Fixture

After a valiant effort in their previous game at home to Cefn Cribbwr, Alltwen got their season back to winning ways in another enjoyable encounter, away to Pontycymer.

Alltwen’s first visit to the Garw valley ground in a number of years, saw the visitors record a well deserved victory by 23 points to 12.

In gusty conditions that gave the home side first half advantage, Alltwen showed a number of changes form their previous match, with Nicky Chart filling the outside centre role. Maybe it was this that encouraged the home side to largely ignore use of the wind and run the ball at seemingly every available opportunity. They got very little change out of the Alltwen midfield however, with Chart supplying excellent support for regular centre Paul Morgan, well supported too by full back Gareth Ireland.

On the two key occasions when the Alltwen forwards managed to get a foothold into the opposition 22, their efforts were rewarded with penalties, which outside half Sam Batty converted expertly against the strong breeze. Although the home side managed to reply with a well-finished try wide out, their failure to convert meant that Alltwen went into the interval with a hard-earned 6-5 lead.

With Batty using the conditions and good platform supplied by his pack well, including some excellent lineout work from Alex Carne, the visitors began to grind their hosts down territorially. After a series of grinding scrums close to the Pontycymmer line, the referee awarded Alltwen a penalty try and some valuable breathing space.

The killer score then followed. Pressing once again in the visitor’s 22, scrum half Liam Roberts broke blind and found hooker Aaron Burford loitering on the wing. Burford threw such a good dummy in return that Roberts ran under the post himself, with the hooker scoring a bit wider out. The try was again well converted by Batty in the conditions.

The home side refused to throw in the towel and were rewarded with another well worked try, which although converted was matched by another penalty goal from Parry which ensured that the game was beyond Pontycymmers reach.

Alltwen will now seek a third consecutive league win in their next encounter, at home to Glyncorrwg , Saturday 23^rd March. KO 14:30. All welcome.