Penarth RFC return home empty handed after confusing encounter

THE teams were both left confused by the final scoreline, with the home scoreboard being less generous to its own side giving them four points fewer. However, a lot was confused in the chaotic conclusion to this contest, one thing is for certain is that Penarth RFC scored 25 points away from home yet came away empty handed.
Despite problems with availability, only two travelling replacements and several positional changes, Penarth were well in this game until the final 10 minutes. 
Both sides used the dry, fast conditions well with the home side preferring to kick deep for position then hammer away with their weighty front eight. By contrast Penarth launched moves from half back pairing Mathias and Thatcher who controlled play for long periods and made repeated significant breaks.
Gilfach Coch gained early ascendancy countering a Docherty penalty with a try from sustained pressure close in. Then home wing Evelyn put in a monstrous cross field kick, Penarth were ruled to have infringed in the line out and advantage given to Gilfach for some minutes during which a further infringement was identified and a penalty try awarded.
Gilfach settled into this rewarding pattern of close quarters hammering using their man mountain prop Priday, or ‘Wrecker’ to the shouting home support, to crash over for their third try.
So 30 minutes in, after conceding through little defensive errors a 19 – 6 lead, Penarth outside half Thatcher decided to get a grip. From midfield he created space from two elusive side steps and a rifled long pass to Luck who made most of the remaining metres before Hickey again looped round to get the touchdown.
This was followed by an equally telling jinking break from scrum half Mathias but the supporting Thau just didn’t have the gas to make the line. Then came a wonderfully angled run by centre Laity which also only just failed to produce points.
So the score from all this enterprise waited until just after half-time when Thatcher left the home defence flat footed and glided under the posts untouched. Penarth back in it at 19 – 18.
Sadly, the Penarth front row, which had been performing staunchly against the massive home three, was disrupted by the loss of hooker Good to injury. 
The contribution of Lewis at loose head prop deserves special mention, slight for a prop he gave not an inch against the ‘Wrecker’.
At this late stage the problems started. Gilfach gained another close in unconverted try, but then collapsed a scrum with their prop taking wild exception to Penarth number six, Mortimer. All this on the blind side of the referee who, having already issued a general warning, gave yellow cards to both players.
Following this the the referee then showed yellow cards to both captains.
Penarth took first advantage of the space available. A penetrating kick ahead being chased up and a five metre scrum achieved. But Gilfach number six, Richards, was able to frustrate the follow-up and the rejigged Penarth scrum began to creak badly.
Frustration led to indiscipline and Penarth conceded a sequence of penalties ending in the normally level-headed Smith being red carded for dissent and Gilfach took their fifth try. 
A further home try followed when Penarth heads dropped. But they still managed the last word despite losing Laity to another card. Captain Luck produced the break and the alert and mobile prop Lewis provided the finish.
If Penarth can only get a stable team membership they will win fixtures like this with comfort.
Penarth: M Hickey; J Docherty; T Luck (C); S Laity; J Crothers; J Thatcher; G Mathias; E Smith; A Thau; C Mortimer; M Allen; A Pine; A Doyle; M Good; M Lewis.
Sub: T Hillman
Scorers: tries Hickey, Thatcher, Lewis Pens Docherty (2), Cons Docherty (2)