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GWERNYFED  20   BRECON  19

COOL DODD WINS DAY

Brecon took the short trip to their country cousins in Talgarth, determined to reverse the previous season’s defeats. They so nearly returned to Parc de Pugh with the spoils but Gwernyfed were determined to retain bragging rights and did so with seconds to go in a typical derby game.

The sizeable crowd basking in the Black Mountains sun saw Danny Skyrme’s men start in fine style, pushing the visitors off the ball in the scrum and then, when opportunity presented itself, freeing Luke Exton who celebrated his return from injury with a fine solo try, Gareth Dodd adding the two points.

The green, white and blacks continued to dominate with George Barden controlling the line out and the home front row of Will Griffiths, Jon Davies and Craig Parry bossing the tight. Izaak Duffy looked dangerous in the centre and with Gareth Dodd joining the line another score looked inevitable.

Inevitability doesn’t feature large in these clashes. When Dodd scorched away once more, not only was he stopped by a sound Brecon defence, fly half Gareth Davies grabbed the ball and went over unattended from forty metres, Geri Davies levelling the scores with an excellent conversion from wide out.

Stunned by the score Gwernyfed allowed mistakes and indecision to creep into their game and, while they dominated territory and possession, the only other score in the first period came courtesy of some back chat to the

referee, Dodd penalising the visitors further with a three pointer.

The second period saw the Brecon scrum more secure, Smout coming on to anchor the pack. Building upon the sounder base the visitors started to edge back into the game and turned that effort into points when skipper Eurin Morgan finished off a move tight on the right hand touchline to open up a lead.

As the game moved on it was Brecon who looked the likelier victors. When a first class move down the left involving skipper Morgan and speedster Richard Andrews was finished by replacement Eifion Jones, allowing Davies an easy conversion, the large away contingent felt that victory was theirs.

David Roberts and the Gwernyfed pack had other ideas and when Brecon committed an offence in midfield that allowed Dodd to set up a line out five metres out, the combination of a Barden take and a superb maul caused mayhem in the defence whose ultimate response was to pull the edifice down. Referee Davies immediately awarded the penalty try, Dodd converting to reduce the deficit to two points.

With minutes to go Brecon should have closed the game down. However, now it was the visitors’ turn to make mistakes, allowing Gwernyfed back upfield and then going offside in their eagerness to quell the invasion. Gareth Dodd was the coolest man at Trefecca Road, stroking the ball over to record a last gasp victory for Danny Skyrme’s side in what was a thoroughly enjoyable game watched by a healthy crowd.

The old foes meet again in January when Brecon will be even more determined to break Gwernyfed’s stranglehold over the fixture. However, next week Brecon play hosts to Llanishen while Gwernyfed travel

to Nelson, both teams hoping that they can overcome opposition who have started the season well.