Captain Scott Matthews believes it’s all about results over performance at this stage of the season.
Pontypool had to work hard to secure all five points at the Lewis-Lloyd Ground after a thrilling encounter with Narberth that could have gone either way.
Wing Mathew Powell put Pooler ahead inside five minutes but the Otters hit back through Ilan Phillips and Fraser Jones along with a Jonathan Rogers drop goal to lead 15-5.
That sparked Pooler into gear with skipper Matthews going over twice in seven minutes, however, a Nick Gale penalty meant there was only one point in it at the break.
Lewys Gibby crashed over in the second half to put the hosts back ahead before a strong spell of pressure was rewarded with a penalty try.
Gale kicked Narberth ahead again but Ieuan Jones then broke through towards the end before Matthew Jarvis sealed the win with a last-minute penalty.
The lead changed hands seven times in a breath-taking game but, ultimately, Pooler left west Wales with what they came for – a bonus-point victory.
And while performances are important, Matthews just wants to keep ticking off the wins as promotion to the Indigo Premiership draws ever nearer.
“It’s always tough because of the elements coming down to Narberth,” he said.
“They are a dogged team and they are awkward to play against because they kick the ball a lot.
“But also after the highs of last week coming to a really tough place like Narberth keeps you grounded as a player.
“So for many different reasons it certainly is one of the toughest places to come and arguably they felt it was a good time to play us.
“It’s five points, a win is a win. We had to work hard for it.
“There is probably a little feeling of disappointment from the boys for our performance but as captain I thought the boys really dug in deep and I don’t think there are many teams that could have come back after going behind.
“So from my point of view it was really pleasing that we dug deep and ground out a win.
“This time of the season, as much as performances are important, results are key so the fact that we got five points is a success and full credit to Narberth for giving us a really tough game.
“You want to be in tough games, maybe this was a little too close for comfort at times but what we do really well as a group is we never panic or get on each other’s backs.
"Sometimes you see teams go behind and they start having a blame culture whereas we don’t have that.
“We have an attitude where your butty’s made a mistake and you know you can put it right for them and they can put it right for you.
“I think that’s a major part of us.
“We’ve got a real tough block of games coming up, which is not going to be easy down to the amount of games in a short space of time. But they are the cards we have been dealt and it’s the same for many other teams.
“I think it’s really important that we don’t moan about it and stay mentally tough.
“Be prepared that your body is going to hurt and it is going to be tough for everybody involved.
“But also not forgetting that every other teams is going to be feeling exactly the same way.”
While the game yielded maximum points for Pooler, it also saw Matthews continue his red-hot scoring form, taking his record to 17 in as many games.
Rather than focusing on himself, the skipper remained humble and preferred to lavish the praise on his teammates.
“I managed to get over the line twice today but I think it was a total of five metres so I can’t celebrate that too much,” he added.
“It’s really easy when you play with a good pack and as long as you are adding value to the team that is always important.
“I’m always pleased to add something so whether it’s a tackle, carry or try as long as you are adding something positive, it’s always pleasing.”
