News

Dunvant 24 Bridgend Athletic 19

Div 1 West Central – Sat Jan 4^th

Bridgend Athletics’ 8 match and 3 month winning run came to an end with a late try securing a 24-19 victory for Dunvant. 1^ST placed Athletic and 3^rd placed Dunvant had fought out a 20-20 draw at Newbridge Fields on September 28^th and this game was also a very attritional battle in doubt until the final whistle.

In the first minute Dunvant carried over a kick ahead by Ath wing Sam Richards to concede a 5-metre scrum. The Ath went blind but spurned an overlap and a try went begging. It was the home side first on the scoreboard from a 35-metre penalty by outside half Richard Lewis.

The Athletic struck back when a series of pick and goes from halfway, with front row forwards Lee Murphy and Nathan Holman and flanker Sean Williams prominent and a mid-field break by Sam Richards, forced Dunvant to concede a penalty inside their own 22. Outside half Jacob Lloyd was on cue to level the scores.

Ath flanker Ben Howe ran a good angle to break into the Dunvant 22, where the home side again illegally halted the move, with the same consequence a second Lloyd penalty. Dunvant had the opportunity to level but their penalty struck an upright and was well cleared by Athletic debutant full back Geraint Roberts. The respite was short lived as the very large Dunvant pack kept play very tight with a series of pick and goes inside the Athletic 22 resulting in a short range try for prop Sam Martin. The conversion gave Dunvant a 10-6 advantage.

Good Athletic interplay with Matthew Muir, Ben Cording and Holman and Murphy again saw a pattern of Dunvant illegally halting the move and Lloyd punishing them with his 3^rd penalty. The Athletic opted to put another kickable penalty into the corner and trust their driving maul. Though the maul was halted the Athletic were awarded a scrum. Centre Dan O’Sullivan committed the Dunvant defence with a strong surge and when the ball was released quick handling saw lock Ben Cording free wing Sam Richards to race over in the corner. Lloyd’s excellent touchline conversion gave his side a 16-10 lead.

With 3 minutes remaining in the half a quick Dunvant tap penalty was halted on the Athletic line, but flanker Adam Gregory was on hand to pick up and dive over. Lewis converted to put the home side 17-16 ahead. With the final move of the half a big hit from Athletic centre Dan O’Sullivan saw Dunvant penalised for holding on. Lloyd’s 45 metre penalty fell just short.

Within two minutes of the restart Dunvant were caught offside and Lloyd’s fourth penalty gave the Athletic a narrow 19-17 lead. The Athletic then produced a 40-metre lineout driving maul with the referee awarding 3 penalties during the drive. The final penalty illegally pulling it down saw the referee’s patience run out consigning the Dunvant No 8 to the sin bin.

Prop Matthew Greenman was introduced for his Athletic 1^ST XV debut. However, the very large Dunvant pack was starting to have more of an influence on the game. The Athletic held onto their two-point lead with big performances from the back row of Ben Howe, Sean Williams and Ben Davies who on one occasion inside his own 22 picked up from a retreating scrum and made 25 metres, until the 77^th minute.

In trying to halt a driving maul down the right touchline the Athletic defended very narrow. When the ball came back to Dunvant outside half Hill he spotted wing Mark Roberts all alone wide on the left-hand touchline. His cross kick allowed Roberts to touch down with no Athletic player within 20 metres. Hill converted to give Dunvant a 24-19 lead. The Athletic tried everything with the final play to retrieve the situation but saw both their unbeaten run and top spot evaporate simultaneously.

Athletic head coach John Apsee was disappointed saying “We had three good scoring opportunities to take the game away from Dunvant in the first half. Sean Williams just edged Athletic MOM ahead of fellow back row forwards Ben Davies and Ben Howe. Full back Geraint Roberts made a pleasing debut with Jacob Lloyd, Dan O’Sullivan and Sam Richards the pick of the back division.”