Inter Cable-Tel 1/9/98 * Aberystwyth Town 9/9/98 * Conwy United 12/9/98 * Connah's Quay Nomads 19/9/98 * Haverfordwest County 23/9/98 * Caernarfon Town 26/9/98

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By Tony Coates

PLAYER manager Paul Rowlands praised his side for their fighting performance that delivered three very welcome League of Wales points against a useful looking Carmarthen Town side.

"The players showed bags of character and dug in when they had to when things weren't going our way," said the Town boss.

"We were under the cosh at times, but it's the proverbial swings and roundabouts syndrome again, we'll play better and lose." And Rowlands asked for the same again for Saturday's visit to league leaders Aberystwyth Town.

Paul McAndrew is suspended, while Phil Daley is struggling with a calf injury and Neil Davies sustained an injury to his ankle against Carmarthen. The visitors penned the Canaries back in the opening minutes last Saturday, forcing three corners in the first three minutes, and keeper Mark Deegan did well to tip over a Paul Burrows effort.

Emrys Williams was lucky not to have a penalty awarded against him following a challenge on Tony Rees just inside the box on 17 minutes, but Caersws official Gwilym Lewis gave him the verdict much to the relief of home fans. A minute later, an opportunist effort from Jason Sadler gave the Cofis the lead out of the blue. Full back Nigel Nicholas failed to keep control just outside his box and Sadler promptly rifled the effort past a startled David Morgan.

The visitors levelled on 28 minutes when nobody picked up central defender and captain Cable, who rammed home a far post close range header from a Colin Loss corner. Rees broke up the right five minutes from the interval after Chris Pickering left him in acres of space, and his cross saw Burrows score with a diving header with Deegan rooted to his line.Gareth James saw a goalbound effort deflected four minutes later and Williams had to clear from the danger area when Deegan failed to hold a Loss shot from an acute angle.

Fisher had the hosts back on terms on 58 minutes when he fastened onto the loose ball following an aerial challenge just outside the box to fire past Morgan from 15 yards, and eight minutes later Williams took full advantage of the loose ball at the edge of the area after Carmarthen failed to cut out a Pickering cross from the left to edge Caernarfon into the lead.The Cofis were indebted to Deegan for tipping over a vicious Richard Adams effort on 66 minutes and from the resultant flag kick, he repeated the save from the same player, this time, pushing the sweetly struck shot onto the bar.

Williams received his marching orders ten minutes from time for a second bookable offence, and the hosts were left hanging on as Burrows volleyed over from a great position on 84 minutes, while Adams unbelievably ballooned over from close range following good work by sub Wayne Jones and Burrows, who had the last say with a 20 yard effort hat was gratefully held by Deegan.

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 23/9/98

RICHARD Gay was the hero for Haverfordwest last Wednesday night as the Bluebirds produced a spirited display to knock their nearest League of Wales rivals out of the Gilbert league Cup. Gay crowned an inspired all-action performance with a memorable winning strike midway through the second half, just as Carmarthen were looking to gain the ascendancy.

The Bluebirds were clearly in determined mood right from the start, Jan Cegielski breaking clear of the home cover as early as in the second minute after good work from Andy Jones and Gay, but having to stretch for the shot, which flew wide. Five minutes later Billy Timothy left two defenders trailing in his wake on the right before finding Gay at the far post, who saw his left foot shot well parried by Carmarthen keeper David Morgan.

The pressure had to tell and in the 10th. minute a corner from the right was cleared to Jones who played it out to Timothy and then hit the return pass first time, low, hard and true, through the crowded Carmarthen area and into the bottom right hand corner of Morgan's net. But the goal stung Carmarthen into action and it took a fine save from Neil Frederickson to deny the hard working and skillful Richard Adams.

With the home side gaining the upper hand Haverfordwest rode their luck a little as Malcolm Vaughan flashed a long range cross-cum-shot only just over Frederickson's crossbar and then drove a close range effort just wide on the half hour. The rest of the half was a stalemate, but after the interval Carmarthen really took the game to their visitors. Ten minutes in a Colin Loss cross from the left caused mayhem in the Haverfordwest box and only a tremendous block from Frederickson denied the unlucky Vaughan.

Five minutes later Carmarthen were almost two down thanks to their own keeper, as Morgan allowed his concentration to laps and was robbed on his six yard line by Timothy, but the opportunistic youngster was unable to get his foot round the ball and the fortunate custodian recovered to clear. Finally though Vaughan's sterling efforts down the left flank paid dividends for Carmarthen as he played a perfect 1-2 with Loss and fired ina hard, low drive which Frederickson could only parry - and who should be lurking in the six yard box to turn and slam the ball home but Paul 'Buzzer' Burrows, who was as delighted as the home crowd to see the ball go in against his former team mates.

Carmarthen's tails were up at that stage and they could have taken the lead just past the hour, Matthew Cable heading wide from a Loss corner.

But then Gay put his mark indelibly on the match, playing the ball in his own half to Evans wide on the left, taking the return and giving it back for Evans to lay off to Jamie Rickard, who made ground and pulled it back into the middle for Gay to finish the move he had started by burying the ball past Morgan from 18 yards. A beautifully crafted goal and no more than the talented frontman deserved for his tireless efforts. The Bluebirds were playing some nice football now with Jones and Timothy well in evidence, and could have had a couple more as Molyneux and Timothy both went close and Rickard and Cegielski constantly troubled the home defense.

Centre hald Lee Kissick, never afraid to stick his head where it hurt, worked hard as anyone to hold things together at the back alongside the obvious experienc of Mickey George and as Carmarthen pushed in vain for a late equaliser, driven on by the inspirational skipper Steve Williams, Paul Walker and Phil Evans rounding off a superb personal performance, denied the industrious Tony Rees and the ever dangerous Burrows with some fine last ditch defending to see Haverfordwest through deservedly to round two.

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A second-half horror show saw Connah's Quay Nomads crash to a 6-2 drubbing at the hands of Carmarthen Town. Nomads weren't helped by losing skipper Carl Smyth after 27 minutes through illness and then having Barry Thomas sent off in the second-half but secretary Bobby Hunter said there were no excuses from the Deesiders. "We let our standards slip and lost our discipline in the second-half. There were one or two good individual performances but we didn't play as a team and the attitude and commitment left a lot to be desired," said Hunter.

The opening exchanges gave no suggestion of what was to come and the Nomads even took an early lead when Jamie Hughes slotted home past Town keeper Dave Morgan after being set up by Stuart Rain. Two minutes later the home side were level when Tony Rees beat Smyth on the right and Paul Burrows headed home his cross from six yards. A bizarre refereeing decision then saw the Nomads fall behind with just 10 minutes gone when a Town player headed the ball out of play only for the throw-in to be given against the Nomads. The visitors lost their concentration and a quick throw gave Rees the space to set up Burrows for his second goal. After that the Nomads regrouped and looked to back in the game when first Smyth and then Hughes headed narrowly over. A Rain drive was kept out by Morgan and it seemed to be simply a matter of time before the visitors equalised. But Town were always a threat and Phil Collister saved well from Burrows before half-time.

The Town striker didn't have to wait long for his hat-trick scoring from the edge of the box on 53 minutes but it was the Thomas sending off that killed off any hopes of a comeback. The experienced defender was given his marching orders for serious foul play after a challenge on Rees and before Nev Powell's side could regroup Nigel Nicholas had made it 4-1 after being set up by Rees. Nicholas returned the favour shortly afterwards to allow Rees to score Town's fifth before Hughes netted what seemed to be a late consolation with a superb 25 yard effort. But the home side weren't finished and substitute Gareth James added his name to the scoresheet on 87 minutes and it could have been even worse had Collister not saved a Steve williams penalty with two minutes to go. After a bright start Nomads have now conceded nine goals in two games and face losing the suspended Thomas as they bid to regroup.

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 12/9/98

Carmarthen Town sponsored by RSU Windows, still smarting from their comprehensive defeat by Aberystwyth last Wednesday were faced with a long journey to the North Wales coast. But this league of Wales match proved to be worthwhile exercise as they returned south with a 2-1 win under their belts.

Town had to contend with a gale force wind blowing in from the Irish Sea in the first half but kept control of matters by keeping the ball on the ground with some incisive passing movements. The home side however took advantage of the strong wind in their favour by testing the Town defence which had been reorganised by manager John Mahoney for this game.

In the absence of Steve Williams, Stephen Evans had taken up the sweeping role behind central defenders Rhodri Thomas and Mattew Cable and Malcolm Vaughn and Richard Evans had been reinstated to midfield. It was the home side who took the lead in the 16th. minute when Robbie Williams, by far Conwy's best player struck a fine 25 yard shot which sailed beyond the diving David Morgan into the top corner of the net. Town however kept their composure and despite the excellent Williams, Conwy were ragged in front of goal and Morgan was rarely troubled.

The second half saw Town take the ascendancy and Paul Burrows shot wide when well placed. The same player made amends in the 56th. minute when following a Colin Loss excellent cross to the far post David Barnhouse was on hand to head across the goal and Burrows applied the finishing touch. The visitors now had their tails up but nevertheless were fortunate not to goal one goal down when Conwy's Williams burst through a startled defence. The on rushing Morgan came to the rescue when he blocked the goal bound shot.

To the delight of the once again a good following of Town supporters, Tony Rees after a long run delivered a fine ball into the box, and Adams showing cool beyond his years side footed beyond the keeper in the 88th. minute. Town returned home with a win but despite good performances by Adams and Vaughan in midfield manager John mahoney will still have some work to do to meet the demands of a long League of Wales season.

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Carmarthen Town sponsored by RSU Windows travelled to the Cardiff Athletic Stadium for their second League of Wales match of the season on Tuesday. The first 15 minutes of the match suggested that 'Town' had not recovered from the hangover of their indifferent display at Cwmbran the previous Saturday and it was not surprising that the home side took an early lead.

'Town ' had been forced to make a change from the previous Saturday due to a slight injury to Rhodri Thomas and Dean Rossiter was slotted into the right-back position to enable David Barnhouse to replace Steve Williams in the sweeping role, whilst Williams reverted to the left side of mid-field role.

Inter Cable-Tel anxious to justify their pre-season billing of being one of the sides destined for major honours this season pressurised the visitors and made the early breakthrough in the seventh minute when following a corner by much travelled and ex-Swansea City striker Steve Mardenborough, Inter Cable-tel's captain Sean Warton found himself completely unmarked at the edge of the six yard box and he headed powerfully beyond keeper David Morgan.

'Town' then suffered a further setback when Rossiter received a leg injury enforcing manager John Mahoney to reshuffle his lineup to enable substitute Malcolm Vaughan to fill the mid field position. 'Town' at last settled down and could well have equalised when Gareth James outpaced the Inter Cable-Tel defence but Roy Sinclair the former Chester City goalkeeper blocked James' shot at the last moment.

'Town' had now recovered from their early jitters and keeper Morgan was now being rarely troubled despite the pacy thrusts of Mardenborough down the flanks, and it was no surprise when 'Town' snatched the equaliser in the sixtieth minute. Wyn Thomas delivered into the six yard box after a fine through ball by Barnhouse for James to hammer the ball past Sinclair.

The visitors were in a comfortable control of the game and after a period of sustained pressure 'man of the match' James won a corner and Steve Williams gave Carmarthen the lead when his powerful corner kick flew directly into the net over the bemused Sinclair in the 83rd. minute.

An injury to Wharton when he was concussed and admitted to hospital prolonged the final minutes of the game but the final whistle came much to the delight of the larhe contingent of Carmarthen supporters present at the stadium.

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