On Saturday (October 10) Manorbier United entertained Neyland Reserves on a lovely autumnal crisp afternoon. It seemed ironic, that on a day when the match sponsor was Jago, the fashion house in Tenby and Narberth, the home side were launching their sleek new strip for the forthcoming season. Manorbier’s kit has kindly been sponsored by Amber Maytum at Manorbier Castle Inn.

The home side started brightly, taking the game to their opponents. Billy, playing inside left always had the luxury of cutting in on his right foot, where he blazed a shot over the crossbar in the first ten minutes.

The home side continued to play their possession based football high up the pitch, where Jack strolled forwards hitting the post and Billy striking the rebound just wide.

With Manorbier’s early season form suggesting they maybe one of the league’s pacesetters, they cranked up the pressure with shots from Griff and Charlie. Eventually the breakthrough came, with great work down the left channel from Jack, who centred for Billy to open the scoreboard.

Five minutes before the break, the referee awarded a penalty for handball to Manorbier, where captain Alfie, coolly converted.

Neyland came back wanting to get back into the game, entering the opponents box, where they were then awarded a penalty for handball. The composure of their young number 10, Hugo was brilliant as he pulled a goal back.

At the interval, Manorbier led 2-1, but with the feeling that with their experienced frontline, they should be further ahead.

Neyland came back into the game well after the break, with the large majority of the first fifteen minutes played in the middle third. Manorbier’s keeper, Neil, purring like a Cheshire Cat before the game for his call up, showed wonderful distribution skills, always looking to get the full backs, Shaun and Dan, on the ascendancy at the earliest of attacks.

There were some fantastic battles between Sam Attwell and Hugo for Manorbier and Neyland respectively in the battle of the their ‘Didier Deschamps’ roles. The young Hugo, really stepping up to the more mature Sam, shall we say.

Manorbier ventured into the ‘Pirates’ eighteen yard box, where a Neyland player brought down their opponent. Alfie, again stood tall, taking ownership and put the penalty away.

The Seasiders Griff was highlighting great skills up front, linking up with young Sam Hughes to shoot just over.

Eventually the difference in the home side’s forward line experience came to fruition where Griff assisted Jordan to score, and then Jordan got his brace after a wicked corner from Jack.

Young Sam Joseph entered the arena, one of the four Sam’s on the books, where he showed some silky dribbling down the right wing. Paul Maytum also came on as substitute, defying his age, a real credit to himself and the village.

Manorbier’s Griff really deserved to get on the scoresheet, doing so in fine fashion by beating the keeper with a 20 yard strike!!

In the dying moments of injury time, Jordan played a beautiful through ball through the lines, as befits his wonderful vision, to Billy, who then rounded the ‘Pirates’ keeper to make the final score 7-1 to the home side.

Manorbier fielded: Neil Lane, Shaun Lewis, Dan Power, Alfie Brown, Charlie O’Sullivan, Sam Attwell, Jack Lewis, Billy Davis, Jordan Richards, Sam Hughes, Rhys Griffiths, Sam Joseph, Paul Maytum