Battered Seasiders so close to victory (From Penarth Times)

Battered Seasiders so close to victory

Pill Harriers 21 - Penarth 15

AUTUMN had definitely arrived at Courtybella Terrace and a very still afternoon bristled with menace.

The Seasiders were still missing the injured Simon Crothers and Dai Williams, but coming after four successive wins, confidence remained high. However, by the end of a physically testing 80 minutes, they could look back and see how they should have won this bruising encounter.

Pill started in their traditional frenzied fashion, leaving you with the lingering suspicion that they must have special sessions for practising shouting.

Penarth were not noticeably put off, but a penalty award halted an early assault. Pill came back hard, but the Seasiders retained the initiative with some fancy work in the backs, winning a penalty. Chris Cummings put it narrowly wide from 40 metres out, an interesting portent on a day when all the Penarth points would come through tries.

Pill followed up the restart well and although the cover seemed to be in place as the ball was worked wide, the home inside centre (no names, no programmes!) burst clear on the Seasiders' 10 metre line and ran straight to the posts. It really didn't take Penarth long to return the compliment.

Handling well from a retreating scrum near half-way, Andrew Edwards put in a probing touch-kick which the Pill full-back just managed to keep in play. However, as he stooped to pick up and clear, he still had a foot in touch and conceded a line-out. This sort of position is meat and drink to the Seasiders these days and seconds later, Mike Clare was claiming his sixth try of the season.

Having recovered from the early disappointment of a soft try, Penarth were now taking the game to Pill in fine fashion. In the next assault, Craig Miller picked up a loose ball on the home 22-metre line and darted right with Dave Carter and Andy Lobeck at his shoulder. Unfortunately the centre fancied his chances too highly and was well tackled.

Despite turning down what looked like a certain 7 points, the Seasiders were still well on top and taking the lion's share of the possession. Craig Miller was also kicking well out of hand and now he worked another down to the corner from a penalty.

This time, although Stuart Gunnerson made a clean catch, the pack decided against the maul which has served them so well of late and a peel move led to a Pill penalty. Penarth fought their way back and won a second penalty, but this one too was hooked wide.

This marked the end of the Seasiders' dominance in the first half and Pill came back to win a penalty 25 metres out. This was kicked to the corner and then repeated as Penarth were caught offside. Relief seemed to have arrived as the Seasiders won put-in to a scrum, but Pill put on huge shove to take it against the head and drive on to score, leaving the hosts 14-5 ahead at half time.

Pill set about their second half work with characteristic ferocity, giving substitutes Geraint Evans and returning midfield favourite Mark Jones plenty of work. Panic stations were called in the Penarth defence as the home outside half hoisted a kick into the in-goal area. Mike Clare and Daroll Howden both reached the ball before the opposition, but the young lock only succeeded in pushing the ball over the dead ball line, unluckily conceding a penalty try.

The Seasiders responded to this second disappointment with a 30-metre maul from the restart, the referee waiting until they had gained sufficient advantage before doing Pill for any one of the number of penalty offences they'd committed. Mike Clare tried the tap and go, but Pill were offside again and this time Miller kicked to the corner. No fancy stuff this time, just a high speed maul to the line and Mark Wysocki claiming his first try of the season.

The rest of the game was taken up with Pill's increasing belligerence and the Seasiders' obsession with corner kicks and mauls. With the score resting on 21-10 for most of the half, Penarth spurned several kickable penalties in search of the tries that would surely come from the lines out they consistently sought. The trouble was that one way or another, Pill thwarted these attempts until the 78th minute.

Their methods certainly weren't pretty, but we're obliged to assume they were broadly legal, since the referee saw fit merely to send their right wing to the sin-bin for consistently killing the ball.

Despite it all, the Seasiders finished with a flourish from a penalty on the Pill 22 metre line. The ball was worked wide to the left wing, where Paul Gooding, starting as a flanker and finishing as a lock, put in a classic winger's finish in the corner.

As it turned out, Penarth really could have won this one, but were perhaps still a little discomfited by Pill's physical approach. Lighter tasks beckon though this Saturday, as bottom club Rhiwbina seek to improve on their run of eight defeats in all competitions. Hosts Penarth will take nothing for granted and will set out to maintain an excellent average of nearly four tries a game this season. Kick off 11.45am.