Featured Match:

Division Two (West):

Seagulls do just enough to beat The Blues

Haverfordwest 5 Fishguard & Goodwick 13

Fishguard & Goodwick completed the double over a Haverfordwest side which knew that relegation was a certainty but still played with a passion which belied that fact.

The Seagulls looked in control at the interval as they led 13-0 but the home side refused to throw in the towel and claimed the only points of the second period when talented young second row Jack Clancy rounded off a good move with a 20-metre run to the line.

Haverfordwest welcomed back centre Ollie Reyland from Narberth as Lee Summons and Danny Morgan tried hard to utilise hard-won possession in a scoreless first quarter with the wind at their backs, but Seagulls’ man of the match Kial Keane organised their defence in conjunction with the efforts of skipper Gavin Walsh, Chris Shousha, Simon James and Luke Freebury in a lively back row.

Once The Seagulls had weathered the early home attacks they opened the scoring with a push-over try from No 8 James which Keane converted to go with two well-struck penalties.

It says a great deal for The Blues’ resilience that they battled hard after the oranges but Clancy’s try was their only reward as The Seagulls' supporters were able to savour a short cameo from veteran No 8 Randall Williams as they followed an 11-3 home win when the teams met at The Moors with this eighth victory from 18 starts that takes them hopefully towards their own safety.

Haverfordwest:
Matthew Davies: Steve Thomas; Gareth Owen; Ollie Reyland; Will Curtis: Danny Morgan; Lee Summons: Jamie Zambas; Kyle Hamer; Terry Lovell: Jack Clancy; Liam Brown: Dan John; Morgan Layton, Adam Williams.

Replacements: Tom Parry; Ieuan Williams; Will Ridge; Gethin Thomas; Dewi Williams.

Fishguard & Goodwick:
Jerome Conlan: James Reynolds; Michael Jenkins; Ben John; Thomas George: Kial Keane; Andrew Williams: Andrew Morrillo; Gavin Walsh; Ryan McVeigh: Gwilym Evans; Jac Evans: Luke Freebury; Chris Shousha; Simon James.

Replacements: Owain Rowlands; Gerwyn Davies; Liam Wilkes; Randall Williams; Alun George.

Referee: Alun Emmanuel


Division One (West): 

Preseli Men power to late win over Borderers

Whitland 8 Crymych 13

Late tries by replacement winger Lawrence Headlam and winger Gethin Gibby helped Crymych to a local derby double over Whitland; a defeat which sends The Borderers down a division as a result of being docked four points for fielding illegible players, ironically in the previous match between these clubs.

It was always going to be a tight contest and proof of that came with only six points scored in the first period, with No 10 Nico Setaro slotting a Borderers’ penalty and Crymych full back Gavin Thomas responding in similar fashion.

The Borderers played with commitment as Zac France-Miller, Ryan Michael, Dai Ebsworth and skipper Jack Mason were heavily involved alongside Adam Clark, playing on permit from Narberth.

But they were matched up front via Rhys Davies, Dion Gibby, Richard Sharp-Williams, Guto Davies and captain Tom Powell so that scoring chances were hard to come by until The Borderers finally broke the deadlock when a quickly-taken tap penalty saw flying winger Sean Coles race over for an unconverted try.

And that is the way that the scoreline stayed until the closing stages, when Crymych drew level with an unconverted try be replacement winger Lawrence Headlam after good work by replacement hooker Dylan Phillips.

Then winger Gethin Gibby added a second for the Preseli Men following a tapped penalty and although Whitland tried desperately to claw their way back they couldn’t break down the stubborn Crymych defence that was well organised by Gareth Davies – and the visitors added to their 27-10 home win with this hard-fought victory that puts them in sixth place.

Whitland:
James Stephenson: Deian Augustus; Alun Howells; Rhys Schivoney; Sean Coles: Nico Setaro; Andrew Jenkins Aaron Mayne; Gethin Lewis; Ryan Rees: Adam Clark; Dai Ebsworth: Zac France-Miller; Ryan Michael; Jack Mason (Capt). Replacements: Benjamin Kirk; Jacob Dewhurst; Danny Evans; Andrew Hawkins; Lloyd Williams.

Crymych:
Gavin Thomas: Gethin Gibby; Tomos Phillips; Tomos Lewis; Nick Bevan: Gareth Davies; Dafydd Phillips: Steff Harries; Lee Griffiths; Lewis Davies: Dion Gibby; Rhys Davies: Richard Sharp-Williams; Tom Powell (Capt); Guto Davies. Replacements: Ifan James; Dylan Phillips; Llyr Thomas; Lawrence Headlam; Arwel Davies.

Division Two (West): 

Seasiders succeed in Heywood Lane try-fest

Tenby United 52 Carmarthen Athletic 35

Tenby United maintained their thrust for promotion with a bonus-point win over a youthful Carmarthen Athletic side which fought hard after the interval after trailing 33-7 and looking under the cosh.

The Seasiders scored eight tries in an entertaining tussle but conceded five tries, the majority coming when they were reduced to 13 men for ten minutes, which caused a few flutters in the home supporters’ hearts.

Flanker Andrew Cook gave the Seasiders the early lead with a try converted by centre Ashley Sutton, who joined scrum half Matthew Morgan in adding tries converted by No 10 Toby Smith.

Athletic flanker Callum Smith reduced the deficit with a try goaled by centre Rob Thomas but Tenby had further scores from full back Johnny Morgan and Sutton again, one converted by Smith.

Replacement flanker Alex Thomas and Johnny Morgan again also crossed for The Seasiders to give Tenby what seemed an unassailable led but The Athletic benefitted from their numerical advantage with tries by prop James Nunian, Callum Evans again, winger Kevin Simpson and centre Gethin Francis, all converted by Rob Thomas.

But The Seasiders had the final word when Matthew Morgan claimed his second try which Sutton converted – and Tenby United picked up a deserved double after a 19-10 win in Carmarthen earlier in the campaign.
 

Division Three (West) A: 

Scarlets complete miserable two weeks for The Teifisiders

Cardigan 26 Pembroke 44 

Cardigan completed a miserable two weeks as they followed defeat in the National Bowl Semi-Final and in a vital league match at Milford Haven with another loss, this time at home against a Pembroke outfit which showed their capabilities with a full squad.

The Cardis trailed 12-20 at the break and were never able to wrest back the initiative from Geraint Lewis’s confident team which was looking to improve on the 25-all draw when the teams met earlier in the campaign at Crickmarren.

The Teifisiders scored tries by inside centre Emyr Harries and right winger Rhydian Jenkins in the first period as outside half Iestyn Crompton converted one of them, but all they could muster in the second period was a try by scrum half Llyr Jones alongside a penalty try when The Scarlets were deemed to have pulled down a maul near their own line, both converted by Crompton.

The Scarlets had Tom Lewis and Lewys Gibby as a highly effective young half back pairing and they also used the raw power of Sam Smith up front and Dom Colman in the centre.

Hooker Max Hayward opened the scoring for Pembroke and other tries came from Colman (2), Smith, Gibby and Lewis, two of them converted by full back Luke Hartland.

Plain sailing for The Mariners in second half

Laugharne 21 Milford Haven 30

Milford Haven trailed 21-15 at the interval at Laugharne but Steve Barnett’s boys raised the tempo in the second half to score three more unconverted tries and earn the double since they had already beaten ‘The Boathouse Boys’ at home by 37-27.

This win confirms The Mariners as runners-up in the section table but there must be lingering thought about whether they might have snatched the silverware if they had played with more consistency at key times in the season, especially in their tussles with eventual winners St Clears.

There were signs of that inconsistency in a tight first period as they trailed 21-15 to a gritty Laugharne outfit that finished up with tries by full back Tom Davies, centre Tom Jameson and prop Rhys Thomas, all three converted by Jameson.

In sharp contrast, the mariners kicking was uncharacteristically of target as all their tries from Craig Barnett, Ben Groves, Lee Riley, Luke Ryan, Josh Thomas and Ryan Mansell were unconverted but whatever coach Barnett said at half time it worked because they tightened their defence and kept out Laugharne’s runners – and finished their season with 15 victories, which was no mean feat indeed!