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Group H – Div 1 Cup Sat Sept 17^th, 2022

Bridgend Athletic have been drawn in Group H of a new format Div 1 National Cup Competition playing 3 games against Llanelli Wanders Away, Llangennech Home & Kengig Hill Away. The group winners will go forward to a National knock out competition. First up was Llaneli Wanderers.

The Ath fielded a team with 8 changes from the Dunvant game. Captain Ben Cording moving from lock to No 8 and tight head prop Matthew Norman the sole survivors in the pack. Last season’s youth captain Charlie Ashpole made his senior debut at openside flanker in place of injured captain Ben Howe and the returning Tom Morgan filled the blind side spot.

Llanelli playing with wind and slope advantage caught the Ath in a very disjointed opening quarter and opened a 13-0 lead with a try from full back Lewis Jones and two penalties from wing Jacob Williams.

The Ath finally got their act together and Angus Patterson kicked a penalty for a 5-metre touch. Hooker Lee Murphy who has transferred back to the Ath found lock Morgan Thomas and a driving maul saw scrum half Dan James break away to cross for the Ath’s opening score. More Ath pressure in which Dan James, Callum Reed and Ieuan Evans were prominent forced a penalty that Angus Patterson converted to reduce the half time deficit to 13-8.

The second quarter also saw the Ath scrum with props Norman and Jacob Perkins and Murphy consistently push their opponents back, while young locks Morgan Thomas and Harrison Morgan were doing well in the line out.

The Ath were now a much more cohesive unit and young locks Morgan Thomas, Harrison Morgan and Tom Morgan probed the home defence, before scrum half James threw a long pass straight to centre Callum Reed running a good angle to cross near the posts for Angus Patterson to convert and put the Ath ahead 15-13. Llanelli responded with 2 breaks that saw the Ath concede a penalty that Jacob Wiliams kicked to put his side 16-15 ahead.

The Ath responded with the try of the match. A 5-metre line out driving maul was halted. Scrum half James fed a back division that saw the Patterson brothers Angus & Joe, Reed and full back Will Bevan involved with slick passing. Bevan’s long pass out to wing Ieuan Evans saw him sprint over in the corner. Angus converted from the touchline and minutes later kicked a penalty from the 10-metre line to give the Ath daylight with a 25-16 lead.

James who had been on fire all game picked up the ball from a ruck 30 metres out and with speed and side steps waltzed past 4 defenders to cross in the corner for the Ath’s fourth try and a bonus point. Patterson again converted from the touchline to open a 32-16 lead.

 The Ath used all 5 replacements with Josh Carey replacing Will Bevan, Ben Owen – Lee Murphy, Wayne Fooks – Jacob Perkins, Lloyd Anthony – Charlie Ashpole and Lochie Barron – Dan Osarigie. Owen and Murphy later returned to the field in an Ath reshuffle.

The Ath took their foot off the gas and the Wanderers perseverance was rewarded with a consolation try in the last move of the game again scored by Lewis Jones.

Ath coach Gerald Williams said “The coaches are very pleased with the win, but the players who have worked hard and shown commitment in training know there is a way to go and challenges ahead to make the Ath into a consistent good competitive team. Well done to all 3 Ath sides on wins today.”

The club are grateful to Michelle Perkins for photographing today’s game, in the absence of John.

This coming Saturday the Ath return to Div 1 West Central action with a short trip to Tondu, where they will be looking to retain the Annual Daryl Dyke Memorial Trophy contested by the two sides in this fixture.