Pembrokeshire Primary Schools Football - Tom Yeoman Shield

 
After several weeks of postponed fixtures Pembrokeshire Schools U11s finally took to the field again against their counterparts from Swansea in the Tom Yeoman Festival but found it hard going against two very strong Swansea teams.
 

Swansea A 1 Pembrokeshire A 1

Pembrokeshire found themselves under the cosh from the kick-off and defended strongly. David Varney, in goal, made some outstanding saves and last-ditch defending by Iwan Thomas and Charlie Phillips kept the Swansea forwards at bay. Finley Davies and Alex Wainwright ran and tackled well over the whole pitch and Joel Mills supplied plenty of ball to Osian Hill and Archie Hughes.

Harvey Jones showed some nice touches as the midfield players built up their passes and the Pembs' boys created their own attacking chances so that Hughes and Hill went close but half time saw the score still 0-0.

In the second half Pembs went 1-0 up after some great passing between Hughes, Mills and Hill but their lead was short lived as Swansea scored an equaliser soon afterwards. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and the Pembs' boys can be pleased with the way they battled.
 

Swansea B 2 - Pembrokeshire A 1

Pembrokeshire were almost caught out from the Swansea kick off, but debutant Iwan Thomas cleared the ball off the line. The boys learnt from this and started to keep the ball and for long periods were the better side. They created several goal scoring chances and controlled the midfield.

Hill put Pembs ahead after a great run along the right flank by Hughes, drawing out the Swansea defence, and passing neatly for Hill to calmly slot the ball home.  The boys looked comfortable on the ball and there was some good inter-passing, but they failed to capitalise on their lead. 

The Swansea side never gave up and after a lapse in concentration their forward was allowed to get a one-on-one with Varney, resulting in a well-taken goal. Pembs pressed for the winner as Phillips had a long shot and Hughes hit the side netting. 

But in the dying minutes Pembs made a slip-up in defence and Swansea went 2-1 up. In response to this Jones supplied a pinpoint pass to Wainwright, but he was tackled superbly by the last line as Swansea defended.

This was a very harsh lesson for the boys to learn after playing so well during both matches.
 

Swansea B 3 - Pembrokeshire B 0

Pembrokeshire B started solidly in their first game, matching their opposition in personal battles across the midfield with Sam Houston and Ryan Hughes probing down the flanks and Osian Smith, Kieran King and Liam Parks driving up through middle.  However, Swansea soon settled into their stride and started to dominate possession, with Pembrokeshire at times struggling to string their passes together.

And it was an interception by Swansea in midfield that led to the opening goal, with two men running through on the last Pembrokeshire defender; their centre forward finally receiving the ball in space to run through unchallenged on goal to slot it home.

A similar break from midfield a few minutes later saw the Pembrokeshire defence back pedalling again and a clever reverse pass opened up the shooting opportunity to score.

Knowing the next goal was crucial Pembrokeshire started the second half strongly, taking the game to Swansea, with the attacks starting right from the back with Josh Hutchings distributing well from his area. 

Again the midfield ran with energy and purpose, with Ollie Morris passing well and the whole midfield now linking up better and creating a number of half chances. 

The defence and midfield, although stretched, battled strongly against the Swansea attack with Lewis Morgan and Ioan Roberts making vital challenges and distributing well.

But it wasn’t to be, and as Pembrokeshire chased the goal that would have got them back into the game the gaps opened up behind so that Swansea finally took advantage, outnumbering the defence and firing in the third to seal the win.
 

Swansea A 3 - Pembrokeshire B 0

The second match started with Pembrokeshire dominating as an early snap shot from King forced the Swansea keeper to save well.  Again both Houston and Hughes were driving forwards from midfield, with Parks running on to great passes and through on to goal twice in the first half only to be denied by the Swansea keeper.  

Momentum continued with Morgan and Morris coming on with fresh legs. Meanwhile Greenhalgh and Roberts were defending resolutely and Hutchings looking strong behind, making a couple of tidy saves low down and dominating his area well. 

Unfortunately all the hard work was undone just before half time, with a fast Swansea 3-man break; Pembrokeshire had three players back but Swansea managed to draw in the defence and release their right player to fire low across the goal and inside the far post.

The second half saw Swansea press home their advantage, creating a number of chances only to be thwarted by the big frame of Hutchings, with a number of good saves and Greenhalgh making a couple of vital blocks.
A sweetly struck half-chance from Morris momentarily threatened but two almost identical goals in quick succession, with sharp shots inside the near post saw Swansea B match the score from the first game.

The Pembs boys were unlucky not to get on the score sheet and take anything from the two games, but they can be proud of their tireless effort and look to take that into their next games versus Aberystwyth next weekend.
 
Pembrokeshire A Squad:
David Varney, Osian Hill (Eglwysrwrw); Finley Davies (Glan Cleddau); Charlie Phillips (Narberth); Joel Mills (Hakin); Archie Hughes, Iwan Thomas (Tenby Juniors); Alex Wainwright (Lamphey); Harvey Jones (Narberth)
 
 Pembrokeshire B Squad:
Josh Hutchings (Hakin);  Osian Smith (Spittal); Ryan Hughes (Cleddau Reach); Kieran King (Ger y Llan); Gethin Greenhalgh (Maenclochog); Ioan Roberts (Ysgol Glan Cleddau); Liam Parks, Sam Houston (Milford Juniors);
Ollie Morris (Tenby Juniors); Lewis Morgan (Tavernspite).

County Schools hold their own against Aber

 
The Pembrokeshire County Schools’ Football squad recently played Aberystwyth Schools in the Tom Yeoman Festival at Conygar Bridge Meadow and came away all square after the ‘A’ team won both their matches and the ‘B’ team lost both theirs.
 

Pembrokeshire A 3 - Aberystwyth A 0

Pembs started off brightly on a very windy day, on the main pitch at Bridge Meadow, and showed some good passing football between Joel Mills, Jack Griffiths and Osian Hill.  The energetic Finley Davies ran tirelessly and covered a lot of ground and some quick inter- passing saw Pembs have several goal scoring opportunities. Rio Proctor and Iwan Thomas defended superbly and Josh Hutchings looked sharp in goal - and his quick distribution was a good feature of the game. Tom Blockwell scored the opening goal for Pembs after he relentlessly pursued the ball and followed up a shot by Osian Hill.  Hill scored minutes later, when he found himself left on a one on one with the keeper.  William Wilson ran well along the right flank, forcing several corners. Mills coolly scored Pembs third, slotting home a cutback pass from Blockwell, to put the game out of reach.
 

Pembrokeshire A 4  - Aberystwyth B 0

Pembs dominated the game for long periods and played some impressive football. Thomas and Proctor worked well as a unit at the back and Hutchings dead ball kicking was just what was needed in the conditions.  Griffiths set up several attacking movements and it wasn’t long before Mills put them 1-0 up. Davies got a well deserved goal for all his efforts and the tireless Hill scored Pembs third after Wilson put in a lovely cross from the right.  Blockwell netted the fourth to round off an excellent squad performance from the boys.
 

Pembrokeshire B 0 - Aberystwyth B 1

Unfortunately things didn’t go as well for Pembrokeshire B.  In the first game Pembrokeshire dominated throughout with Jack Baker and Kieran King linking well through the middle and stretching the Aberystwyth defence.  Sam Houston controlled the midfield with a dominant physical performance in a feisty scrap in the middle of the park and the defence looked solid with Ryan Hughes stepping into right back alongside Gethin Greenhalgh.  However the breakthrough came for Aberystwyth against the run of play midway through the first half as a through-ball to their forward saw him beating Rowan Fair. 

1-0 down Pembrokeshire kept their heads-up, and their form, and continued to take the game to Aberystwyth, with the best of the chances falling to Jack Baker six yards out, but he was unable to finish, putting it just wide of the post.
 
Playing with the wind in the second half Pembrokeshire continued to press forward, with King continuing to make intelligent runs linking up will with the Osian Smith, Finn Robertson and Ollie Morris working tirelessly up and down the flanks.  A number of good passing moves down the left, deft touch from Baker and Smith working well down the right created a number of half chances but each time the ball was scrambled away by the packed Aberystwyth defence. 

As Pembrokeshire pushed forward Aberystwyth managed to manufacture a number of fast breaks but Pembrokeshire’s back three held strong.  The final chance to salvage a draw fell to Houston as he drove strongly from midfield, creating a yard of space for himself firing a strong right footed shot, but the wind took it across the face of the goal with no one able to get a touch and guide it home.
 

Pembrokeshire B 0 - Aberystwyth A 3

The second game for the B team was a tough physical battle with a number of tough tackles from both sides across the pitch.  With the wind picking up Aberystwyth dominated slightly in the first half and it was now Pembrokeshire’s turn to look dangerous on the break.  But it was another fortuitous break that went for Aberystwyth in the first half, this time a goal kick from Fair held up in the wind, falling to an Aberystwyth midfield who hit it first time and with the wind now behind it, carrying it straight back over the keeper  into the empty net.  After that, with the windy conditions and Aberystwyth packing the defence and midfield it became a scrappy game with neither side able to impose themselves and put passes together. 
 
Pembrokeshire came close from Hughes curling an effort from a free kick just over the top corner and a couple of scrappy goal mouth scrambles; just one goal for Pembrokeshire would have changed the pattern of the game but it was not to be and as they pushed forward Aberystwyth were able to send a long pass up to their forward who managed to kick the ball through and out-sprint the defender to finish well. 

Physically carrying a few knocks from the physical battle Pembrokeshire dropped back and a few minutes later the same Aberystwyth forward managed to latch on to an under-hit back pass that held up in the wind to make it 3-0.
 
Overall the team played well for much of time and deserved a lot more for their efforts, but unable to score and hit by a couple of unlucky goals they were left to chase the game.  The windy conditions meant it was difficult to link up and Aberystwyth were that little bit stronger in the midfield battle to take the victory.

Pembrokeshire A Squad:
Josh Hutchings (Hakin); Osian Hill (Eglwysrwrw); Finley Davies (Glan Cleddau); Joel Mills (Hakin);  Rio Proctor (Stepaside); Tom Blockwell (St Francis); Rio Proctor (Stepaside); Iwan Thomas (Tenby Juniors);  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);  Ollie Morris (Tenby Juniors);  Finn Robertson (Mary Immaculate).
 
Pembrokeshire Schools FA would like to thank:
Haverfordwest County FC for the use of their facilities.
Tenby AFC and Hakin FC for the use of their goals
Referees Tudor Walters and Helmut Rheinardt