‘Pack up’ – Tony Pennock fumes as Haverfordwest suffer fourth straight defeat
Tony Pennock was sent off shortly after Lewis Rees was dismissed. (Pic by Jamie Edwards/FAW)
Tony Pennock questioned a controversial penalty decision as Haverfordwest County suffered a fourth straight defeat, losing 2-1 to Caernarfon Town.
Zack Clarke scored from the spot before substitute Ben Ahmun equalised for the Bluebirds, only for Sion Bradley to hit the winner three minutes later.
Pennock was also sent off in a heated contest but insisted there were plenty of positives to take from his side’s performance.
Pennock questions penalty decision after defeat
Despite the result, Pennock felt Haverfordwest had competed well against their opponents and deserved more from the contest.
The visitors were awarded a penalty after Jacob Owen was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area.
“Loads of positives,” he said to the club’s official media.
“The boys were excellent in the first half. We were well in the game. We competed with them. I thought second half the boys were fantastic,” he said.
“Two good teams going at it toe-to-toe. Things aren’t going our way at the moment. If that’s a penalty, we might as well pack up like because. He couldn’t wait to blow it.”
The penalty proved a key moment in the match, with Clarke converting to give Caernarfon the advantage.
Haverfordwest responded through Ahmun, who made an impact after coming off the bench, but Bradley struck just three minutes later to secure the hosts’ victory.
Ben Ahmun makes an impact from the bench
Although Haverfordwest were unable to prevent another defeat, Pennock was pleased with the contribution of his substitutes.
Ahmun’s equaliser offered the Bluebirds a route back into the game, and the manager praised his squad for responding positively when called upon.
“The subs have come on and made a big impact as well. It’s pleasing to see that. People are disappointed not to be playing, but they have to give us everything when they come off the bench as well; they certainly did that tonight,” Pennock said.
The result continued a frustrating run for Haverfordwest, who have now lost four consecutive matches by a single goal.
For Pennock, the challenge is to ensure those narrow defeats become draws and victories, rather than allowing the run to undermine the team’s confidence.
Pennock and Lewis Rees sent off in heated contest
The match was also marked by a series of disciplinary incidents, with Haverfordwest picking up several bookings.
Cody Twose, Corey Shepard, Jacob Owen, Greg Walters and Dylan Rees were all shown yellow cards, while Lewis Rees received a red card. Pennock was also sent off, and Owen received a second yellow card after the full-time whistle.
Goalkeeper coach James Devonald was booked during a fractious evening for the Bluebirds.
Pennock was unhappy with the number of bookings but suggested there was little to be gained from getting drawn into arguments.
“Many bookings tonight. There we are. There’s no point getting involved,” he said.
The disciplinary issues added to the frustration of a contest in which Haverfordwest had battled hard but ultimately left empty-handed.
Haverfordwest boss sends message after fourth straight loss
Despite the latest setback, Pennock remained confident that his team could turn their performances into better results.
He acknowledged the disappointment of another narrow defeat but stressed that the players needed to maintain their level of performance and find a way to collect points.
“It’s another narrow defeat. That’s four by one goal on the bounce now. We need to start turning these into draws and wins. If we perform like that we’ll win more games than lose. It’s our focus moving forward,” he said.
