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Page 1 of 2 Neath 22 - 10 Pontypridd
A cold, crisp, bright day provided the perfect platform for these two teams' adventurous brands of running rugby, and so it was to the kick-off, where Pontypridd were instantly on the offensive - Nathan Strong's chip flying headward into touch. Neath's subsequent lineout went awry, and Ponty showed some grit in the ensuing scrummage. With both teams looking sprightly, and willing to get involved, the match promised much, but Ponty's willingness to chip and chase proved to be their downfall, as possession was all too often squandered, and the pressure on our back line was, on occassion, too much to take. As it transpired, the pressure was telling, with both Matthew Nuthall and Morgan Stoddart being the launchpads for home Outside-half James Hook's penalty attempts within the space of 2 minutes, sending Neath 3-0 and then 6-0 up. The match was becoming a side-to-side, end-to-end affair, with both teams getting the desired momentum, and squandering chances at the crucial moment. Home advantage was telling though, as Hook once again put boot to ball after Dafydd Lockyer was pulled up for an early tackle. 9-0 to Neath. 3/4 of the way through the first half and the chants began in earnest, "Ole Ole Ole Ole, Ponty Ponty" echoing around the Town-end stand at the Gnoll, Ponty were now in the ascendancy, driving upfield but again having a negligible effect on the scoreline, a glut of handling errors being the away team's bete noir. A combination by Nuthall and Dafydd Lockyer was enough for Ponty to escape Neath's clutches and storm upfield, but once again, points went the way of the Dodo, as the referee, Huw David, pulled the Valley Commandos up once again. Quality breaks were there for all to see, but it was the lack of quality possession that frustrated the travelling support. Moments later, however, a break by lock Chris Martenko sent him headlong upfield, in a manner akin to a gazelle being hunted by a marauding pack of cheetahs - his link with Ben Phillips hurling the latter into a stampeding frenzy, with the ball touching down just short of the tryline. Neath infringing, however, gave Ponty a penalty chance, although Paul Matthews nudged it shy of the uprights. From the kickoff, Neath baracked their way into the Pontypridd 22, and reaped the benefit of the ref's whistle - Hook's penalty attempt was once again successful, sending Ponty down 12-0. A repeat performance by Morgan Stoddart minutes later, after a yellow card for Neath's Andrew Llywellyn, was unsuccessful, leaving Pontypridd trailing by 12-0 at half time. The second half (probably after a few well-chosen words by head coach, Simon King) started with a bang, with Ponty looking for all the World like a new team, Morgan Stoddart's run from deep releasing Martenko, who seems born to run! Neath were content to kick at this point, owing largely to the huge boot of Hook - Ponty, however, were ready, and winger Darren Berry shot off down the tramlines, flipping the ball out to whirlygig hooker, Ben Phillips who proffered the ball to flanker, Rhys Shellard, who subsequently claimed the score for Ponty. Paul Matthews' resulting conversion was successful, putting Ponty back in the running 12-7. Moments later, Ponty were lining up in front of the uprights once again, as Neath were bundled around their own pitch, seemingly at will, conceding a penalty, which Matthews gladly launched between the sticks, Neath 12 - 10 Ponty. The substitutions began with Adam Powell replacing tireless flank-forward Lee Evans, and two teams who just wanted to play ball gave the supporters something to savour. It seemed, though, that the script wasn't intended for Ponty's eyes, as a speculative kick by Stoddart culminated in a penalty attempt for James Hook - and with deadeye accuracy, he put Neath 15-10 up. Ponty simply couldn't hold possession, and infringing in the tackle area gave Hook another chance to put the All Blacks ahead - but a last-minute change to the storyline had Hook hooking wide of the mark... to the great relief of the Sardis stalwarts. Neath were now in the ascendancy - and a break by the man of the hour James Hook, put him under the posts, and with a successful conversion attempt, Neath were 22-10 ahead, and looking unstoppable. With Chris Dicomidis on for Chris Martenko, Ponty won a penalty, and if a miss gave three points, we'd have been in fine form... unfortunately, that's not the way Rugby works, and with Ponty still trailing by 12, there didn't seem to be a lot we could do. With another yellow for Neath, Pontypridd fired the ball into touch, and the resulting lineout saw Rhys Shellard lunging for the tryline, coming down just short - an event which kicked-off a full-scale brawl between two frustrated teams. The referee's verdict fell in Ponty's favour, but the quick tap had captain Nathan Strong cursing, as he knocked-on, relieving the pressure on Neath and leaving the final score at 22-10. Report from Ponty.net
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