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17 September 2017 / Club News

Bridgend Athletic 6 Maesteg 9

 

Bridgend Athletic 6 Maesteg 9

National League Div 1 West Central – Sat Sept 16th 2016

 

Bridgend Athletic pack failed to match the intensity they showed away at Tondu the previous week and a very flat lack lustre performance saw them generally second best to a Maesteg side showing more enthusiasm for the contest. The game was as dire a spectacle as the miserable weather providing an error strewn match on a greasy Newbridge Fields surface that the visitors deserved to win by 9 points to 6.

 

After a bright Athletic opening quarter, the Maesteg pack kept the Athletic largely on the backfoot with only Athletic flanker Cameron Thomas and No 8 Sean Williams excelling in defence and Williams ruling the line out. All too often the Athletic far too easily turned over possession. Athletic centre Tom Jenkins tried hard to attack, but found it difficult with the Athletic generally going backwards. The first points came on the stroke of half time when the Athletic were judged to have illegally stopped a rolling maul. They paid a double penalty with hooker Lee Murphy consigned to the sin bin and Maesteg centre Sam Griffiths adding the 3 points.

 

The Athletic again started the second half on the front foot and levelled the scores when centre Robin Davies followed his hat trick of penalties against Tondu with an excellent 45 metre kick. Five minutes later his second penalty saw the Athletic take a 6-3 lead. The introduction of Athletic prop Matthew Norman completely changed the scrum momentum, with the Athletic gaining ascendancy and even winning a scrum 5 metres from the Athletic try line and driving Maesteg back 30 metres before winning a penalty.  However, the home side failed to capitalise and the match drifted aimlessly until the final 10 minutes.

 

In a three-minute spell the result was turned on its head as Sam Griffiths put the visitors ahead with two quick penalties. This woke up the Athletic and they at last successfully moved the ball along the line. Wing Dan James sprinted 30 metres over the try line, but was bundled into touch in goal as he attempted to put the ball down. Maesteg then successfully retained possession to close out the game.

 

The Athletic face a potentially season defining game this Saturday Sept 23rd at the Morganstone Brewery Field Bridgend against last season’s Welsh Plate winners Ystalyfera. The team are missing the influence of club captain Ben Howe whose preseason arm injury is keeping him out for a few more weeks. The whole team and coaches need to iron out obvious problems this week, and need a good turnout and response in training. They need to improve on their lone try by lock Jonathon Stoker in the last two weeks.

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