Six-try Seasiders weahter comeback (From Penarth Times)

Six-try Seasiders weahter comeback

PENARTH 38 CALDICOT 33

Returning to league action after five idle weeks, the Seasiders came as close to losing this match against next-to-bottom Caldicot as any team scoring six tries can reasonably get away with.

With Penarth having dominated all aspects of the game and turning round at half time 28-0 in front, an extra five minutes injury time would surely have resulted in the visitors making off with the spoils.

With a strong wind blowing straight down the Athletic Field pitch towards the town end, the Seasiders clearly intended to run up a cricket score before they lost the advantage.

A strong-looking Penarth line-up were certainly too slick for Caldicot in the early stages, after excellent work from the back division featuring Brendan Bush, Leon Patnett and David Jones sent in Chris Cummings and then captain Mike Clare for a 14-0 lead after only eight minutes.

At this stage, the first of the Seasiders' problems on the day put in an appearance.

Time and again over the next 20 minutes, they put runners into space, but each time they were hauled down five metres from the line without getting the scoring pass away.

Thrilling breaks from David Carter, Mark Jones and Chris Cummings should all have resulted in tries, only for the carrier to die with the ball on each occasion.

Luckily David Carter was on hand after 30 minutes to seize on a Caldicot handling error, make the break and inevitably get caught five metres short.

This time Ben Morris was on hand to recycle quickly and put Stuart Gunnerson in for his third try of the season.

As a demonstration that at last things seemed to be clicking into place, Mark Jones capitalised on turn-over ball on the Caldicot 10 metre line to break for the posts. Halted 10 metres short, he got his pass away and left wing David Jones expertly stood his opposite number up to complete the move for his first try since his return.

The sun definitely seemed to be shining on the Seasiders as the first half's wind slackened appreciably.

They started the second half in a lively enough fashion, but the tendencies that had cost them scoring opportunities before the break were still much in evidence.

Having dominated the first ten minutes of the half without scoring, Penarth allowed Caldicot a rare visit to the home 22 and the visitors duly clawed a try back from a line-out as centre I Hobbs crashed through the cover.

In a thoroughly misleading passage of play, the Seasiders came back immediately with a superb move to claim their fifth try. Caldicot used the wind to clear deep and Brendan Bush fielded cleanly on his own 22.

The full back brought the ball up swiftly and fed Mark Jones on the inside track. The centre broke one tackle and surged over half-way with Mark Wysocki in support before the hooker fed the arriving David Jones who beat the remaining cover for pace and registered his second try of the afternoon.

At 33-7 down, the Caldicot back division decided to throw all caution to the wind in an attempt to salvage something from what was turning out to be a bit of a mauling.

Abandoning the down-wind kicking game, the midfield started to run the ball with spectacular success.

First outside half J Williams waltzed through the bemused Penarth cover to set up No 8 Justin Lewis for a try and further scores from J Hughes and C Morgan followed.

With their lead reduced to just seven points and six minutes remaining, the writing was clearly on the wall for the rattled Seasiders as they gathered themselves for what was to be the match-winning score.

Gaining a penalty on the visitors' 22, replacement outside half Craig Miller surprisingly opted to kick to touch instead of accepting an easy three points to restore the two-score lead.

Darryl Howden, in his last appearance for the club before leaving for New Zealand took a trademark clean catch and the pack drove Mike Clare over for his twelfth try of the season.

This was just as well, since in the final move of the match, Caldicot launched another attack from their own 22 against a retreating defence for C Morgan to score his side's fifth and a final score of 38-33.

That the Seasiders deserved the three points was beyond doubt, given their total domination of proceedings, but to concede five tries in such an abject fashion, as well as spurning countless scoring opportunities of their own is cause for concern.

Clearly the lay-off can't have helped and now Penarth have an early opportunity to put things right before Pill Harriers breeze in on March 9.

Nelson, 8th in Div 5 (East), are the visitors to the Athletic Field on Thursday night for a fixture re-arranged from December.

The kick-off is delayed to 7.30 pm to allow the visitors to make the trip and another three points will be vital if the 5th-placed Seasiders are to keep in touch with the leaders who have opened up a massive 12 points gap.

Penarth: Bush (Miller 60), Patnett, Hobbs, M Jones, D Jones, Cummings, Morris, (Edwards 66), Seymour, Wysocki, Swaine, Howden, Crothers, Gunnerson, Clare, Carter.