Penarth 20 Pentyrch 23

THE Seasiders’ rehabilitation is still work in progress after they moved into a winning position ten minutes into the second half, only to allow the game to slip from their grasp.

Bottom club Pentyrch were a lively bunch and highly motivated a quality which proved decisive in the end. Penarth came on in fits and starts and had dropped six points behind after 15 minutes despite dominating the tight.

James Docherty pulled back three points at the end of the first quarter and started to take the game to the ‘Tyrchs. Things were starting to get a bit niggly in the mauls and although the visitors were under pressure, they were quick to counter and took some interesting lines in midfield.

On the stroke of half time, the Seasiders gained a penalty in the Pentyrch half and Kevin Maddocks kicked to touch beyond the 22. The line-out was driven to the line, only for the ‘Tyrchs to pull the maul down. No penalty, but from the ensuing scrum, Alex Tau picked up at the tail and drove over in the corner.

Leading 8-6 at the interval, Penarth started the second half in a positive mood, only to be let down badly as Pentyrch centre Hywel Williams latched on to a horribly forward pass and sent in openside Michael Owen for the try that saw them regain the lead, 8-13.

This galvanised the Seasiders and as they regained the upper hand in the scrums, they launched a series of assaults that took the game by the scruff of the neck. A huge effort under the posts caused all sorts of consternation in the visitors’ ranks and Stuart Clarke put James Docherty through under the posts.

Having regained the lead, Penarth consolidated their position with the try of the game. A penalty was kicked to touch in the Pentyrch 22 and a clean take led straight to a three-quarter move of great beauty. The ball was shipped left and the visitors’ drift defence seemed to be in place, but James Crothers was lying deep on the left wing, so when Tom Luck heaved a long pass towards the touchline, it took the Pentyrch defence clean out of the equation as Crothers collected at speed and scurried in at the corner.

Bizarrely, from a position of total dominance, the Seasiders omitted to bother the scorers further. A certain staleness crept into their game and they were less inclined to keep the ball alive. With the lead only seven points, Pentyrch sniffed a chance and having established a platform in the home 22, number eight Nicholas Jones took advantage of a missed tackle to level the scores.

With fully twenty minutes remaining, it was the visitors who had all the momentum as the Penarth challenge disintegrated. Successive yellow cards for Jerome Bryan and Richard Merrett removed any advantage at scrum time, but the home defence held up well. So much so that when Pentrych gained a penalty well within range, they opted for the points and held on for the win.

The Seasiders out-scored the ‘Tyrchs three tries to two, but just couldn’t maintain enough pressure to take the game away from their opponents when they had the chance. Having missed an opportunity against the bottom club, the fixture list continues to be kind to Penarth, with games against this Saturday’s hosts Gwernyfed in 10th place and new bottom club Wattstown bracketing a visit to Division One EC Penallta in the Swalec Plate.

Penarth: Keiran Carpenter, Louis Chandler, Tom Luck, Rhys Lakin, James Crothers, Kevin Maddox, Rhys Morgan, Jerome Bryan (Richard Merrett), James Docherty, Sean O’Sullivan, Richard Howells, Stuart Clarke, Scot Mackie, Alex Thau, Geraint Blake

Scorers: Thau (T), Docherty (T, P, C), Crothers T.

The next match for the team will be the Swalec League Division Two East Central on Saturday, October 18:

Gwernyfed v Penarth

Trefecca Road, Talgarth, Powys

Kick-off 2.30pm

The current table:

WRU National League Division 3 (South-East)

Saturday, October 11

P W D L F A Pts

1 Brecon 5 5 0 0 164 71 22

2 Pontyclun 5 4 1 0 112 63 20

3 CRC Caerdydd 5 3 1 1 158 122 18

4 Porth Harlequins 5 4 0 1 112 87 18

5 St Peters 6 3 0 3 168 90 17

6 Fairwater 5 3 1 1 100 95 15

7 St Joseph's 5 2 0 3 117 115 12

8 PENARTH 6 1 0 5 97 191 9

9 Abercynon 5 1 0 4 113 133 8

10 Gwernyfed 5 1 1 3 72 107 7

11 Pentyrch 5 1 0 4 85 125 6

12 Wattstown 5 1 0 4 67 166 5