Late try is heavy blow to promotion hopes (From Penarth Times)

Late try is heavy blow to promotion hopes

PENARTH 17

BEDLINOG 29

A LATE try for the visitors skewed the score rather unfairly, but this was desperately close and really piles the pressure on the Seasiders at a time when they might have been cruising.

With the score locked on 17-22 for the last 12 minutes, it looked for all the world as if Penarth would steal it.

Starting with the wind at their backs but looking straight into the winter sun, the Seasiders had to wait some time to see how the packs were going to measure up.

By the time that debate had been resolved in Penarth's favour, the visitors already had their noses in front.

Outside centre S Giles ran straight at the home midfield, clean through and under the posts.

While the pack was comfortably in control of their department, the back division was misfiring badly in the face of some heavy-duty Bedlinog tackling.

After the visitors had extended their lead with a penalty, Penarth finally got their act together as James Docherty deposited a long touch-finder near the Bedlinog 22, and a trademark maul carried Geraint Evans to the line for his seventh league try of the season.

With things not going all their own way, the visitors reverted to a familiar rough-housing style and tried to bully the Seasiders out of their stride.

However, the Penarth pack came up with the perfect response as Bedlinog wheeled a scrum before put-in. Driving the scrum towards the side the visitors had vacated, Mike Clare was over in the corner for a 12-10 lead at half-time.

Now the second part of Bedlinog's game plan was swung into action. It turned out that young outside half Ben Grazecica was as much of a dab-hand with the place kicks as he was with the booming touchfinders and he slowly turned the match the visitors' way.

Of course it helped that the Seasiders were getting penalised on a regular basis, but all this time the home forwards were continuing to dominate proceedings up front and getting little change from the referee.

The visitors' pack was driven backwards over their own line in disarray twice without reward, but on the second reset, a repeat dose saw Mike Clare safely in for his tenth try of the season and Penarth into a 17-16 lead.

Two further Grazecica penalties brought his total up to 19 points and restored the visitors' advantage at 17-22. Then came that late try.

This leaves the Seasiders hanging on to second place by the skin of their teeth and they really can't afford any further slip-ups in their remaining five matches.

Penarth's next fixture is away to Llandaff on Saturday, March 4.

Penarth:Roberts, Sage, Bradshaw, C Moorcraft, J Crothers, Docherty, Edwards (Capt), Merrett, Evans (P Bennett), Morgan, Fitzgerald, Gooding, Allen, Clare, Pearce (Hopkins).