SEASIDERS BACK WITH A BONUS

Cilfynydd 12-36 PENARTH (HT – 7-24)

Mid-table Cilfynydd weren’t challenging for promotion, but they provided stiff opposition to a strong Penarth side looking to stretch their legs on a flat, wide pitch at the Welfare Ground. The result gives the impression of a one-sided affair, but it was hotly contested and the Seasiders’ tries were mostly the result of individual passages of brilliance rather than overall domination of phases of play. Which isn’t bad, really.

The first try arrived as early as the fifth minute. Harry Williams fielded a long clearance kick and ran cross-field looking for support. He found Cam Sultana, who took it to the line and the ball was cleared from the ruck to Tom Griffiths in front of the posts.

Williams was back in the action again ten minutes later as he came off his wing to enter the line on the right, exchange passes with George Roberts and score in the corner. 0-12.

From the restart, Cilfynydd moved into a strong position as Penarth began to concede penalties at the breakdown and gained a line-out in the away 22. This was well executed and driven, with lock Luke Riley claiming the score.

Trouble at the breakdown continued to deprive the Seasiders of useful possession as Cilfynydd pressed, until Griffiths finally got over the ball at a ruck for a relieving penalty. Suitably encouraged, Penarth probed up-field against a well-organised defence until Griffiths broke the line and Sam Sully in support skipped around the first tackler and beat the cover to the corner. Typical.

The Seasiders were lucky to ride out the next waves of home attacks, but the hosts let themselves get frustrated and began to get on the wrong side of the referee. On the brink of half-time, the visitors found touch from a penalty and the ball was worked into midfield from the line-out to Evan Jones. The flanker drove at the defensive line and broke it, with Miles Jones speeding in on a scissors movement to score under the posts for a 24-7 lead and the bonus point.

It would be a mistake to claim that this had broken Cilfynydd’s will, as their spirit was unbroken. However, Penarth went further ahead in the third quarter. Mike Lang stole a home line-out in their own 22, feeding Griffiths who jinked through the defence to score his second. Then, on the hour, a Cilfynydd attack was catastrophically halted as George Roberts intercepted a pass on his own 22 and sprinted the length of the pitch to score a long-awaited try.

With twenty minutes remaining, there might have been further tries from the visitors, but this simply didn’t happen, as the game was slowed to a standstill with stoppages and interventions. The Seasiders lost a player to the bin for ten minutes and Cilfynydd persuaded themselves that this was their chance to secure a bonus point by scoring three more tries. They scored just the one, on 73 minutes and that was that.

Penarth now return to their Division 2 Cup run, where they travel up the Ebbw Fach to face Abertillery BG. Their opponents sit comfortably on top of Division Two East and beat Croesyceiliog 27-12 last Saturday, who were themselves beaten 38-15 by the Seasiders in the first Round. It promises to be an interesting quarter-final.

PENARTH: James Candy (Josh Hurley), George Roberts, Andy Richards, Rhys Beynon, Harry Williams, Ben Jones, Spencer Robinson (Joe Williams), Geraint Williams, Tom Griffiths (Mason Good), Sam Sully (Harry Wood), Cam Sultana, Dominic Owen (Cam Nation), Mike Lang, Miles Jones ©, Evan Jones

Scorers:           Tom Griffiths (2 tries), Harry Williams (try), Miles Jones (try), Sam Sully (try), George Roberts (try), Ben Jones (3 conversions).