Pentyrch 16 Penarth 13

BOTH sides needed a result from this encounter as both started hovering just above the relegation zone. As often in these circumstances what resulted was a nervy, hard contested competition strewn with errors.

Penarth stuck to their task with graft and endeavour but ultimately paid the price for letting the opposition develop too much of a lead.

It was clear at the outset that Penarth had availability problems again. Two forwards started as the centre three quarter partnership and a scrum half at full back. So when the home-side threw everything into attack from the whistle it wasn’t settling in time but all out tackling practice for the Penarth back division.

No surprise then that having been stretched both ways by Pentyrch moving their ball slickly back and forth along the line that eventually Penarth ran out of cover when a miss pass wide-out freed interestingly named winger Adam Jones to touch down.

What was considerably more satisfying was that despite spending almost the entire first 40 minutes in their own half of the park Penarth contained the home-side to only those five points, this despite a sharp wind gusting against them.

In fact two of the most promising moves of the half came from dazzling breaks out of Penarth defence.

Firstly speedster Nathan Palmer glimpsed a fraction of a gap and having no immediate support pinned his ears back and went for it. Only 30 meters and three tackles later was he eventually brought down.

Then the glorious sight of second row stalwart Stuart Clarke reminding us what a fine footballer he is and jigging his way clear to release supporting scrum half Gareth Mathias who was only dragged down at the last ditch.

The first five minutes of the second half was when the Penarth cause was lost.

Conceding an early penalty raised the deficit to two scores. Then crucially a promising attack was developed only for possession to be spilled inside the home 22 and with the defence committed elsewhere, home full back Thomas, galloped the full length of the pitch to make the home advantage 13 – 0.

At this stage Penarth used substitutes to give a more recognisable shape to their 15.

Tom Hillman made way for Richard Merrett allowing Kevin Maddox to drop to full back, James Docherty to switch to fly half and Jerome Bryan to take on hooking duties. Finally Mike Clare left for Tom Luck allowing Stuart Clarke to join Richard Howells in the second row.

These changes also presaged a change of style as Penarth moved up a gear and took charge up front. A succession of picks and drives thrust deep into home territory and the ensuing maul could only be halted illegally.

With the home flanker yellow carded the screw was turned and Jerome Bryan was in the middle of a mauling heap to claim the five points.

Another penalty resulted from Penarth scrum’s destruction of the home eight and eight points had been clawed back.

This success was built on and a carbon copy rolling maul left Bryan again claiming the points with the referee indicating only a couple of minutes remaining until full time.

At 13 – 13 this may have been a fair result on the balance of play but at the death Penarth were judged to have used hands in the scrum and Pentyrch’s Morgan Hayward opted to pit himself against the wind and distance.

He struck cleanly but the ball hung tantalisingly in the wind before dropping just over the bar and denying Penarth two hard fought and possibly critical points.

Penarth: Tom Hillman (Richard Merrett); Nathan Palmer; Alex Thau; Stuart Clarke; James Crothers; Kevin Maddox; Gareth Mathias; Jerome Bryan; James Docherty; Sean O’Sullivan; Richard Howells; Mike Clare (Tom Luck); Scott Mackie; Tom Bartlett and Elliot Smith.

Next week there will be an appetiser for the 6 Nations French game at the Athletic Field kick off at 2:30pm versus Gweyrnyfed. Why not come and afterwards watch the international in the clubhouse.