Big win for Penarthians (From Penarth Times)

Big win for Penarthians

Old Penarthians 39 - Deri 7

IT may well be that two swallows scarcely make a summer - and there can be little doubt that two wins can hardly be thought to make a good season.

But a second successive home victory for Old Penarthians was enough to bring a touch of springtime to Cwrt-y-vil on Saturday last.

The Division 5 South East basement battle between clubs struggling to find form was certainly seen as a crucial contest.

But the manner in which the Old Boys disposed of their rivals caused one to wonder yet again just why Simon Hennessey's men have failed to establish themselves closer to the middle of a league that is not of the finest quality.

It has to be said that the visitors had little to offer in the way of attacking potential, but it was good to see Penarthians gaining in confidence as they ran the ball with abandon at times and were rewarded with the seven-try tally that comprised the bulk of the margin in a satisfying 39-7 victory.

Once again the game was not without pre-match disruption.

On this occasion, the Old Boys were forced to make four late changes to the side selected and this unsatisfactory state of affairs cannot be conducive to the good team spirit that is needed to provide the basis for a prolonged run of success.

However, conditions underfoot were perfect and the hosts could not have wished for a better start than the two tries that were constructed within 10 minutes of the kick-off.

Tony Kemp used his bulk and power to drive over for the first following a lineout in the corner, while the second was a gem with full back Simon Davies speeding over on the right after an excellent bout of handling.

Unfortunately, the side failed to build on that initial tempo.

The forwards took it upon themselves to batter the Deri line in the forlorn hope that they would produce a glut on points when it was clear that the better option might well have been to move the ball wide.

The fallacy of that thinking was, however, called into question soon after when the backs appeared incapable of making good use of the excellent possession provided by the pack, frequently failing to outwit a defensive line-up that was little more than competent.

So it was that the half hour elapsed without addition to the score and Deri made their first incursion into Penarthian territory.

A penalty was awarded and ten yards conceded before the visitors then utilised tap ball to institute the swift handling that saw Kevin Bradfield cross between the posts for an opportunist try, converted by outside half Gareth Hardacre to narrow the deficit to just three points.

Such response was scarcely a reflection of the superiority of the Old Boys and it was to their credit that they fought back immediately.

Good work from the forwards saw the ball released for centre Steve Roberts to cut through cleverly before sending winger Chris Greenaway over for his debut try for the club.

Almost from the restart, another excellent back move saw Simon Davies race clear on the right before unselfishly feeding the supporting Roberts, who touched down at the posts for John Aubrey to add the extra points.

The second half saw the Old Boys hold all the aces and, while it was good to see the confidence flow into the players, a little steadiness might well have produced a mammoth score.

Up front Spencer Haus, Gareth Shaw, and Lee Brennan formed an excellent front row that dominated the tight, while both Tony Kemp and Lewis Drew excelled at the line-outs with excellent support from Phil Middleton and Andy Spender, with Mark Smart the driving force throughout.

Outside John Aubrey worked neatly with Simon Hennessey, and Steve Roberts and Adrian Ball were lively centres, while both Huw Williams and Chris Greenaway were a constant threat on the wings, and Simon Davies was an excellent attacking full back.

Adrian Ball set the second half standard with a 50 yard sprint after an interception, his try at the posts being converted by John Aubrey.

And a determined charge from substitute David Mason prefaced the neat handling that sent Huw Williams scurrying over at the corner.

The final score fell to the forwards with a penalty being fired into the corner, and the line-out possession then secured, being smuggled to Gareth Shaw for the hooker to burrow his way over for the score that was a deserved reward for his committed efforts on the afternoon.

This was an encouraging note on which to enter into the break that now sees Penarthians out of league action until the middle of February.

Hopefully the successive wins against Bridgend Sports and Deri will provide sufficient incentive to the players to persuade them to attend the regular training sessions in the immediate weeks ahead.

* Insufficient numbers again caused the cancellation of the scheduled second team game with Cowbridge.