Caernarfon Town 1 Haverfordwest County 1

JD Cymru Premier Championship Conference

CAERNARFON Town welcomed Haverfordwest County to the Carling Oval on Saturday hoping to close the seven point gap between the teams.

Both teams were in good form and it was no surprise that the match was a tight affair, with plenty of good football on display but scarce goalmouth action.

The Canaries, who host champions The New Saints at the Carling Oval on Tuesday evening, extended their unbeaten league run to four matches on the back of this workmanlike performance with momentum building as they continue to head in the right direction.

The Bluebirds in second place six points adrift of leaders TNS also extended their unbeaten run, to seven games on their part, and were worthy of a point against a Cofis side that had won their last three matches in the JD Cymru Premier by an aggregate scoreline of 8-1.

The game was a real battle on a bitterly cold afternoon at the Carling Oval, with clear-cut opportunities few and far between in a physical contest that saw both sides give everything.

The visitors went ahead in the ninth minute when Town’s defence failed to deal with a run by Iori Humphreys who slid the ball to Ben Fawcett and his powerful low shot was too good for Ben Hughes in goal.

To be fair, the opener was a little against the run of play and it meant that County could tuck into a solid shape that proved, for the most part, to be effective.

However, Caernarfon’s top scorer, Louis Lloyd, had other ideas and when Josh Lock put him through in the 25th minute there was little doubting the striker, as he raced clear and dinked the ball over the advancing Zac Jones and into his net.

An exquisite finish from Lloyd, who also tops the Cymru Premier League’s goalscoring charts.

Fawcett went close to restoring the visitors’ lead just before the break but this time Hughes denied him with an excellent save, and it needed Gruff John to complete the job, as he cleared the ball with Ben Ahmun looking to reach the ball.

Lloyd will be disappointed not to have put Town ahead on the hour mark when Jake Canavan found him with a pinpoint delivery into the box, but the ball bounced awkwardly as Lloyd reached it and he could only lift the ball over the target.

Lock went down in the area four minutes later but referee Alex Livesey waved play on, and County gladly cleared their lines.

Town keeper Hughes pulled off a super stop on 70 minutes after Luke Tabone got on the end of a Lee Jenkins header and volleyed goalwards, but Town’s number one got his left hand to the ball to tip it away from the target.

The final near miss of the afternoon belonged to Lock, whose 25-yard effort whistled just wide of the upright.

Tyn Lon Volvo Man of the Match: Josh Lock.

Caernarfon team: Ben Hughes, Morgan Owen, Gruff John, Ryan Sears, Blaine Hudson, Danny Gosset, Jake Canavan, Josh Lock, Louis Lloyd, Adam Davies, Sam Downey. Subs (used): Darren Thomas. Not used: Matty Hill, Joe Faux, Phil Mooney, Caron Williams, Osian Ellis, Hari Thomas,