South Wales League Division 4 (West)

With a mid-morning start to the game, played at Pembroke Leisure Centre, Tenby must have thought they were still in bed and having nightmares as table-topping Llanybydder opened the scoring in the first minute without a Tenby stick getting any touch.

An interchange of three passes took the Llanybydder forwards into the Tenby 'D' where a miss hit shot bobbled past Annie in goal.

Stunned by what had happened, Tenby were now fully awake and pressed hard for an equaliser.

Playing their neat passing game, Tenby kept their opponents pinned in their own 23-metre area, but were unable to finish-off the fine build-up work, largely due to good goalkeeping and the sterling work of the Llanybydder sweeper Claire Webb, a rock in their defence.

It took until the 25th minute for Tenby to get on the score sheet. A penalty corner routine saw captain Mims hit a ferocious shot that rebounded off the 'keeper for Sophie to tuck away. The relief of the breakthrough was palpable as Tenby stroked the ball from one side of the pitch to the other with great confidence.

A second goal soon followed as Rosie laid the ball back from the left attack to Nia in midfield who started an interchange of passes between Mims, Barnie and Jude. Georgia took the ball around her defender, laying it back to Sophie who took on two defenders before lifting the ball over the diving keeper and into the net for her second goal.

Tenby started the second half fully awake and charged-up, continuing the fine passing game they have developed.

Cath came on in place of Rosie who had given her usual rumbustious performance despite playing out of position. She was to return to her favoured right midfield position when Jude took a knock to the upper thigh muscle.

A third goal and a hat-trick by Sophie put Tenby in a commanding position. Llanybydder were reduced to long clearances from defence by their sweeper Claire, who was unmatched in the power she generated from a dead ball strike coupled with measured accuracy.

This tactic was used to good effect to by-pass the Tenby midfield and feed the fast breaking Llanybydder forwards, leaving the defence of Lucy, Mandy and Rhianne exposed.

Annie called on all her international experience stifle any chance the forwards created, but the writing was on the wall. Tenby failed to recognise the tactic being used and with 10 minutes of the game remaining a long ball from Claire Webb was picked up by a Llanybydder forward whose touch lifted the ball into her own body and carried it forward into the Tenby 'D'.

The Tenby defence stopped, anticipating the umpire's whistle, which never came ,and the forward slotted the ball into the goal. Another lesson to be learnt, play to the whistle.

Tenby's response was to immediately put their opposition under pressure, which was fine, but the tiring midfield was not getting back to support the defence. Hence another long ball clearance, another goal and Tenby ruing the fact they had lost the opportunity to top the table.

A good performance from all the younger team members, who are growing with confidence with every match played.

Nia was voted young player-of-the-match by the opposition, with Mims voted player-of-the-match. Nia was voted Tenby player-of-the-match by her team mates.

Team: Annie Lindsell (GK), Lucy Higgon, Mandy Lewis, Rhianne Griffiths, Jude Roberts, Barnie Squires, Mims Brown (capt.), Nia Owen, Georgia Lewis, Sophie Tracy, Rosie Harden and Cath Carter.

Tenby's next game is home to Newcastle Emlyn tomorrow (Saturday) at Pembroke Leisure Centre, 10 am start.