By The Wales On Sunday

CUP winners in 1979 and 1980 Bridgend moved into the quarter-finals of this year's competition at the expense of Pontypool, who were winners in 1983.

It was a comfortable win but standards were not high with far too many unforced errors from both sides littering play throughout.

Some useful prodding from full-back Anthony Carter produced a couple of three-quarter attacks from the visitors in the opening quarter, but it was home side Pooler who took the lead with a Sam Mills penalty.

When Phil Booth went to the sin-bin for foul play, Bridgend had to withdraw flanker Marvin Thomas from the action in order to put Adrian Phillips into the front row. At the end of this reshuffle, Gareth David levelled the scores with a penalty.

When Bridgend skipper Mike Powell began to dominate at the line-out, the Ravens were able to turn on the style.

David carved out a break and Grant Epton had no problems with the run-in.

Dan Hitchings was nearly over soon afterwards following a neat kick, chase and pick-up but was crowded into touch.

But the Pooler defence was all at sea when Ryan Howells took them on and scorched over for a second try before the interval.

Fly-half David went ghosting his way through the defence again on the resumption, and Pontypool brought on their club captain, the inspirational Cae Trayhern, to counter his menace.

Trayhern's presence had an immediate effect. He set up Andy Egford for a kick-and-chase that brought some life into a game that was dying on its feet.

Bridgend prop Geraint Long was sent off in the closing stages for swinging a punch in the direction of his opponent, but Bridgend had the last word with two more penalties from Gareth David.

Pontypool: Try - A Egford; Pen - S Mills.

Bridgend: Try - G Epton, R Howells; Cons - G David (2); Pens - David (3).

A surge upfield from the kick off took Ponty into a favourable position for outside half Dai Flanagan to kick a penalty. The Keys responded with a series of charges into the home twenty-two, but failing to break a resilient Ponty defence. The Valley Commandos then broke away with a kick and chase, enabling Dai Flanagan to put over a long range penalty, with seven minutes gone.

The scoreboard was kept in motion as Cross Keys immediately struck back with a penalty converted by full back Darren Miles. The game was already evolving into a fierce battle for possession in the loose, the visitors instigating another concerted attack, allowing Darren Miles to stroke over a penalty, levelling the scores at six points apiece. The Keys pack were now on a roll, mauling their way upfield to good effect, and posing serious questions of the home defence, for whom Jason Pocock came on as blood replacement for a battle scarred Morgan Stoddart.

Ponty now did their best to put together some fluent back line moves, but so far unable to achieve any real continuity. A Keys counter attack was cut ruthlessly short by a Dale McIntosh big hit in midfield, but home outside half Flanagan then off target with a wide angle penalty attempt. With Cross Keys penalised for constant infringing, Ponty took advantage with a drive right up to their opponents’ line, but flanker Rhys Shellard harshly deemed to have gone through a double movement in touching down. Persistence finally paid off for Ponty as Dai Flanagan hoisted over a penalty from twenty-five metres out, with thirty-one minutes gone on the clock.

With Stuart Williams on as temporary blood replacement for Gerald Cox, Ponty sat back to soak up another period of Keys pressure, and eventually conceding points to a Darren Miles penalty. Cross Keys continued to press forwards, a series of close range charges putting the Ponty defenders on the back foot, but just holding out against the onslaught. Responding with a fine support move down the flank, Ponty kept the ball in hand to send scrum half Gareth Jones sniping in for a try, the conversion from Flanagan just edging the home team into an interval lead of 16 points to 9.

An early second half rush upfield by Cross Keys took them deep into the home twenty-two, the ball moved wide following an initial forward charge, for winger Nathan Williams to cross for a try out wide. Although finding it hard to sustain a platform up front, Ponty were still striving to run the ball at every opportunity, but without gaining the momentum needed to forge a path upfield. The home team’s midfield runners were continually bottled up by the Keys defence, and outside half Dai Flanagan pulling wide a kickable penalty to compound Ponty’s frustrations.

Despite gaining the upper hand in the scrums, the home team were largely floundering within their own half, making little impact on the gain line, and eventually conceding a penalty which was successfully converted by Keys full back Darren Miles, with fifty-seven minutes gone. A half break by centre Tom Riley at last gave Ponty some forward momentum, but full back Morgan Stoddart – with Dai Flanagan down inured – off target with a kickable penalty. Undaunted, Ponty threw everything into attack, stringing together some nat phases of play, and with Keys lock Damian Hudd sin binned for impeding the flow of the ball, home outside half Dai Flanagan converting the ensuing penalty.

A double substitution saw Jason Lewis on for Dafydd Lockyear and Chris Martenko for Grant Harrington, as Ponty were once more pegged back in their own half, grimly defending their fragile two point lead. The Keys strung together an effective passing move across field, but spurning a great scoring chance with a missed pass at the very end. Ponty struck back, once more taking advantage of their opponents’ policy of continuous infringing, as Dai Flanagan drilled over a vital penalty kick.

Stuart Williams now came back on in place of Gerald Cox, the game into its final ten minutes, high on raw tension but low on skill levels and creative flair. A blatant high tackle from Keys replacement centre Lee Humphreys saw him dispatched to the sin bin, Ponty doing just enough to keep play up in their opponents’ half in defence of their precious lead. Cross Keys now threw everything short of th proverbial kitchen sink at the home defence, but over vigorous in their approach, and continuing to concede penalties. It was to the immense relief of the Sardis Road crowd that the final whistle blew on a real blood and thunder cup tie, Ponty just holding out for victory by 22 pts to 17.

Pontypridd:

15.Morgan Stoddart (Jason Pocock temp). 14.Darren Berry. 13.Tom Riley. 12.Dafydd Lockyear (Jason Lewis). 11.Richard Fussell. 10.Dai Flanagan. 9.Gareth Jones.

1.Gerald Cox (Stuart Williams). 2.Ben Phillips. 3.Ryan Harford. 4.Dale McIntosh – cpt. 5.Grant Harrington (Chris Martenko). 6.Wayne O’Connor. 7.Rhys Shellard. 8.Dan Godfrey.