Pre Season Friendly
By Robert Nisbet

This was by no means the Blues’ most overwhelming pre-season performance but a brisk spell just after half-time gave them the win they merited.
      Because of injuries to Nicky Woodrow, Richard Ryan and Luke Robinson, the West Wales Properties-sponsored Bluebirds had been pressed for a strike pairing and had settled to play Anton Owens and AJ Galdo up front. Neither could get hold of much during the first half, but this was partly because the service from midfield didn’t flow as it has done in recent games.
      The first threat to goal came in fact from Tata, in the 18th minute, when Matt Lavis’ free kick took a deflection and Craig Morris had to scramble to the foot of his post. But then a probing cross from Richard Lewis whistled across the goal, Gary Taylor tried a dip from 30 yards, and a 7-man move begun by Simon Gilderdale in his own penalty area ended with Ricky Watts coming close. 
      Jay Brockway was introduced at half-time and early on he headed over from a corner, awarded after some eagle-eyed linesmanship by Adrian Harris. The first goal came in the 55th minute when Matthew Ellis played a perfectly-weighted right wing cross behind the defence, and Brockway sent the neatest of back-heels into the path of Chris O’Sullivan, who drove in from 12 yards.
      The second goal came when the energetic Owens picked up a long ball out of defence and was brought down in the area, for referee Dean John to award a clear-cut penalty. O’Sullivan converted at the second attempt.
      The match thereafter drifted a little although we did see one fine 5-man move end with Watts shooting over, and there was time for Tata to pull a goal back in the 83rd minute when Danny Williams saw Morris a short way off his line and beat him with a 35-yard lob. The game’s final salvo saw three Blues attackers through in a three-on-one with the keeper and a miss they’ll want to forget.
      What we mustn’t forget through is the Bluebirds’ final pre-season record. Had they been playing these games in a league, they’d now have 14 points from 6 games with a favourable goal difference of 10 – a position which would put them top of most leagues.
      And of course the league action proper starts with a home game on Saturday 13th August, against Aberaman, 10th-placed last season. Kick-off is at 2.30.

County: Craig Morris; Simon Gilderdale (Phil Cattlin, 45), Dave Evans, Kristian Griffiths, Gareth Elliott, Ricky Watts (Matthew Ellis, 45), Chris O’Sullivan, Gary Taylor, Anton Owens, AJ Galdo (Jay Brockway, 45), Richard Lewis.