SEASIDERS BATTERED BY LIVELY BOMBERS
PENARTH (26) 33 BARRY (35) 45
You couldn’t easily imagine a greater contrast between two home games a fortnight apart, especially as The Seasiders were expected to win both comfortably. Ah yes and the small matter of being top at Christmas. Didn’t happen.
Penarth were a pale shadow of the team that put 14 tries past Rhiwbina, while Barry were almost unrecognisable as the team beaten 45-3 in the opening day of the season in September.
At least the Seasiders kept up their rate of scoring tries and claiming bonus points, but The Bombers cruised home by scoring seven of their own.
A surprisingly physical Barry took an early lead as their hooker went over from a line-out on 3 minutes, but Penarth struck back five minutes later as Tom Hillman put James Candy in space round the short side of a ruck. Another five minutes and the Seasiders took the lead from another ruck as Tom Griffiths strolled over for a try.
This sequence of exchanging blows continued throughout the first half. Barry levelled the scores as a long kick ahead took a crazy reverse bounce and their outside centre went behind the posts and on 20 minutes Harry Roberts put his side back in front from a close-range tapped penalty.
The Bombers soon drew level again as they drove the home scrum backwards and their scrum-half scored, but even then the visitors managed to fumble the restart three times before Candy dabbed it down for a 26-21 lead.
This was as good as it got for Penarth; Barry drove clean through the home defence on the half-hour for their scrum-half’s second try and a lead they were never to relinquish. A further score by their blindside flanker brought up a half-rime score of 26-35.
Although the Seasiders opened the second half with more resolve and an early try from replacement Dom Owen, they weren’t able to trouble the scorers any further, while a dominant Barry went on to secure a further two tries. There is no doubt that the visitors were well prepared, committed and forceful. This came as something of a surprise to the hosts and their supporters.
In the only other fixture in Division 1 East Central, Llanharan moved up one place into fourth with a comfortable win away at Porth Harlequins. The Dairymen will be the next visitors to the Athletic Field on Saturday 4th January 2025.
Penarth: Ben Jones. Harry Williams, Andy Richards, Rhys Beynon, James Candy, Rhys Mottram (Ben Wellington, Tom Hillman (Josh Marshall), Harry Wood, Tom Griffths (Mason Good), Sam Sully (Alan Doyle), Will Odgers (Dom Owen), Cam Sultana, Evan Jones, Miles Jones ©, Harry Roberts.
Scorers: James Candy (2 tries), Tom Griffiths (try), Dom Owen (try), Harry Roberts (try), Rhys Mottram (4 conversions)
