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Bridgend Athletic can award themselves 10/10 as they completed their Division 1 East Central campaign with their 10^th consecutive league win with a hard fought 22-19 victory against a very good St Josephs team. This completed their 5^th league double of the season having defeated the Cardiff side 25-15 at home two weeks ago.  A measure of the task was in each games both sides scored 3 tries apiece with the boot of Athletic outside half Luke Bevan the deciding factor. This win kept the Athletic in 2^nd place in the table and guarantees a top four finish dependant on Rhiwbina and Rumney’s performances in their remaining games.

In bright sunshine St Joseph’s enjoyed first use of a strong breeze. From the start it was evident both sides were looking to play Barbarian style rugby in their final game this season. The Athletic made a bright start with lock Will Petchell prominent in carrying the ball. However, it was the Joes who struck first. From a penalty line out 15 metres out their jumbo pack proved unstoppable in a driving line out maul for prop Mackenzie James to be driven over the whitewash. Joes captain No 8 Olly Young added the conversion. The Athletic failed to kick the restart 10 metres giving the home side a scrum on half way. A huge drive saw the scrum half surge upfield and two passes later full back Tony Edrolls crossed in the corner to give his side 12-0 advantage.

This spurred the Athletic and two minutes later a succession of penalties saw them with a penalty line out 15 metres from the Joes try line. Emulating the home side although a considerably lighter pack their technique saw No 8 Ben Davies across the try line. Luke Bevan’s conversion reduced the deficit to 12-7. Five minutes later following another driving maul the Athletic half backs Aled Thomas and Luke Bevan released centres Tom Jenkins and Tom Davies. Wing Owain Leyshon was given the final pass and sped to the corner to dive towards the try line. An illegal no arms shoulder charge prevented the certain try causing the referee to award a penalty try and yellow card to the St Joseph’s centre. Within 7 minutes from 12-0 down the Athletic now led 14-12 and brought up thir 400^th league point of the season. Leyshon should have been involved in a further try when full back Sam Richards broke clear but failed to deliver accurately a try scoring pass to the unmarked wing.

With three minutes of the half remaining powerful Joes No 8 Olly Young received a pass wide out on the wing and brushed aside three Athletic tacklers to cross in the corner. With the final move of the half Bevan broke and attempting to stretch for the line through a tackle grounded inches short and the ball went forward ending the half 19-14 in favour of St Josephs.

5 minutes into the second half the Athletic put together an impressive period of play showing patience in going through around 20 phases with lock Ben Cording, hooker Lee Murphy and back row forwards Sean Williams and MOM and captain Ben Howe prominent. This resulted in a 15-metre line out penalty. Murphy found lock Ben Cording and another well coached driving maul saw scrum half Aled Thomas cross to level the scores at 19-19 and record the Athletics’ 50^th league try this season. The Athletics’ scrum also steadied with Wayne Fooks, Matthew Muir and replacement front row forwards Matthew Norman and Nathan Holman consolidating, with Jonathon Stoker adding extra bulk at lock. On the hour mark Joes were caught offside in front of their posts. With such a tight game the Athletic decided to go for goal and Bevan duly obliged to give his side a narrow 22-19 advantage.

Joes had a period of pressure inside the Athletic 22 but excellent defence kept them at bay. The siege was ended when 5 metres from his try line Bevan intercepted and ran towards half way. A potential try scoring long pass to flying wing Will Barraclough was judged forward with Barraclough clean away. This was Bevan’s last involvement as he hurt his knee and was replaced for the final 15 minutes by veteran outside half and backs coach Stuart Morris. Morris used his experience and trusty left peg to keep Joes inside their own half and having to attempt to attack from distance. A well drilled Athletic defence ensured they were to preserve their 10-match winning run with a narrow 22-19 victory.

Team Manger Paul Hearne commented “We ground out a win playing too much rugby in the wrong areas especially near the end of the game. MOM was captain Ben Howe.”

The Athletics’ season can be split into two very contrasting halves. After 9 games their playing record was P9, W3, L6, PF 145, PA 192, TF 15 TA 25 – and 10^th in the league with 14 points. Following a humiliating 35-8 5 try drubbing at Llantrisant on Nov 24^th came a Damascus type turn around. Coaches John Apsee, Stuart Morris, David Williams and Gerald Williams made 2 big decisions that completely changed their side’s fortunes. Last season’s big and speedy youth back row of Tom Davies, Will Barraclough and Owain Leyshon was struggling for game time with established incumbents Ben Howe, Sean Williams and Ben Davies difficult to dislodge. The solution to shore up a leaky back division was to move Davies to centre and Barraclough and Leyshon onto the wings. The second decision was to return from the Brewery to the club’s natural home at Newbridge Fields. The team never looked back and their playing record in the final 13 Games was W12, L1, PF269, PA 144, TF 35, TA 21 and 51 league points in those games, with all 6 games at Newbridge Fields won including a role reversal 45-9 defeat of Llantrisant. Davies, Barraclough and Leyshon contributed 11 tries in the season's complete change of fortunes.

The Annual Player of the Year Awards Night takes place at the Heronston Hotel on June 1^st.