SEASIDERS PLAYING THE LONG GAME

Penarth 30 Abercynon 18 – Saturday 28 March 2015

The Seasiders extended their unbeaten run to three games in their battle to avoid relegation and again put one over on their closest rivals. With only three games remaining, it still looks like a tall order, but the main thing is that with this win, they’re still firmly in the race.

You have to assume that Abercynon won the toss, as no captain would turn down the chance of first go with the wind advantage on offer and they surged into the lead after only seven minutes as captain Jamie Price went over on the end of a sharp maul. Richard Howells made what looked like a decisive break from the restart, but this foundered for lack of support and the visitors found it all too easy to work the ball downfield and extend their lead with a penalty.

On the other hand, the Penarth pack were beginning to get the measure of the visitors’ eight and by the end of the half, an exchange of penalties left Abercynon only ten points in front and no more wind advantage to come.

The point was not wasted on the Seasiders and, as the wind continued unabated, they surged back into the game right from the start of the second half, bringing the scores level by the 53rd minute. An early penalty set the scene and then a period of real forward pressure was finally converted into points as James Beaton took clean ball in the middle of a 5m line-out and Simon Barry was in possession at the back of the maul for the try.

When the hooker found himself the recipient of a yellow card later in the half, this didn’t seem to slow Penarth down at all and another catch-and-drive from a line-out resulted in another try for Mike Clare.

With five minutes remaining, the numbers finally found the Seasiders out and full-back J.Williams crossed in the corner, but with D.Bird crucially missing with the conversion attampt. With time apparently up, Docherty converted a penalty to extend the lead to five points, but referee Mark Jones was to play an inexplicable further ten minutes from this point.

Fortunately Abercynon seemed to have finally run out of steam and Mr.Jones finally saw fit to signal ‘no side’ on 92 minutes after another masterful driving display from the Penarth pack sent him under the posts to award a penalty try as the visiting scrum disintegrated.

The Seasiders have certainly saved their most challenging fixtures ‘til last: away trips to St.Peters and champions-elect Brecon, with a home fixture against second-placed Porth in-between for good measure. However, you have to remember that Penarth ran both Brecon and Porth close in earlier fixtures and they already have toe-hold in the safety zone, four points ahead of Pentyrch in 10th place.

PENARTH Rhys Morgan, Nathan Palmer, Ben Donovan, Tom Luck, James Crothers, James Docherty, Gareth Mathias, Richard Merrett, Simon Barry [Chris Mortimer], Sean O’Sullivan, Stuart Clarke, James Beaton, Richard Howells, Mike Clare

Scorers: Simon Barry T
Mike Clare T
Penalty T
James Docherty 3P, 3C

Swalec League Division 2 East Central
Saturday 4th April 2015
St.Peters v Penarth
Minster Road, Cardiff. K.O. 2.30pm