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PENARTH 18  GWERNYFED 29

SEA AIR SUITS GWERNYFED

After a couple of disappointing results, Gwernyfed returned to winning ways when, on their first ever visit to Penarth, they returned home with a bonus point win and just a hint of a tan.

The visitors were not overawed by the fact that they followed in the footsteps of great man when Penarth were a force and entertained all of the top sides, including the Barbarians. The Talgarth men led by Danny Skyrme tore into attack and after a couple of flowing moves, a long pass from Gareth Dodd released young Keiron Jones who scored his first senior try. Dodd converted from wide out.

Flushed with success the green, white and blacks returned to the attack but the flair shown was their undoing as on two occasions flowing moves broke down and the seasiders capitalised with long distance tries by Sean O’Sullivan and Leon Bevan, the latter converted by impressive fly half Doherty.

The Gwernyfed pack took matters into their own hands and with Craig Fuller returning after a long suspension, he and props Craig Parry and Will Griffiths put the home scrum to the sword. With The visitors also dominant at the line out a score was inevitable. That it came from a push over try touched down by Steve Harley was also inevitable, this levelling the half-time scores.

Gwernyfed were in the ascendancy as the second period started but spoiled some promising openings by careless play and by falling foul of an over-zealous referee. Penarth took the lead through a Doherty penalty on the hour and skipper Skyrme called for a final quarter that would turn dominance into points.

The pack was securing good ball, allowing scrum half Mark Price the luxury of space at the base of the scrum. When Price combined with Harley the Llandefalle fencer had Zak Snape at his elbow, his good line breaking the home defence to allow Dodd a simple two pointer.

Sam Stephens and Jordan Curran were winning line out ball at will. Too often the resultant work was over-complicated, but when the pack reverted to the signature rolling maul there was nothing that the home defenders could do but to watch Steve Harley touch down for his second and a Gwernyfed bonus point.

Doherty reduced the arrears with a penalty but Penarth lived up to their billing at the bottom of the table and never really looked like winning, their chances finally snuffed out when veteran centre, ever-reliable, Darren Roe collected a loose ball and won a foot race from thirty metres to crown a solid win for the Trefecca Road men.

The excellent afternoon was completed by Barry Price’s Athletic XV beating Abergavenny Quins in a tight encounter, 30-24, to record their second win in a fortnight, reward for the early part of the season when they were pipped at the post in spite of a huge effort.

Next weekend sees the visit of old foes Dowlais to Trefecca Road. The coaching team will build upon the Penarth performance in training and offer a stern challenge to the Merthyr men.