A second-half collapse condemned Haverfordwest County AFC to a heavy 3-0 home defeat against Cambrian United on Friday night. The result leaves Tony Pennock's side still without a victory this season, a familiar early struggle they will be desperate to end on their upcoming long trip north.
Manager Pennock made three changes from the previous week's loss, reinstating captain Dylan Rees to the defence and handing Jack Walker his first competitive start. Lewis Rees also started up front despite a recent knock. The Bluebirds began brightly at the Bridge Meadow, creating the better chances in the first half. Ben Ah-Mun was twice denied from close range, first dragging a shot wide and later seeing a clever chip land on the roof of the net, while Rhys Abbruzzese also fired over.
Cambrian United grew into the game and struck the post just before the interval. The visitors then took control after the restart. Jay Woodford broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half, rising to head home from a corner. Pennock responded with a quadruple substitution, bringing on Ben Phillips, Owain Jones, Will Hughes and Hari Thomas in search of an equaliser.
Instead, Cambrian United sealed the points. Substitute Danny Hillman made it 2-0 with just under 20 minutes left, finishing a through ball, and Jac Joseph added a third in the final minute of added time with a curling effort from the edge of the box. Goalkeeper Ifan Knott did make one excellent save to deny Liam Eason from distance, but the hosts created little in response after the break.
"We were in the game for long periods but the second-half performance wasn't good enough," Pennock told reporters after the match. The 554 fans in attendance saw a performance that mirrored some of the team's difficulties from the start of the last campaign, where finding consistency proved challenging.
The defeat leaves Haverfordwest County looking for a response next Friday when they face their longest away journey of the season to play Llandudno. With several new faces in the squad, including defender Walker who made his debut in this loss, Pennock will be assessing his options ahead of the trip, with the latest squad information available on our squad list.
