Haverfordwest County 1 Cardiff Met University 0

HAVERFORDWEST County made a winning return to action as they revived their top six aspirations in the Cymru Premier with a battling 1-0 win over Cardiff Metropolitan University at Bridge Meadow.

Danny Williams scored the only goal from the penalty spot four minutes before the interval, after he had been brought down in the area - and the Bluebirds held firm for a welcome three points.

The Cardiff loanee was a constant threat in a first half that had seen Wayne Jones’ team take charge with some promising attacks, with livewire Ben Fawcett also proving a real handful for the visitors.

Williams launched a counter-attack down the right, and his deep cross was headed over the bar by Elliot Scotcher, who also then saw his header from a Cameron Keetch cross go wide of the target.

Scotcher was again involved as his free-kick fell to Alaric Jones, whose left-foot volley was smartly saved by keeper Will Fuller - and from the resulting corner, Fuller claimed Scott Tancock’s header.

The chances continued as Williams, who was lively throughout, slotted the ball underneath Fuller, after running through one-on-one with the visiting keeper - but the flag was raised for offside.

Williams also played a ball through to Ben Fawcett, who struck from a difficult angle, but was again denied by Fuller, and when Kurtis Rees fed Williams down the left, his shot went over the bar.

Met's Rhydian Morgan curled a 25 yard effort that was comfortably saved, but the hosts were rewarded in the 40th minute as Williams went down in the box under pressure from Met’s Bradley Woolridge.

Referee Dean John pointed to the penalty spot, and Williams composed himself and confidently fired the spot kick into the top right-hand corner of the net, for a well-deserved interval lead.

The second half started as the first ended, as good work down the right from Daniel Summerfield led to a cross being headed away to the feet of Corey Shephard, who fired his effort over the bar.

But the visitors stepped things up, and as the Bluebirds went on the defensive, Lewis Rees saw a low cross cleared by Kurtis Rees, and Eliot Evans’ volley was saved by keeper Wojciech Gajda.

The Archers came close again when Rees headed a good chance wide, whilst Keetch did well to block a close-range effort from Oliver Hulbert, who also headed a chance over as the hosts held on.

Their sixth league win lifted the Bluebirds into a top six spot, with five games to go before the split - with a trip to Aberystwyth on Tuesday, followed by The New Saints at home on Saturday (5.15pm).

HAVERFORDWEST: W Gajda, D Summerfield, A Jones, S Tancock, R Watts (capt), C Keetch (S Pemberton 86), C Shepard, E Scotcher (T Jones 81), K Rees, D Williams, B Fawcett (M Griffiths 74). Subs: M Turner, N Palmer.

CARDIFF MET: W Fuller, K McCarthy (C Crosby HT), B Woolridge (capt), E Lewis, G Williams (C Baker HT), E Evans (M Chubb 78), H Owen (L Warman 66), R Morgan, T Price (O Hulbert 64), M Blake, L Rees. Subs: A Lang, C Baker, M Jones.