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19 April 2018 / Club News

Bridgend Athletic 17 Bonymaen 15

 

Bridgend Athletic 17 Bonymaen 15

Div 1 West Central – Tuesday April 17th
Press Report

 

Following an excellent 38-21 bruising bonus point away win at Ystalyfera in which they ended their unbeaten seasonal league record on Saturday 14th April the Athletic only had a 3 day turn around before facing another top side Bonymaen at the Morganstone Brewery Field on Tuesday 17th April. The Athletic and Bonymaen with their 15-man approach were the leading points and try scorers in Div 1 West Central prior to the fixture. The Athletic with 487 points and 64 tries and Bonymaen with 466 points and 65 tries.

 

However, a combination of fatigue, slippery conditions and a high penalty count failed to produce an anticipated try feast. The Athletic were also defending an 11-match winning league run dating back to November 4th. When Bonymaen took a 15-10 lead with two minutes remaining to a dubious try started with a blatant forward pass missed by the referee, the Athletic supporters were resigned to defeat and the run ending. However, despite heavy legs the spirit of the team, led by captain Ben Howe who has not tasted defeat since returning from a preseason broken arm, refused to accept the inevitable. From the restart they somehow summoned the energy to tear into their opponents inside the Bonymaen 22, drawing a penalty which outside half Luke Bevan kicked to touch 5 metres from the visitors try line. With the referee calling final play hooker Nathan Holman found the reliable Sean Williams with the throw. Williams set up the driving maul which was halted just short of the try line. Scrum half Dan James sniped to the try line but was held up on the line. He managed to pass over his head to find centre Chris Price steaming towards the try line and manage to take the pass at head height and crash over for the equalising try. It also ensured the Athletic became the first Div 1 Central side to break through the 500-point barrier this season. Leading Athletic points scorer Bevan brought his season’s points tally to 179 with the conversion and a 17-15 win, which extended the winning run to 12 league games. Price and Bevan were mobbed by their jubilant team mates as following the conversion the referee blew the final whistle.

 

Buoyed by their win at Ystalyfera the Athletic pinned Bonymaen in their own 22 from the kick off. With 5 minutes on the clock they drove a 5-metre line out over the try line for veteran lock Jonathon Stoker to claim the try, which was fitting as he is the only Athletic player to play in all 21 Ath fixtures this season. Bevan converted. Bonymaen then took control of possession and territory, aided by a succession of penalties awarded against the Ath. Following a general warning the referee ran out of patience and sent Ath prop Wayne Fooks to the sin bin late in the half. A second Ath yellow card saw replacement hooker Nathan Holman suffer the same fate as Fooks a minute after replacing Lee Murphy on the hour mark. Excellent defence mainly from the back row of Ben Howe, Sean Williams and Ben Davies and centres Tom Jenkins and Chris Price prevented the visitors capitalising on their numerical advantage.

 

The final 10 minutes saw the scoreboard spring into life. Bonymaen stretched the Athletic across the field and an illegal tackle saw the referee run under the posts to award a penalty try. From the restart Bonymaen were penalised and Bevan restored the Athletic lead. It was déjà vu as the Athletic were penalised from the Bonymaen restart and James Sturgess levelled the scores at 10-10. With 2 minutes remaining as the Athletic waited for play to be halted for a blatant forward pass Bonymaen capitalised on the referee somehow missing it and wing Nathan Brooks crossed in the corner for an unconverted try. Showing amazing never say die character the virtually out on their feet Athletic turned the tables with the winning converted try during the final play of the match.

 

The Athletic would like to thank match sponsor Phil McCardle of Argies coffee for sponsoring the game. As a former Bonymaen player and committeeman before moving to Bridgend and taking up with the Athletic and sponsoring this fixture over several years, he has duel loyalty whichever way the result goes.

 

Adrian Burt

 

Bridgend Athletic 17 Bonymaen 15

Div 1 West Central – Tuesday April 17th
Press Report

 

Following an excellent 38-21 bruising bonus point away win at Ystalyfera in which they ended their unbeaten seasonal league record on Saturday 14th April the Athletic only had a 3 day turn around before facing another top side Bonymaen at the Morganstone Brewery Field on Tuesday 17th April. The Athletic and Bonymaen with their 15-man approach were the leading points and try scorers in Div 1 West Central prior to the fixture. The Athletic with 487 points and 64 tries and Bonymaen with 466 points and 65 tries.

 

However, a combination of fatigue, slippery conditions and a high penalty count failed to produce an anticipated try feast. The Athletic were also defending an 11-match winning league run dating back to November 4th. When Bonymaen took a 15-10 lead with two minutes remaining to a dubious try started with a blatant forward pass missed by the referee, the Athletic supporters were resigned to defeat and the run ending. However, despite heavy legs the spirit of the team, led by captain Ben Howe who has not tasted defeat since returning from a preseason broken arm, refused to accept the inevitable. From the restart they somehow summoned the energy to tear into their opponents inside the Bonymaen 22, drawing a penalty which outside half Luke Bevan kicked to touch 5 metres from the visitors try line. With the referee calling final play hooker Nathan Holman found the reliable Sean Williams with the throw. Williams set up the driving maul which was halted just short of the try line. Scrum half Dan James sniped to the try line but was held up on the line. He managed to pass over his head to find centre Chris Price steaming towards the try line and manage to take the pass at head height and crash over for the equalising try. It also ensured the Athletic became the first Div 1 Central side to break through the 500-point barrier this season. Leading Athletic points scorer Bevan brought his season’s points tally to 179 with the conversion and a 17-15 win, which extended the winning run to 12 league games. Price and Bevan were mobbed by their jubilant team mates as following the conversion the referee blew the final whistle.

 

Buoyed by their win at Ystalyfera the Athletic pinned Bonymaen in their own 22 from the kick off. With 5 minutes on the clock they drove a 5-metre line out over the try line for veteran lock Jonathon Stoker to claim the try, which was fitting as he is the only Athletic player to play in all 21 Ath fixtures this season. Bevan converted. Bonymaen then took control of possession and territory, aided by a succession of penalties awarded against the Ath. Following a general warning the referee ran out of patience and sent Ath prop Wayne Fooks to the sin bin late in the half. A second Ath yellow card saw replacement hooker Nathan Holman suffer the same fate as Fooks a minute after replacing Lee Murphy on the hour mark. Excellent defence mainly from the back row of Ben Howe, Sean Williams and Ben Davies and centres Tom Jenkins and Chris Price prevented the visitors capitalising on their numerical advantage.

 

The final 10 minutes saw the scoreboard spring into life. Bonymaen stretched the Athletic across the field and an illegal tackle saw the referee run under the posts to award a penalty try. From the restart Bonymaen were penalised and Bevan restored the Athletic lead. It was déjà vu as the Athletic were penalised from the Bonymaen restart and James Sturgess levelled the scores at 10-10. With 2 minutes remaining as the Athletic waited for play to be halted for a blatant forward pass Bonymaen capitalised on the referee somehow missing it and wing Nathan Brooks crossed in the corner for an unconverted try. Showing amazing never say die character the virtually out on their feet Athletic turned the tables with the winning converted try during the final play of the match.

 

The Athletic would like to thank match sponsor Phil McCardle of Argies coffee for sponsoring the game. As a former Bonymaen player and committeeman before moving to Bridgend and taking up with the Athletic and sponsoring this fixture over several years, he has duel loyalty whichever way the result goes.

 

Adrian Burt
 

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