Penarth fail to threaten Aberdare's undefeated run (From Penarth Times)

Penarth fail to threaten Aberdare's undefeated run

Aberdare 10

Penarth 3

THE pre-match suspicions about undefeated Aberdare were handsomely confirmed; but, for some reason, the Seasiders lacked the will or the wit to exploit this. Sure enough, the second-placed hosts posed no real threat to Penarth's ambitions and proved to be as satisfyingly pedestrian as the last time they met.

Having said that, they possessed in captain and number eight Mark Brennan the sort of player who is simply too bloody-minded to allow his team to fail and that proved to be the difference between the sides come full time.

The Seasiders dominated the early exchanges and put Aberdare under all sorts of pressure with the familiar techniques of ruck and maul. After 15 minutes, the hosts briefly lifted the siege long enough to make their way into the Penarth 22 where outside-half Steven Roberts dropped a neat goal.

From the restart, Mark Brennan took James Crothers out off the ball and received the first of many lectures from the referee, directed almost exclusively towards the home players.

Penarth resumed their forward siege, but without reward. Every time the ball came out to the backs, disaster beckoned, but it was out of one such foul-up that the Seasiders drew level. An over-ambitious pass from Danny Brookman was intercepted by the home outside centre, who was adjudged offside. Danny converted from 25 metres.

At the opening of the second half Penarth at last began to show some initiative behind the scrum as Andrew Edwards made a superb break following a characteristic piece of larceny by Alun Bonello.

However, it was Aberdare who finally managed to get their noses in front in what was always going to be a low-scoring game.

Following up an attacking line-out, the hosts' second drive resulted in Mark Brennan peeling off the back of a maul and scoring in the corner. Steven Roberts converted from touch.

The remaining 23 minutes were played out with every expectation of the Seasiders claiming their inheritance and making off with the points.

Quite how they didn't is one for the team and the coaches to work out, but it was certainly there for the taking throughout.

Next Saturday, Penarth have yet another chance to capture those elusive three points when ninth-placed Cowbridge arrive at the Athletic Field. Since the Seasiders have already beaten them twice this season, it would be a major blow to their ambitions if they failed to register their seventh win of the season.

Penarth: Davey, Coslett, G.Blake, Carter, J.Crothers, Brookman, Edwards, Merrett, Evans, Seymour, S.Crothers, Gooding, Williams, Clare, Bonello

Welsh National League Division 4 (South-East)

Saturday, November 27, 2004