Fixture

Alltwen got their 2019/20 season underway with a valuable and well deserved away victory at Neath Athletic.

In a hard fought game which could have gone either way right until the final whistle, a late try by Aaron Burford brilliantly converted by Sam Batty proved enough to make the crucial difference to the final score.

From kick off it quickly became evident that this was going to be a contest between the strength and experience of the Alltwen pack and the quicksilver pace and finishing skills of some key Neath Athletic backs.

The match began in exactly that pattern with a series of strong scrums and attacks from Alltwen, only for the home side to set their young and pacey full back free out wide, for him to finish impressively.

Led by man of the match Steve Morgan, a strong front row and with no 8 Declan Bale featuring strongly, Alltwen began to wrestle back the initiative. After wing Tom Riley showed great willingness in defence, a series of attacks finally culminated in a well taken try by centre Jordan Hopkins. Realising he wasn’t held in the first tackle, Hopkins scrambled over the line before the opposition could recover.

After a penalty from Batty had pushed his side in front, Alltwen looked as though they would take a lead into the interval when scrum half Liam Roberts crossed after a number of close-range attacks from his pack. The good work was undone however when with the last move of the half, a lapse in defensive concentration allowed the home inside centre to breach Alltwen’s defensive line and cross unopposed between the posts.

The second half continued as the first, with the match becoming an enjoyable game of nip and tuck, with each breakdown well contested.  A second penalty from Batty nudged his side ahead, only for a loose kick to again leave the Neath Athletic full back with the space to set up a counter attack, resulting in a try that enabled his side to retake the lead at a crucial stage.

Despite struggling for lineout ball throughout and hampered further by a hamstring injury to the impressive Bale, the visitors were not to be outdone. Using the power of their scrum allied to some aggressive mauling, hooker Burford was set free at the corner to begin the new season in the same try poaching form he showed at the end of last.

In a thrilling final few minutes made closer by a home side penalty, Alltwen defended their line with resolve aided by some excellent clearance kicking from Batty. Despite a false alarm when what seemed the final whistle caused some of the Alltwen players to prematurely ejaculate, one final scrum saw the ball cleared and deserved celebrations ensue.

Alltwen’s attention now turns to cup week with a trip to Abercrave, Saturday 21^st Sept 2:30 pm before the league season resumes with the visit of Glais on the Saturday following.