Cup Review - 18th Dec
By Zippy
December 19 2004
Round up of yesterdays matches in the Konica Minolta Welsh Cup. Bridgend won a fiery derby clash at Llanharan and Ponty were comfortable winners against a plucky Blackwood outfit.
Blackwood 13 Pontypridd 33
A dreary December day, a soggy pitch and a referee with no patience wasn't exactly the recipe for a free-flowing frenzy of Rugby Football!
Kick-off saw a frenetic Blackwood take to the game with a surge of adrenalin, quickly gaining much territorial advantage over the Sardis Road men, Ponty's infringing saw them penalised repeatedly, which eventually culminated in Blackwood being awarded a shot at goal, which outside half, Paul Emmanuel, drove wide of the mark.
A push by Blackwood downfield resulted in a turnover by Geraint Liddon and Ben Phillips which outside half, Dai Flanagan successfully kicked to touch. A Dan Godfrey drive through the ensuing lineout saw Ponty claim the ball, and good play sent the ball out wide to Lloyd Warner who was cynically high-tackled yards from the try line. Flanagan took a quick tap penalty, only for the Blackwood fullback to snatch it from midair and race the length of the pitch for the first score of the game, and the added conversion saw the home team ahead by 7pts to 0.
Ponty's reply was almost instantaneous and great interpassing between lock, Chris Martenko and scrum half, Paul John, put hooker Ben Phillips away down the wing to score a well-deserved try, followed by a Flanagan conversion to make it 7pts all.
Following the restart, a mangled Blackwood scrummage saw our standout player, Dan Godfrey, race away from the base of the pack, only for Blackwood to be penalised. Ponty failed in the resulting kick at goal, but disappointment was swiftly nullified as a ruck on the Blackwood line came good for Dai Flanagan, and he crossed for a try which he duly converted, putting Ponty in the driving seat at 14pts to 7.
Blackwood's comeback was a short-lived affair, as their restart went straight to touch. Ponty then drove in to the heart of Blackwood's defence, with some fabulous handling from full-back Morgan Stoddart, Dan Godfrey and Dale McIntosh soon resulting in a Morgan Stoddart blindside try from the base of a wheeled scrum, Flanagan's conversion was unsuccessful, giving Ponty a respectable half-time score of 19pts to 7.
The second half saw Stuart Williams replace Geraint Liddon in the front row, and straight from the off, Blackwood went on the offensive, forcing Ponty to make mistakes resulting in Emmanuel pushing a penalty between the uprights for the home team.
Ponty's reaction was immediate, and a frenetic drive upfield, and a huge battle for possession saw flanker, Craig Hughes cross for a well-earned try. Flanagan put boot to ball, and the outcome was a healthy 26pts to 10.
The restart then saw hero turn villain, as Craig Hughes was penalised for holding onto the ball, with Blackwood's penalty attempt successful, the score yet again narrowed, with Blackwood on 13 to Pontypridd's 26.
Good Blackwood play resulted in Ponty giving away yet another penalty attempt, and Ponty supporters' hearts were in their mouths as Paul Emmanuel lined up the ball once again, the anxiety was short lived though, as the ball drifted thankfully wide of the posts.
A short Ponty lineout then resulted in an obviously rehearsed move which would have come to fruition had Blackwood not intercepted... a move which brought about the onset of some extremely lacklusture play from both teams, as slow ball, and whistled-out play cast a shadow over the last twenty minutes.
Following the broken play, Richard Fussell, ever the livewire, and his opposing number exchanged some kick-and-chase manouvers, with Blackwood coming off the best, as the ball crossed to the opposite wing and a chip-and-chase cruelly bounced over the dead ball line yards from an outstreched Black, red and amber arm.
Ponty took the restart at pace, gaining a Flanagan penalty which the outside-half just managed to shade along the outside of the posts. The stoppage saw Ben Phillips retire, and Duane Goodfield step into the breach, and although the fresh legs brought about a well-practised move which was enthralling in its execution, the resulting sloppy handling amounted to a wasted opportunity to kill off the game for Pontypridd.
Lloyd Warner was then replaced in the fray by Jason Lewis, and yet again, ball was cruelly wasted with yards to spare. Ponty's encampment on the Blackwood try line prompted the ever-present, and hugely domineering Dan Godfrey to charge into enemy territory, and his slipped pass worked wide to Richard Fussell, who crossed for a well-earned try, which ended Blackwood's Konica Minolta Cup hopes with a 33-13 win for the Valley Commandos.
Commenting on the game, head coach Simon King admitted that the game was a potential banana skin, but eeven so, expressed that Pontypridd were ultimately disappointed to come away with a 13 to 33 win.
Pontypridd team:
15. Morgan Stoddart, 14. Darren Berry, 13. Tom Riley, 12. Lloyd Warner (Jason Lewis), 11. Richard Fussell, 10. Dai Flanagan, 9. Paul John.
1. Gerald Cox, 2. Ben Phillips (Duane Goodfield), 3. Geraint Liddon (Stuart Williams), 4. Dale McIntosh - cpt, 5. Chris Martenko, 6. Craig Hughes, 7. Wayne O'Connor, 8. Dan Godfrey
Llanharan 5 Bridgend 13
Big No 8 Nathan Strong scored the crucial try as Bridgend sneaked past Llanharan in a hard-fought match at the Dairy Field.
Strong scored early in the match and the Ravens held on for a 13-5 win in the only all-Premiership third-round match. Bridgend play Division 3 South-East side Abercwmbai in the fourth round.
A quote from a Bridgend Fan:
"Yes we somehow won 13:5 in a very, very scrappy game. The referee was up to his usual standard or should I say sub-standard.
Konica Minolta Cup Round 4 draw (home sides first):
Cwmllynfell v Bedwas, Banwen v Newbridge, Neath v Penclawdd, Pontycymmer v Newport, Carmarthen Quins v Pontyberem, Swansea v Maesteg, Bedlinog v Llanelli, Llandovery v Llantwit Fardre, Pontypool v Tonyrefail, Beddau v Caerphilly, Vardre v Aberavon, Whitland v Pontypridd, Carmarthen Athletic v Ebbw Vale, Cross Keys v Rumney or UWIC, Cardiff v Bonymaen, Bridgend v Abercwmboi.
All Results From Round Three:
Tonmawr 7-37 Cwmllynfell
Crymych 0-54 Bedwas
Senghenydd P-P Banwen
Builth Wells 23-27 Newbridge
Neath 66-7 Penallta
Pembroke Dock Quins 15-16 Penclawdd
Pontycymmer 26-3 Llantwit Major
Newport 53-7 Abercynon
Tredegar Ironsides 0-81 Carmarthen Quins
Maesteg Quins 13-23 Pontyberem
Swansea 60-3 Treherbert
Maesteg 39-3 Llangennech
Bedlinog 14-13 Fleur de Lys
Llanelli 41-7 Dunvant
Talywain 0-74 Llandovery
Llantwit Fardre 33-3 Ynysbwl
Pontypool 21-8 Kidwelly
Tonyrefail 20-41 Merthyr
Tenby Utd 6-41 Beddau
Caerphilly 40-23 Mumbles
Vardre 15-14 Skewen
Narberth 6-14 Aberavon
Whitland P-P Aberdare
Blackwood 13-33 Pontypridd
Carmarthen Athletic P-P Cwmbran
Ebbw Vale 29-5 Glamorgan Wanderers
Cross Keys 61-10 Blaina
Rumney P-P UWIC
Bargoed 15-55 Cardiff
Bonymaen 55-10 Bryncoch
Llanharan 5-13 Bridgend
Mountain Ash 11-17 Abercwmboi