Beddau 0 Pontypool 33

Pooler win tough tussle against spirited Beddau

Pontypool travelled to Mount Pleasant Park on Wednesday to face Beddau for the second time in five days, writes Ray Ruddick. The first meeting at Pontypool Park on the previous Friday resulted in a comfortable 61-0 win for Pooler but this return game was anything but easy. Full credit to Beddau in their approach and performance and it has to be said that their defence was quite outstanding, particularly in the first half when they restricted their visitors to only one try. It was still tight in the second period until inside the final ten minutes when Pooler managed to get the all-important bonus-point try.

Pontypool kicked off defending the changing rooms end of the ground on a fine, dry and pleasant evening, again in their changed strip of blue jerseys. Although Pontypool enjoyed the lion’s share of territory and possession, the Beddau defence were very much up for the challenge and repelled all that Pooler could throw at them in the first 25 minutes. However, in the 27^th minute a great break by Pooler’s left wing Amosa Nove from his 10-metre line took play to near Beddau’s 22. The ball eventually reached centre Dai Langdon who squeezed over in the right corner for a try. The difficult conversion went narrowly wide (0-5). A very tight first half drew to a close with no further scoring so Pooler went into the break with a slender lead. Half time score – Beddau 0 Pontypool 5.

At the start of the second period Pooler made four changes with Pat Lewis, Dan Babos, Kelvyn Williams and Adam Stratton taking over from full back Geraint Walsh, scrum half Owain Leonard, tight head prop Tom Piper and flanker and captain Scott Matthews respectively. In the 45^th minute centre Deon Smith caught a relieving kick near Beddau’s 10-metre line, broke through the home defence with a strong run and scored a try next to the left upright. Outside half Matthew Jarvis converted (0-12). Ten minutes later Pooler flanker Callum Davies was replaced by the returning Scott Matthews.

On the hour Beddau had a scrum feed between their 22 and 10-metre line in midfield. The Pooler pack drove their opponents off the ball and visiting number eight Ieuan Jones picked up from the base of the scrum. Play went left with Amosa Nove receiving the scoring pass and sprinted 30 metres to score a try, 10 metres in from the left corner. Matthew Jarvis obliged from the tee (0-19). Then second row Lance Randall went off and Callum Davies returned while hooker Peter Lloyd made way for Aneurin Jenkins for the visitors.

In the 73^rd minute a superb break by right wing Mathew Powell took play into the home 22 and he passed inside to replacement full back Pat Lewis who scored the bonus-point try under the posts. Matthew Jarvis slotted the easy conversion (0-26). Then, in the second minute of injury time, Pooler’s replacement flanker Adam Stratton’s strength and power took him into Beddau’s 22 and, after several forward drives towards the Beddau goal line, replacement tight head prop Kelvyn Williams barged over for a try, his first for the club, near the posts which Matthew Jarvis duly converted. Final score – Beddau 0 Pontypool 33.

This was a tough tussle for Pooler against a spirited Beddau side whose commitment to the cause was admirable. However, it was Pontypool that secured a hard-earned bonus-point win which takes them to within five league points of claiming the Championship title. There are three games remaining for Pooler, who secured promotion to the Premiership last weekend following Bargoed’s defeat at Ystrad Rhondda. This Saturday, Pontypool travel to the capital and the challenge of Cardiff Metropolitan University at Cyncoed with a 2.30pm kick-off. Then on Tuesday 16 May Pooler face Ystrad Rhondda at Gelligaled Park in a re-match of the WRU Championship Cup Final, kick-off 7.30pm and the final match of the campaign will be on Saturday 20 May when Pontypool visit Ynysydarren Ground to take on Ystalyfera, kick-off 2.30pm.

Beddau: Cody Baker, Ewan Roberts, Tyler Wells, Sam Edwards, Fin Baker, Adam Ashford, James Murray, Ben Lee, Ethan Coombes, Gwilym Powell, Josh Thomas, Lloyd Evans, Lewis James, Jordan Goodwin (captain) and Dylan Williams. Replacements – Lloyd James, Sam Tiley, Lewis David, Cameron Evans and Ben Griffiths.

Pontypool: Geraint Walsh (replaced by Pat Lewis), Mathew Powell, Deon Smith, Dai Langdon, Amosa Nove, Matthew Jarvis, Owain Leonard (replaced by Dan Babos), Sam Cochrane, Peter Lloyd (replaced by Aneurin Jenkins), Tom Piper (replaced by Kelvyn Williams), Lance Randall (replaced by the returning Callum Davies), Alex Grey, Scott Matthews (captain, replaced by Adam Stratton), Callum Davies (replaced by the returning Scott Matthews) and Ieuan Jones.