LAST Saturday the Penarth RFC Youth travelled down the Vale in the Blues Premier league to stun Cowbridge RFC Youth with a well earned 10 -25 point victory.

With the weather turning warmer and dry after several days of rain, the Cowbridge pitch was perfect for running rugby and it was Cowbridge that applied the pressure on the Penarth boys in the first 8 minutes pushing for an early try in the Penarth 22m.

Line speed and defensive play held firm however for the Penarth boys as they drove back every attack from the home team.

As the Penarth boys pushed the Cowbridge attack away from their lines a great break from centre Aron Arthur put wing Mike Halligan into space and having been impeded in the Cowbridge 22m, outside half Joe Williams stepped up to take the early 3 points and put Penarth into the lead.

From the re start kick off Cowbridge again applied the pressure running several tap penalties back at the Penarth defence, however, outstanding defence from the Penarth back row of Thaine Baker, Hugh leach and Rhys Powell thwarted the progress of the Cowbridge pack as they disrupted and turned over ball.

On 17 minutes, a turn over ball from Powell was carried forward by Prop Geraint Williams supported by his front row of Rhys Newman and Tom Griffiths and from the break down the ball was spun out by scrum half Aled Rees and quick passing along the Penarth line saw wing Halligan again make progress into the Cowbridge 22m where a neat inside pass put centre Arthur over for Penarth's first try. With the conversion by Williams the score moved to 0 -10 to Penarth.

Cowbridge continued to hit back and a neat passing moving from a line out saw them get round the Penarth defensive line for the first time in the half. With the break down of play on the Penarth 5m line a great effort to keep out the Cowbridge forwards finally gave way and Cowbridge second row managed to wriggle his way over to take the score to 5 -10.

It was Penarth that hit back through just before half time when another infringement in the Cowbridge 22m saw Williams hit his second penalty and take the half time score to Cowbridge 5 Penarth 13.

Encouragement by the Penarth coaches at half time made sure that the Penarth team kept their composure as the match re started and despite some crunching tackles by centre Matt Frost, it was 18 minutes into the second half when Cowbridge breached the Penarth line for the second time to bring the score back to 10-13.

With the Penarth bench mobilised which saw Ryan Allen come on for injured Cam Sultana and George Price on the wing, the Penarth eight started to power through and dominate the scrums as the game progressed.

Following a long range penalty from the outstanding boot of Joe Williams, the Penarth eight found themselves with a line out on the Cowbridge 5m line and from the ensuing maul it was prop Williams who this time powered over for a try to take the score to 10 -18.

The pressure was all on Cowbridge as the Penarth boys started to take control, and with further changes off the bench which saw Lewys Williams make his debut at hooker and Owain Jones on for lock Alex Shore, it was wing Dex Trivett playing his first league game made a great run on the left wing and from the break down of play, it was scrum half Aled Rees who sealed the win on 65 minutes when he broke from the fringe of a ruck stepping inside the Cowbridge defence to sprint his way under the posts, to the delight of his team mates.

With the conversion by Williams, the final score was Cowbridge RC Youth 10 Penarth RFC Youth 25.