SEASIDERS MISS OUT IN 10-TRY THRILLER

PENARTH 31 ABERDARE 34 – Saturday 11 March 2017

Penarth are developing a habit of facing up to higher-placed opposition, matching them and yet losing. Here was another one that got away.

Having lost 15-47 up at the Ynys in October, the Seasiders started out as if they ment to make a better fist of it this time as they took an early lead. An initial Matt Allen drive for the posts was held and recycled to the left-hand corner, where James Docherty finished well.

After two missed penalties, the Snakes then took the initiative at the end of the first quarter with two tries that owed much to defensive lapses. First Ieuan Archer went clean through the first tackle from a 22m scrum, with the second defender declining to offer any resistance. Seven minutes later scrum-half Paul Bevan tapped a penalty in the 22 and was ushered through to the posts.

Trailing 5-14, Penarth, in turn, took the game to the visitors and, at the end of 10 error-strewn minutes which really should have yielded an earlier try, they conjured one up from first phase as James Crothers rounded his opposite number in the corner. They should have scored again from the restart as well. Chris Mortimer ran clear in midfield with Allen and Crothers in support and a single defender to beat. The scoring pass never went in and Allen was tackled into touch.

The game soon swung back in the other direction as right wing Giorgio Perotto shrugged off the attentions of several tacklers to finish in the corner, but the Seasiders had the final word as they stole a 5m lineout and worked the ball out to Tom Luck who broke the line to score under the posts. Honours even as the teams turned around at 19-19.

Penarth piled the pressure on at the start of the second half and Aberdare outside-half Thomas Hopkins received a yellow card for a second ‘not 10’. Nevertheless, it was the Snakes who re-took the lead after 51 minutes as home defenders stood off a maul and left wing Ceirion Griffiths wriggled over in the corner.

The Seasiders really needed a score now and duly delivered. Scott Mackie stole possession 30m out and drove into the away 22. Ball quickly recycled and delivered to Tom Luck who scored his second in the corner. With the scores again level at 24-24, the turning point arrived on 65 minutes as Penarth conceded a penalty for offside in the ruck under their own posts. These three points were to be the difference between the sides in the end.

With 15 minutes still remaining, neither side was pulling up any trees, but three minutes from time, the Snakes seemed to have finally taken a decisive lead as Hopkins stepped past a suddenly static home defence to put his side ten points clear at 24-34.

The final act of this bizarre encounter was played out under imminent threat of the final whistle as error was piled up on error by both sides until Penarth finally secured the penalty that would have secured a second bonus point. Spurning the easy option, they put it into touch instead and Mason Good scored from the line-out, with Docherty securing the extras. Ten tries and only three points separating the teams as Aberdare walked out winners 31-34.

Next game in a fortnight is a tasty-looking home fixture against 8th-placed Pontyclun.

PENARTH James Candy, James Docherty, Tom Luck ©, Chris Mortimer, James Crothers (Nathan Palmer), Mitch Hickey, Gareth Mathias (Rhys Morgan), Sean O’Sullivan, Mason Good, Alan Doyle, Aaron Ellis (Owen Thomas), Anthony Pine, Matt Allen (Stuart Clarke), Alex Thau, Scott Mackie

Division 2 East Central

Saturday 25th March 2017

Pontyclun v PENARTH

Llantrisant Rd, PONTYCLUN CF72 9DQ

Kick-off 2.30pm