If Haverfordwest County’s new chairman Rob Edwards cut a slightly nervous figure in his debut Sgorio interview during half-time of his club’s first televised home game of the season on Saturday, there is little sign of any anxiety from the players on the field amidst their new surroundings in the Cymru Premier.
It’s not meant as a slight towards the Pembrokeshire club to suggest they may have been many people’s favourites to go down this season. Cymru South runners-up last season, County are benefactors of Swansea University FC’s inability to meet the FAW Tier 1 Licence criteria. The last time they were promoted to the top flight, five years ago, was also as runners-up and their only season in the then Welsh Premier League saw them finish bottom having lost 21 of their 32 fixtures.
There hasn’t been a major overhaul of the playing squad at Bridge Meadow, manager Wayne Jones opting mainly for younger players with potential to supplement his promotion-winning side. Big changes off the field though have seen County embrace promotion positively and although the club has always been well-run, the atmosphere around the club looks more modern, more progressive, more engaging.
Ultimately, it’s what they do on the field that counts and two points from their opening two fixtures represents a respectable start. A clean sheet at Cardiff Met in midweek was followed up with a hard-earned point in a full-throttle televised game with Newtown on Saturday evening.
Danny Williams’ ‘brace’ (the second may be one for the ‘dubious goals panel’ to adjudicate) salvaged a point County deserved, particularly on the back of the second-half performance when they created numerous attacking opportunities. There may be disappointment in the two goals they conceded, but those momentary lapses of concentration are part of the learning curve, things you will get punished for more often than the Cymru South so need to reduce. The overall competitiveness, though, against an experienced – if off colour – Newtown should be encouraging, as well as twice coming back from a losing position.
Converting these performances into wins will be essential and it could take time to do that more consistently, but the early evidence suggests Haverfordwest are here to have a go.
Conversely, it’s been a troubling start for Newtown. On paper, Chris Hughes may have expected more than one point from their opening three fixtures against both promoted sides and a Caernarfon team that have lost some key players. But soft goals and an inability to hold on to a lead has cost them heavily already. They do have the look of a side that is still gelling but you would expect a side with their experience will eventually sort things out and when the likes of Jamie Breese, Jordan Evans and James Davies begin to click together in attack they should start putting wins on the board.
Two weekends in and TNS are already top of the league. Another goal from Adrian Cieslewicz helped Saints to a 2-0 home win over Cardiff Met on Sunday. Europa League counterparts Bala Town and Connah’s Quay Nomads also picked up wins on Sunday.
Kris Owens’ crisp left foot finish gave champions Nomads a 1-0 home win against Penybont, ending a mental week on Deeside of COVID crisis, European heartbreak and PR faux pas. Nathan Peate was the matchwinner for Bala Town, bundling home a late winner against former club Cefn Druids. Naim Arsan had earlier cancelled out Will Evans’ first goal for the Lakesiders.
Barry Town and Aberystwyth Town got their first wins of the season. Aber came from behind to beat Flint Town on Friday night, with the help of another booming left foot strike from Jonathan Evans. Kayne McLaggon bagged a well-taken brace as Barry ended Caernarfon’s unbeaten start to the season at Jenner Park.
Jordan Forster 