Dinas Powys 24 St Peter’s 18

IN A rousing final at the Memorial Ground, home of Glamorgan Wanderers RFC, it was Dinas Powys who gained the Worthington East District Cup by defeating St Peter’s.

It was a case of ‘The Villagers’ beating ‘The Rocks’ and a final in which Dinas coach John Dunleavy and his sons Josh (no eight and captain) and Lewis (flanker) were triumphant over their former club.

The tries were shared 2-2 but Dinas led for all but 13 minutes of the first half and just kept their noses in front in a pulsating second half as St Peter’s threw everything at them urged on by their coaches and former Welsh internationals, Mark Ring and Charlie Faulkner.

Fly half Gavin Cooper had kicked Dinas ahead after five minutes but St Peter’s full back Ed Poynter levelled with a similar penalty.

Then Dinas went ahead and stayed there as it appeared that flanker Lewys John had crossed but the try was credited to lock Gaz Williams and converted by Cooper, then Poynter placed a second penalty just on the interval at 10-6.

Copper went off and replacement Ben White who took just seven minutes to land a fine penalty as Dinas went further ahead and after 52 minutes the tireless John was inches short when he sent Lewis Dunleavy over to make it 18-6.

The game was warming up despite a shower of rain and St Peter’s had their two Ugandan internationals in action and after 58 minutes flanker Jack Cook crowned a great forward effort with a try that Poynter converted.

However, Dinas hit back as White kicked a 74th-minute goal from inside his own half but again ‘The Rocks’ hit back as Ugandan wing Philipo Pariyo flashed over to cut the lead to three points.

Dinas stood firm as St Peters ran everything and White stepped up to land his third and match-clinching penalty just two minutes from time.

It was pleasing for all to see Denis Gethin, the WRU president, present to witness a good hard, cleanly-contested game that was well controlled by referee Morgan Whitehead and was Worthington’s first as sponsor of this cup.

Scorers:

Dinas Powys – Tries: G Williams, L Dunleavy. Conversions: G Cooper. Pens: B White 3, G Cooper.

St Peter’s – Tries: J Cook, P Pariyo. Conversions: E Poynter. Pens: E Poynter 2.