Add Your Business
Add Your Business
Last Sunday, Haverfordwest County made the journey up to Swansea to play Penclawdd AFC Women, who were bottom of the league. Both teams went into the game looking for a win to pull them away from the bottom half of the table and make a push up the league.
Penclawdd had the kick-off and went straight onto the front foot. In the 4th minute, a shot from the edge of the box was saved by stand-in goalkeeper Bethan Chapman, but she pushed it into the path of Penclawdd’s number 10, who tapped it in to make it 1-0 to the home side. Haverfordwest responded quickly in the 6th minute, when Jasmine Bramhall-Thomas made it 1-1 with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box, fired into the top left corner and unreachable for the keeper.
The goals did not stop there. Two minutes later, Penclawdd scored again to make it 2-1. A ball from the Penclawdd midfield allowed their number 10 to get in behind, one-on-one with the keeper, and she struck it into the top right corner. Haverfordwest did not go down without a fight. In quick succession, in the 11th minute, a throw on the right-hand side caused trouble for the Penclawdd defence. Lily Owen got into the box and quickly forced the keeper down low, which resulted in a great save, but Owen got to the rebound and slotted it in to make it 2-2.
It was 10 minutes before the next goal, which came from a Penclawdd penalty given after a close-range handball. Penclawdd’s number 36 stepped up and blasted it into the top left corner to make it 3-2 to Penclawdd. Only a minute later, Haverfordwest had a big chance to bring it back after a great run from Freya Marshall forced the keeper to come out and clear. The clearance only went as far as Haverfordwest winger Jasmine Bramhall-Thomas, who hit it from 40 yards out, but the Penclawdd keeper showed impressive speed to get back and just about catch the ball, stopping what would have been a certain goal.
In the 24th minute, Haverfordwest striker Laura Davies pressed the Penclawdd back line and got a block in, which put her through on goal, but the Penclawdd keeper came out and made a brave diving save to stop the chance. Another big moment followed soon after, this time at the other end of the pitch, as Mollie Flanagan used her strength on the edge of the box to stop the Penclawdd striker going through at a vital moment.
In the 28th minute, Haverfordwest scored again from long range, this time with a strike from Lily Owen on the edge of the right hand side of the box. She put it home with some power, securing her brace. Penclawdd looked to retake the lead and nearly did in the 40th minute, when their winger got into space on the left wing. However, after a burst of speed from Haverfordwest full-back Macy Barcoe, she caught up, pulled off the tackle and passed up the line to the Haverfordwest winger.
On the brink of half-time, Haverfordwest’s Lily Owen completed her hat-trick from a penalty, which was won after Laura Davies got through one-on-one and was taken out by the keeper. Owen placed it in the bottom left corner and gave Haverfordwest the lead for the first time in the game, going into half-time.
The first half ended as a seven-goal thriller, with both teams playing very attacking football and neither willing to go out without a fight.
In the 56th minute, Erin Frost, who was captain for the day, picked the ball up in midfield, made a run and went past the defence. Her first shot was saved, but she put the rebound away to make it 5-3. Minutes later, Penclawdd brought it back to a one-goal game. The ball rolled awkwardly to Haverfordwest’s keeper and, as she tried to clear it, Penclawdd’s number 36 got there first and tapped it in.
In the 71st minute, Penclawdd’s winger was found on the edge of the box by a short lobbed pass. She dribbled into the box before putting it narrowly wide. Penclawdd threw everything at County in the closing stages to get an equaliser, but Haverfordwest held on and closed out the game.
The full-time score was 5-4, and the clash showed two teams who fought with everything to try to get the win, with Haverfordwest coming out on top. Haverfordwest County play next on Sunday 1st November in a home game against Trefelin BGC.
Photo Gallery (click to view in full)
