was clear from the outset that the Tenby team had raised their game from the previous week. Robinson showed his sharp-shooting qualities by completing a hat-trick before the interval. Although Manorbier had quite a lot of possession, the home team failed to take their chances. Nevertheless, the visitors were held to just one goal in the second half, inevitably scored by James Robinson. For Tenby, it was a good all-round team performance, with Sonny Phillips in sparkling form up front and James Robinston did well to take his chances to score four goals. For Manorbier, midfielders James Williams and Ceri Worcester were the pick of the players on the day.
Pembroke Boro 2 Lawrenny 2
Lawrenny had the bulk of possession in the first half, but found it hard to break down the Boro defence to create chances. At the start of the second half, the visitors scored a quick goal. A cross by Mike Howe from a free-kick into the near post enabled Lawrenny to pressurise the Boro defence and an own goal was conceded. Within five minutes, Lawrenny were two goals up. Alun Evans in defence won a tackle and took the ball up field, before passing to Paul Brooks, who shot over the head of the Boro 'keeper. Lawrenny should have put the game to bed by this stage, but Boro had other ideas. A penalty scored by Robert George gave Boro the starting point to move people up field. The equaliser came through Chris Styles, who picked up a through ball over the top. For Lawrenny, Alun Evans was outstanding as centre half and Ed Merriman played well on the right side of midfield.
Saundersfoot Sports 1 Solva 0
A goal by 16-year-old James Nicholas on his Saundersfoot debut was enough to pick up three points for Sports against Solva. The goal came after half-an-hour and the Saundersfoot team deserved to take the lead following their all-round commitment. Although no more goals were scored in the match, Sports defended well and worked hard to retain their one goal advantage. For Saundersfoot, Luke Wallace was tireless up front and Danny Harries pulled off some good saves in goal to keep a clean sheet. St. Clears 2 Clarbeston Road 4
St Clears started well and took the lead when Simon Bancroft scored a well-taken goal after some good work down the right by Steve Aston The visitors fought to get back into the game and Stephen Morris equalised from a deflection. At the start of the second half, Simon Bancroft repaid the compliment to Steve Aston. After beating the offside trap, Bancroft crossed to Aston, who tapped the ball in from short range. The Saints had a bit of a purple patch, with Steve Aston coming close to extending the lead, but his shot hit the posts. The visitors showed their fighting qualities by coming back to equalise through Mark Petrie. For the remainder of the match, Clarbie were in control and when Stephen Morris picked up his second goal, the Saints' heads dropped. The scoring was completed for the afternoon when Mark Petrie scored the final goal of the match. For the Saints, James Carnell played well in midfield, as did Dafydd Page at the back.
Second Division Cup - first round
Haverfordwest County 2 Kilgetty 1
Kilgetty started strongly despite travelling to Haverfordwest with a makeshift team. Nevertheless, the visitors battled well throughout the match. Haverfordwest County won a number of corners after a period of pressure, but Kilgetty were kept in the game by the agility of goalkeeper Dai Lewis. When the visitors started to settle, Anthony Bevan set up an opportunity for the teenager Jack Bevan to test the County 'keeper. Unfortunately for the visitors, the 'keeper just got his hand to the ball after the shot by Bevan who was prevented from scoring. Play moved to the other end for Dai Lewis to pull off another excellent save. Kilgetty came back and Sam Coleman hit the bar from a free-kick and also came close with another shot shortly afterwards. Kilgetty could count themselves a little unlucky to go into the interval a goal down when Danny Potter scored for the visitors. A long ball was deflected accidentally by Nick Cope and Potter was on hand to pick up the loose ball to score. Both teams continued to work hard in the second half as play moved back and fore. County were striving to score the goal which would put the visitors further behind and Kilgetty were looking for the equaliser. It came from the penalty spot after Anthony Bevan was taken down in the box and Sam Coleman scored despite the efforts of the County 'keeper to save the goal. With 12 minutes of the match left, Steve Allen clinched the game for County when he picked up the ball from a free-kick at the far post and volleyed the ball home. For the closing stages, Kilgetty pushed Nick Cope up front and played three at the back and the move almost came off, but Kilgetty were unable to score and are out of the cup for this season. For the visitors, the back four formed a solid unit and both Anthony Bevan and Mike Scale had good games in midfield.
Pendine 3 Saundersfoot Sports 4
After a bleak few weeks for Pendine without a home game because of waterlogged pitches, the Seagulls enjoyed the opportunity to strut their stuff on the old ground of Pendine. The Pendine players enjoyed the extra space and competed well in a hard fought game, despite losing the influential Robert De Schoolmeester following injury after 10 minutes. Both defences were tight-knit and no goals were scored in the first half. In the second half, Luke Ormond put the Seagulls ahead, before Sports struck back with a goal by Tom Davies. The visitors then got on top. Ben Grey increased the lead when he tapped the ball in from close range and Rob Beynon increased the lead with a chip from 20 yards. Just as Saundersfoot appeared to be coasting through to the second round, their prospects received a setback when Lee Waters firstly equalised with a few minutes left and then levelled the scores. In extra-time neither team conceded an inch, but a last minute penalty scored by Duane Rositer after Ben Gray was brought down in the box brought jubilation to the Saundersfoot players and despair for the Pendine players. For Pendine, everyone battled hard and Luke Ormond had a good all-round game in midfield. For the visitors, Rob Beynon, who came on as a second half substitute, was outstanding and injected some life into the Saundersfoot attacks.
Solva 7 St. Clears 1
The St. Clears team travelled to Solva, but the wheels came off at the end of the journey as two goalkeeping errors by Howard Pickersgill allowed Solva to take the lead with a double strike by Nathan Davies. Shortly before the interval, Ollie Thomas picked up a cross on the left for St. Clears and reduced the deficit by beating the Solva 'keeper. In the early stages of the second half, the Saints were on top, but a breakaway goal by Chris Couzens increased the lead for the home team. St. Clears started to press forward and played with just three men at the back, but the goals came thick and fast, with Richard Garrett and Ben Jones increasing the lead, before Nathan Davies concluded the scoring for the afternoon by completing his hat-trick. It was a disappointing performance by St. Clears, despite the efforts of Gareth Griffiths on the right side of midfield who gave 100 per cent until the final whistle.
Third Division Cup - first round
Lawrenny 0 Angle 1
Lawrenny had the better of the opening exchanges and continued to play well during the first half. Had their finishing been better, no doubt Lawrenny would have booked a place in the second round. However, Steve Lewis hit the bar in the first 10 minutes, Kim Harland missed out on two scoring opportunities, as did James Buckle on another. Lawrenny ran out of steam in the second half and were unable to repeat their first half performance. Angle were the fitter of the two teams and scored the winning goal with two minutes of the match remaining. Lawrenny paid the penalty for a loss of concentration and Luke Richards clinched the game for the visitors with a goal into the top corner. It was a disappointing result for Lawrenny who should have made more of the chances that they created before the interval.
St. Davids City 1 Manorbier United 2
Manorbier were delighted to overcome a tricky away tie at St. Davids on a bitterly cold afternoon. City started stronger and created several chances in the first 20 minutes. However, Manorbier took the lead when player manager Phil Christopher latched on to a through ball to complete a neat finish. Ten minutes later, Phil Christopher scored his fifth goal in two trips to the Saints this season, when he profited from rather comical defending. An attempted back pass bypassed the Saints' 'keeper and Christopher was on hand to tap the ball home. In the second half, Manorbier played down the slope and created several chances without being able to convert any of them. Following an incident midway through the second half, both teams were reduced to 10 men. A brilliant free-kick by Gareth Thomas from outside the box reduced the deficit for City, but Manorbier held on to the slender lead to progress through to the next round. For Manorbier, Josh Hawkes and James Nicholas played well in defence and Australia bound Ben Hall was inspirational in midfield.