SEASIDERS’ FIGHT-BACK STARTS HERE

Aberdare 32 Penarth 24 - Saturday 8 December 2012

The difference between this and the last outing against Brecon was stunning, to be honest. Third-placed Aberdare found themselves struggling for most of the 80 minutes against a rejuvenated Penarth side who seemed to have solved most of their problems.

The key changes in personnel (and there were few enough of these) were probably Jon Boland at lock, back to partner Dan Hoffmann, forming a threatening and efficient second row and the irrepressible James Candy calling all the shots at outside-half.

So how come they still lost? Unfortunately, with all the wonderful things that were going on, the Seasiders still haven’t quite got the hang of putting in first-up tackles and arguably handed Aberdare three of their tries on a plate with glaring defensive errors. This was surely the difference between the sides.

The generosity started early as number 8 Daniel Lewis was allowed to bounce off an ineffective tackle and drive over under the posts. Penarth immediately took the game to the hosts and Mike Hurley converted a penalty to bring the score back to 7-3. After Aberdare had again increased their lead with a penalty of their own, the referee finally pulled them up for their behaviour at the breakdown and the Seasiders took the hint.
A stirring and finely-executed pick-and-drive gained them 30 metres and left three home players laid out in their wake. Five-metre scrum to Penarth, reset once before Aaron Ellis picked up at the base and twisted round to score. Dominant in the scrum and with all sorts of ideas in the back division, the visitors unexpectedly had the world at their feet.

Not for long, though. As the hosts gained field position from the restart, stocky hooker Matt Bowen was allowed to walk straight through a tackle and put his side 15-10 up at the break. Thus encouraged, they came out of the traps pretty quickly for the second half as well and after a ridiculously obvious case of crossing was ignored by the referee, scrum-half Gavin Hek stretched out for his side’s third try.

Despite now trailing 20-10, the Seasiders were making all the running and it was a major surprise when a turnover on the home 22 led to a fourth try, with hooker Bowen repeating his earlier trick from the outside-centre position.

Back came Penarth, winning and tapping penalties with Richard Merrett very much to the fore. Eventually the pressure told and Joe Page was worked clear on the left for a try which brought the score back to a manageable-looking 25-17. All the Seasiders needed to do was to stop giving away soft tries, but their woes were far from over in that department.

Home full-back James Daniels, the stylish author of most of Aberdare’s inventive moves, suddenly emerged from a ruck on the touchline, running it straight down the tramlines and beyond of the reach of a poorly-positioned Penarth defence.

With fully twenty minutes remaining on the clock, you couldn’t bet against the Seasiders overhauling a 32-17 lead, so well were they playing; going forwards, at least. The referee finally yellow-carded loose head Jason Price for preventing release, so the next line-out had to be seen as an opportunity. Sure enough, Jon Boland caught it and Sean O’Sullivan was over for a popular forwards’ try. Unfortunately the departure of one of Aberdare’s props also meant the end of contested scrums and with it the Seasiders’ dominance in that area as they simply ran out of time.

With an away cup-tie at Penallta next Saturday, league action recommences on Saturday 29th December when Pentyrch visit the Athletic Field.

PENARTH Jack Byrne, Louis Chandler, Mike Hurley, Mike Rowe (Ben Donovan), James Crothers, James Candy, Gareth Clancy, Richard Merrett, Joe Page, Sean O’Sullivan, Dan Hofmann, Jon Boland, Chris Mortimer (Mike Clare), Aaron Ellis, Adan Cole