Aberavon 15 Ponty 3 - Match Review
By Zippy
November 1 2004
Review of this weekends action in the Welsh Premiership. Ponty were outscored by three tries to nil in this close encounter and remain in mid table.
Aberavon 15 Pontypridd 3
Ponty showed plenty of enterprise in the opening exchanges, a neat break from scrum half Carl Thomas taking them up into the home twenty-two. The Valleys team claimed a near monopoly of possession, their dominance rewarded by a forty metre penalty converted by full back Jason Pocock. Aberavon put together some powerful forward charges to make headway into the visitors’ half, the Ponty tacklers admirably fronting up to the physical challenge.
Aberavon continued to pound at the gain line, with Ponty centre Greg Evans sin binned for an infringement off the ball, but the home team failing to convert pressure into points with missed penalties. Poaching line out possession, Ponty once more set off on the offensive, but losing their momentum with some aimless kicking upfield. It was the Wizards who struck back with some neat interplay down the flank, allowing winger Paul Bamsey to cross for a try wide out. Ponty huffed and puffed in attack, but generally lacking the incisiveness to make good use of the plentiful possession coming their way, too often yielding the ball in contact.
A long period camped in the home half brought no reward for Ponty, so far frustrated in all their efforts to cut loose, and short changed by a stubborn Wizards’ defence. The first half drew to a close with another period of pressure initiated by Aberavon, their power play taking them right up to the visitors’ line. Some dogged defending by Ponty kept their opponents at bay, but going into the interval trailing by 5pts to 3.
Ponty made cautious inroads into the home half as the second period commenced, but committing errors to stem their own momentum. Possession spilt in contact was the order of the day for Ponty, yielding the initiative to the home team, who took full advantage with a break upfield, rounded off with a try in the corner for full back Liam Gadd. All of Ponty’s efforts to fight back into contention were blighted by hesitancy of thought and deed, and a tendency to boot the ball aimlessly into their opponents’ hands.
A spate of substitutions saw Gerald Cox, Geraint Liddon, Paul John and Morgan Stoddart all coming on simultaneously, in place of Stuart Williams, Ryan Harford, Carl Thomas and Jason Lewis, as Ponty sat back and soaked up a period of home pressure. Aberavon made the most of their opportunities, winger Richard Carter slicing into the line at a good angle to claim a try.
Ponty remained under pressure, enduring a torrid period squeezed back in their own twenty-two, as Duane Goodfield came on for Ben Phillips, followed by Rhys Shellard in place of Mark Lewis. Yet another substitution saw Grant Harrington on for Dale McIntosh, as Ponty continued to look out of sorts, their every effort to break out of defence petering away timidly. With ten minutes remaining Ponty seemed powerless to make any real impact on the game, despite taking play into the home half. Frustrations briefly boiled over into a fracas amongst the forwards as Ponty launched a late offensive, but their play still riddled with errors. A hugely disappointing performance came to an end with Ponty outscored, three tries to nil, and 15pts to 3.
Pontypridd.
15.Jason Pocock. 14.Darren Berry. 13.Greg Evans. 12.Jason Lewis (Morgan Stoddart). 11.Richard Fussell. 10.Dai Flanagan. 9.Carl Thomas (Paul John).
1.Stuart Williams (Gerald Cox). 2.Ben Phillips (Duane Goodfield). 3.Ryan Harford (Geraint Liddon). 4.Dale McIntosh. cpt. (Grant Harrington). 5.Chris Martenko. 6.Mark Lewis (Rhys Shellard). 7.Wayne O’Connor. 8.Dan Godfrey
| Aberavon |  |
(5)15-3(3) | |
Pontypridd | FT |
| Tries: Gadd Carter. Bamsey |
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Pens: Pocock | |||