Seasiders roll into Cup Quarter Final
Penarth 32-22 Llantwit Fardre (HT 7-11)
Having waited since the 2nd December to get this match played it was a nervy Penarth who finally overcame their rugged East Central rivals Llantwit Fardre with a clinical second half performance.
These two sides were well acquainted having met in leagues back on the 25th November where the Seasiders weathered an early storm before romping to a 7-38 bonus point victory away from home. The start of this game was much the same as the visitors put there best foot forward and muscled their way to an early three point lead as Penarth infringed at the breakdown.
The next 25 minutes was a real arm wrestle with almost all of the play in the middle third of the pitch and no clear chances. But when the next score came it was an absolute beauty. Tom Griffiths hit Harry Wood at the front of the lineout and got the ball straight back, he then inexplicably chipped over the top of the winger beat him for pace and dotted down for a sublime score with Ben Jones adding the extras.
Fardre were not going to collapse like they did at home and a further penalty was added to with a well worked try sparked by a break from their livewire scrum half which took them into the Penarth 22. They then showed patience and composure to go through 10 phases of play before scoring in the right corner to take a 7-11 lead into the half time break.
It was the visitors who struck first in the second half as well as they extended their lead with another penalty. But Penarth were starting to click into gear and a well orchestrated rolling maul saw Griffiths over for his second of the match.
Josh Hurley had entered the fray from the bench and his long range penalty saw Penarth sneak into a 15-14 lead before Fardre bounced straight back with another penalty of their own. Then as is quite often the way with this Penarth side a 5 minute period of chaos swung the game firmly in the Seasiders favour and Harry Williams crossed twice in the left corner, the second one directly from the kick off after the first one, to see the home side stretch into a 25-17 lead.
Having then soaked up some inevitable Vardre pressure from the kick Penarth then broke free again and it was some nifty footwork from Hurley that opened the door for scrum half Charlie Rainbird to open his senior Penarth try scoring account. Hurley added the extras for a 32-17 lead.
There was still time for a consolation try from the visitors but it too little too late and Penarth now march on to a quarter final meeting with Division 2 East leaders who edged past Heol Y Cyw in the last 16 with a 28-27 win at home.
PENARTH: Harry Williams, George Roberts, Andy Richards, Rhys Beynon, Ben Wellington, Ben Jones (Josh Hurley), Spencer Robinson (Charlie Rainbird), Harry Wood, Tom Griffiths (Mason Good), Ryan Jones (Sam Sully), Cam Sultana, Nathan Frost, Mike Lang (Evan Jones), George Jones, Miles Jones ©,
SCORERS: Tom Griffiths (2 tries), Harry Williams (2 tries), Charlie Ranbird (try), Ben Jones (con), Josh Hurley (pen, con).
