HOME RECORD DOWN THE PAN

RHYL 1 (Strong 16)
HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY 2 (Briers 60, Walters pen 61)
WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE - NOVEMBER 28, 2009
RHYL have lost back-to-back games in the Welsh Premier League for the first time in four seasons.
The last occasion the Lilywhites were beaten in successive league encounters was in 2005/06 when they followed up a 1-0 home reverse to Llanelli with a dismal 3-1 defeat at Welshpool Town.
Yesterday's loss to Haverfordwest - Rhyl's first home defeat of the season and their first at Belle Vue in the league since December 2008 - could so easily have been avoided if only the Lilies had killed off their opponents in a match they had under total control until the hour mark.
The previous week's setback at The New Saints was certainly a case of the better team winning on the day, but Saturday's debacle was anything but.
Even without 18-goal talisman Mark Connolly the champions should have taken the Bluebirds to the cleaners.
This is not a case of a team not capable of scoring goals. Rhyl were bagging them right, left and centre not so long ago, but perhaps without the dynamic Connolly to give them confidence things are not quite the same without him.
The raw statistics still say Rhyl are having a great season considering all the upheaval of the summer, but the high standards they set themselves from the off have slipped and the train needs putting back on the rails.
Team selection for yesterday's game was interesting with Paul Pritchard selected ahead of number one choice James Coates in goal, while Greg Stones and Chris Williams were on the bench, Phil Doran was given a start at left-back and Paul Smith returned after missing the TNS defeat through illness.
Rhyl started well and should have taken the lead on four minutes when Matthew Williams' byeline cross presented Smith with an open goal but his header lacked power and fell into the arms of keeper Lee Idzi.
The hosts did edge ahead on 16 minutes when Idzi connected weakly with a Martyn Naylor free-kick and Strong controlled on his chest before volleying home his fourth goal of the season.
A Tyrone Kirk cross led to an almighty scramble with Smith having the final shot which was blocked, while Haver's only effort of the first half saw Robbie Walters' firm drive well held by Pritchard.
Williams' 20-yarder was pushed behind by Idzi as the hosts ended the half on top and in apparent control.
The game should have been settled on 57 minutes when Hunt was in the clear and chipped a lovely ball across the six-yard box but Smith arriving at the back post somehow blasted over. The miss looked a lot worse on TV.
Williams drilled inches wide for Rhyl, but then totally out of the blue the visitors equalised on the hour.
The hosts failed to deal with Jarrod Price's cross from the left and Kirk's inept attempt to tackle Bobby Briers led to the midfielder curling a lovely shot beyond Pritchard for the equaliser.
Just a minute later the diminutive but lively Steffan Williams was pulled down by George Horan in the box and the resulting penalty saw Walters coolly make it 2-1.
Haver continued to attack, Walters denied by a good Pritchard stop before heading against the post from a Williams cross.
Rhyl piled on the pressure in the last 10 minutes, Hunt missing with a header from a Kirk cross before the striker's volley was smothered by Idzi.
In the 83rd minute substitute Chris Williams' chip over the defence released Hunt, who rounded Idzi, but defender Kyle Graves got back heroically to block.
Williams' shot on the turn was deflected behind for a corner and Rhyl's last chance was gone.
Quite a strange match overall. Haverfordwest were only in it for around 10 minutes, but in that time did enough to win it. The rest of the game was all Rhyl, but their play was at times inconsistent, too many wasteful passes and not enough quality in key areas.

RHYL: Pritchard, Naylor (Stones 80), Doran, Horan, Strong, Leah, Smith, Owen (C Williams 67), Hunt, M Williams, Kirk. Subs: Dowling, Heenan, Coates.

MATCH FACTS
GOALS - Rhyl 1 Haver 2
ATTEMPTS - Rhyl 20 Haver 6
ON TARGET - Rhyl 9 Haver 5
CORNERS - Rhyl 7 Haver 5
YELLOW CARDS - Rhyl 4 Haver 2
RED CARDS - Rhyl 0 Haver 0
ATTENDANCE - 385
LO MAN OF THE MATCH
Matthew Williams (Rhyl)
Gave his all up front.

RHYL FC RESULTS 2009/10
Aug 15 - Carmarthen Town (WPL - home) 2-1 (Strong, M Williams)
Aug 21 - Airbus UK Broughton (WPL - away) 2-2 (Hunt 2)
Aug 25 - Airbus UK Broughton (LC - a) 2-1 (Hunt, Owen)
Aug 29 - Port Talbot (WPL - h) 2-0 (M Williams, Hunt)
Sep 1 - Prestatyn Town (LC - h) 2-1 (Naylor, Connolly)
Sep 5 - Gap Connah's Quay (WPL - a) 2-0 (M Williams, Connolly)
Sep 11 - Bangor City (WPL - h) 5-1 (Hunt 2, M Williams pen, C Williams, Connolly)
Sep 19 - Newtown (WPL - a) 4-2 (M Williams 2, Strong, Connolly)
Sep 22 - Airbus (LC - h) 4-0 (Connolly 2, Kirk, Doran)
Sep 26 - Porthmadog (WPL - h) 4-0 (Connolly 3, Kirk)
Oct 3 - Llanfairpwll (WC-a) 3-1 (Connolly 2, Smith)
Oct 6 - Prestatyn Town (LC-a) 3-0 (Connolly, Hunt, C Williams)
Oct 9 - Bala Town (WPL-a) 4-0 (Smith, Doran, Horan, Hunt)
Oct 17 - Neath (WPL-a) 0-2
Oct 23 - Elements Cefn Druids (WPL-a) 1-1 (M Williams)
Oct 27 - Porthmadog (LCQF-a) 4-1 (Connolly 2, M Williams 2)
Oct 31 - Bridgend Town (WC-h) 4-2 (Connolly, M Williams, Strong, C Williams)
Nov 7 - Llanelli (WPL-h) 0-0
Nov 10 - Gap Connah's Quay (a-LCSF 1st leg) 1-2 (Connolly)
Nov 14 - Caersws (WPL-h) 3-1 (Connolly, Hunt 2)
Nov 17 - Gap Connah's Quay (h-LCSF 2nd leg) 4-0 (Connolly, Hunt, Smith 2)
Nov 22 - The New Saints (a-WPL) 0-4
Nov 29 - Haverfordwest County (a-WPL) 1-2 (Strong)

GOALS (57): 18 - Mark Connolly; 11 - Lee Hunt; 10 - Matthew Williams; 4 - Paul Smith, Greg Strong; 3 - Chris Williams; 2 - Tyrone Kirk, Phil Doran; 1 - Gareth Owen, Martyn Naylor, George Horan.