Bridgend 41 Llanelli 5

By the Western Mail/Zippy

CUP winners Llanelli last night lost out on a third-place finish to Bridgend in the Welsh Premiership at the Brewery Field, writes Tony Poole.

Bridgend fly-half Gareth David landed penalties in the 10th and 20th minutes, but the niggle that accompanied the cup meeting surfaced.

It resulted in Bridgend hooker Ieuan Dobbs and Llanelli lock Bryn Griffiths being yellow-carded.

Bridgend captain and lock Mike Powell then became the third player to be binned in the 36th minute as the game degenerated into a stop-start affair.

But the 14 men hit back, and fly-half David kicked two more penalties, stretching the interval lead to 12-0.

It wasn't until the 52nd minute that the Scarlets opened their account with prop David Maddocks claiming a try, but it was all up for them once Steve Cullen and Dean Fitzgerald both collected tries for Bridgend to lead 29-5.

Zippy Continues………

Bridgend then ran riot and gained sweet revenge for the cup defeat, further tries were scored by Steve Cullen to take his tally to 2, Nathan Strong and the biggest cheer of the night was when Player/Coach Chris "The Bird" Stephens went over.

A crowded Grandstand gave the team a standing ovation after the game, and it was well deserved.

Bridgend will go through major changes over the summer with Leighton Samuel ending his envolvement with the club.

Bridgend will need to hold on to star players if they are to improve on this seasons 3^rd Place and semi final appearance.

Bridgend		(12)41-5(0)		Llanelli	FT
Tries: Fitzgerald Cullen. 2 Stephens Strong				Tries: Maddocks
Cons: David 2
Pens: David 4

Pontypridd 20 Aberavon 46

Aberavon were the dominant force early on, keeping play up in the home half and rewarded with a penalty kicked by their outside half Jamie Davies. A neat take in mid air by full back Jason Pocock sent Ponty away on a counter attack, but unable to forge the scoring pass with the try line within sight. Maintaining pressure, Ponty set up a position for outside half Richard Langmead to slot over a penalty to level the scores. Aberavon were soon back on the offensive, looking menacing against a fragile home defence. Camped in the Ponty twenty-two, the Wizards were well in control, allowing flanker Craig Moses to waltz through some weak tackles for a try, scored with sixteen minutes gone.

Ponty were struggling to cope with the visitors’ hard driving play, and yielding yet more points to another Jamie Davies penalty. Having so far barely contested the game, Ponty at last generated momentum with a series of quick tap penalties, only for Aberavon to intercept on their own twenty-two, a kick and chase counter attack ending with a try scored by winger Darren Griffiths. Despite their failings the home team tried to put width on the ball, and settling for a Richard Langmead penalty to notch up points on the board. A bad night for Ponty got worse as flanker Wayne O’Connor was stretchered off having taken a heavy tackle, replaced by Grant Harrington. Langmead was then off target with a penalty from forty metres out, with Ponty only staying in the game due to their opponents’ insistence on infringing and foul play.

Ponty were losing their own line out ball, the game itself degenerating into a poor spectacle, littered with fouls and errors. At long last Ponty strung together some useful phases of support play, a neat dummy by Richard Langmead taking the fly half over for a try which he also converted. Ponty were now more combatative, making use of a strong scrum to gain parity, but going into the interval trailing by 13 pts to 16.

A clean break through a slumbering home defence sent Aberavon cruising upfield from the restart, resulting in a try scored by centre Darren Ryan and converted by Davies. Ponty were still attempting to spread the ball wide but woefully struggling to make an impact. Aberavon continued to infringe, their prop Mike Harris yellow carded, as Ponty threw everything into attack only for the Wizards to intercept and send full back Liam Gadd racing clear for a try, converted by Davies. There were barely fifty-five minutes on the clock, and Ponty had already set themselves a mountain to climb, as hooker Steve Powell was replaced by Lee Williams.

Struggling for possession on their own throw, Ponty lacked the competency to mount a serious challenge, their cause further hampered by a yellow card dished out to lock Danny Hodge. Dafydd Lockyer now came on for Lloyd Warner, as Ponty still failed to come to terms with a contest of poor standard. The home team’s demise was reflected on the scoreboard as Aberavon fly half Davies sent another penalty sailing between the posts, hoisting his team to a 13 pts to 33 advantage. Ponty were now back tracking at a rate of knots, getting short shrift from the referee, and conceding yet another penalty which Davies converted. The game was by now dead and buried, still with fifteen minutes to play, as Gareth Jones came on in place of Paul John.

Some consolation came the home team’s way as lock Chris Martenko set off on a barnstorming run, stretching over the line to claim a fine individual try, the score converted by Langmead. With Ian Poley on for Ryan Harford, and Danny Hodge back on from the sin bin, Ponty once more ebbed away in the face of Aberavon’s concerted drives, their no 8 Richard Morris powering over for a try. Greg Evans was next off the bench, in place of Jason Lewis, followed by Stuart Williams in place of Gerald Cox, as the last five minutes of the game were lit up at long last by an enterprising phase of play from Ponty, but far too little and too late to make an impression. In a cruel final twist, Aberavon once more poured upfield with a foot rush attack, winger Richard Carter going over for a try to round off the final score at 20 pts to 46. A dismal evening came to a close, and the season’s campaign for Ponty ending with a whimper, not a bang.

Pontypridd:

15.Jason Pocock. 14.Darren Berry. 13.Lloyd Warner (Dafydd Lockyer). 12.Jason Lewis (Greg Evans). 11.Chris Clayton. 10.Richard Langmead. 9.Paul John (Gareth Jones).

1.Gerald Cox (Stuart Williams). 2.Steve Powell (Lee Williams). 3.Ryan Harford (Ian Poley). 4.Danny Hodge. 5.Chris Martenko . 6.Lee Evans. 7.Wayne O’Connor (Grant Harrington). 8.Dan Godfrey – cpt.

Pontypridd		(13)20-46(16)		Aberavon	FT
Tries: Martenko Langmead				Tries: Ryan Morris Gadd Griffiths Carter. Moses
Cons: Langmead 2				Cons: Davies 2
Pens: Langmead 2				Pens: Davies 4