Fixture

Bridgend Sports Club 16 Porthcawl 19

This much awaited top of the table battle was worth waiting for. Having played twice this season already, with one win apiece, the sides knew each other well. It was always going to be close and that’s how it turned out. Early pressure came from the visitors, Porthcawl, but the Sports defence held the initial attacks well. After 10 minutes of this, a mistake at a ruck gave Josh White and Porthcawl the chance to take the lead with an easy penalty and we know how good a kicker he is and the lead was taken. The Sports took the game to Porthcawl for the first time with good running from wing Jack Evans, supported by openside flanker Cory Thomas. In the Sports forwards Gary Punter had some strong bursts along with skipper Lloyd Wilson who led from the front. It was now the turn of the Porthcawl defence to perform as the Sports dominated field position and forced Porthcawl into giving away a penalty that was quite far out and Mark Davies’ attempt just failed to level the score.

However, from the restart Porthcawl drove to the Sports 22 and were awarded a penalty that Josh White converted to take his side to a 0-6 lead. This was end to end stuff and the very next visit to the Porthcawl 22 saw outside half and kicker Mark Davies injured, a penalty given, and Josh Davies take over kicking duties and reducing the visitors lead to 3-6. Although in the Porthcawl half for most of this period when the Sports took a long clearance kick there was confusion and the ball not cleared, and another penalty given for not releasing. Josh White pushed the visitors to a 3-9 lead. As we approached half time the Sports drove to the Porthcawl line with Matthew Donnelly and they are rewarded with another difficult penalty chance that Josh Davies took and the score went to 6-9 with no time really in the half left. But before the referee could blow up there is a chance of one more play and this is almost the turning point of the game as the Sports fail to catch the ball from the kick off and the loose ball is hacked through by the fast Porthcawl chase. The ball bobbles about and a very messy but effective try in snatched by the Porthcawl center. The difficult kick from the touchline is a good one for Josh White and the half ended 6-16 to the visitors.

The second half was dominated by the Sports who forced an early error from Porthcawl and indiscipline and some chat to the referee allowed the Sports 10 extra meters to take a now kickable penalty, which Josh Davies obliged with. 9-16 and he Sports just a score away. All the territory was now dominated by the Sports as they launched attack after attack at Porthcawl. The defence held. The Sports were giving the visitors a torrid time in the set pieces and were unlucky not to have a penalty try as the Porthcawl pack collapsed just meters out having been pushed for 10 meters. When Porthcawl cleared their line and were awarded a lineout throw in they for the first time had some line possession but when they tried to chip over the Sports defence the kick was charged down and an old fashioned ‘foot rush’ came into play. It was won by Sports centre Ken Morris who touched down between the post for a try as equally untidy as Porthcawl’s in the first half. When Josh Davies converted the scores were level with four minutes to go.

With light fading and the conditions now heavy this would have been a fitting end but on the first visit to the Sports half for 20 minutes, Porthcawl were awarded a penalty and this allowed them to score their only points of the half and win a most exciting game. A good local derby played in a fair hard manner and a credit to both sides and their coaches.