Tom Yeoman Cup:
The Pembrokeshire County Schools’ Football squad played their latest round of the Tom Yeoman Festival against Afan Nedd Schools at the Conygar Bridge Meadow and came away just shading the verdict over the four games
Pembrokeshire A 0 Afan Nedd A 0
Pembs started off brightly and showed some good passing football between Joel Mills, Charlie Gregory and Osian Hill. Finley Davies, once again covered a lot of ground and some quick inter- passing saw Pembs have several goal scoring opportunities. The Afan Nedd keeper played very well and denied Hill and William Wilson from putting Pembs ahead. Rio Proctor and Tom Blockwell defended well and Charlie Phillips showed maturity beyond his years. David Varney looked sharp in goal and his quick distribution was a good feature of the game. Both sides contributed to an exciting match, but Pembs should have really won the game with the number of chances they created.
Pembs A 0 Afan Nedd B 3
Pembs scored first when Blockwell made a great run along the right flank, finishing with a strong cross shot. However, Pembs allowed Afan Nedd back in the game shortly afterwards. As the pitch got heavier the smaller Pembs boys found the going harder than their Afan Nedd counterparts and their tired legs showed. This was not a good second half performance and Afan Nedd took advantage of this scoring twice more before the end of play. Hill and Mills made chances, but could not get any power behind their shots.
Pembs B 2 Afan Nedd B 0
This match took a while to settle into a pattern, but defenders Ioan Roberts and Gethin Greenhalgh gave Pembrokeshire a solid base to build from. It was an open game with Pembrokeshire pushing forward, in particular down the left, with Ryan Hughes stretching the Afan Nedd defence, but looking vulnerable against the counter attacks. It was an attack down the left that led to the opening goal of the game, but this time Roberts overlapping from the back and crossing; the ball falling to Kieran King to finish confidently.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Jack Baker and King pressing the Afan Nedd defence and Osian Smith now holding the centre of midfield. The wide midfielders worked tirelessly with Sam Houston, Harvey Jones and Finn Robertson rotating with Hughes in the wide positions and providing extra energy. Afan Nedd continued to look dangerous on the break, and it took some desperate defending and cover tackles from Roberts and Greenhalgh with support from all of the midfielders and final cover from Rowan Fair, who showed a safe pair of hands throughout, to keep Afan Nedd at bay. The game was finally settled when Sam Houston powered one home from eight yards out.
Pembs B 4 Afan Nedd A 0
The second match saw Pembrokeshire taking control and dominating from the start. Houston picked up where he left off in the first match, powering down the right, and King was tenacious in midfield. The breakthrough came midway through the first half, but not from a Pembrokeshire player as Hughes firing a corner into the danger area and an Afan Nedd defender deflecting it into his own net. King and Baker continued to press the defence and eventually they got their reward forcing the error and linking well before Baker finished with confidence. The second half followed a similar pattern with the defenders and Smith covering each other well to keep Afan Nedd limited to half chances.
Sticky conditions made passing difficult, with players also losing their footing. The first goal of the second half, making the win safe, came from Jones, latching on to a knockdown from a long free kick from Houston, and finishing coolly inside the far post. The fourth came with the final play of the game, King topping off a great personal performance and getting his second of the afternoon from a goalmouth scramble.
It was a well-deserved brace of wins and although they rode their luck at times everyone worked hard for each other, keeping two clean-sheets, and they grew in confidence, none more than Osian Smith who dominated the middle of the pitch throughout as part of a great team performance.
Pembrokeshire A Squad:
David Varney, Osian Hill (Eglwysrwrw); Finley Davies (Glan Cleddau); Charlie Phillips (Narberth); Charlie Gregory (St Teilo’s); Joel Mills (Hakin); Rio Proctor (Stepaside); Tom Blockwell (St Francis); William Wilson (Roch).
Pembrokeshire B Squad:
Rowan Fair,,Osian Smith (Spittal); Sam Houston (Hakin); Jack Baker (St Mark’s); Ryan Hughes (Cleddau Reach); Kieran King (Ger y Llan); Gethin Greenhalgh (Maenclochog); Harvey Jones (Narberth); Ioan Roberts (Glan Cleddau); Finn Robertson (Mary Immaculate).
Pembrokeshire Schools FA would like to thank:
James Greenhalgh for stepping in to run the B squad for the rest of the season
Haverfordwest County FC for the use of their facilities.
Tenby AFC for the use of their goals
Referees Tudor Walters and Helmut Rheinardt