| Caerphilly 19 (2T) - Penallta 15 (2T) |
| Welsh National League Division 1 East |
| Half-time score: - 11-5 |
| Date: Saturday 1st November 2008 |
| Kick-off time: 2:30pm |
| Referee: Phil Connett (Crumlin) |
| Attendance: 200 |
| Penallta Website: http://penalltarfc.110mb.com/ |
| Weather: Dry, Cloudy & Cold with slight Breeze |
| Match Report by Mark Tamplin |
| Two tries either in the first ten minutes of the first and second
half sunk Penallta in this local derby at Virginia Park last weekend.
It was the home side that opened the scoring after just 5 minutes. The ball moving from right to left in the Penallta 22 eventually stalled in midfield. With no-where to go, a pass to outside half Dan Ellis resulted in a drop goal. Minutes later, a quick free kick in the 22 left Caerphilly deep within Penallta territory. Wing Steffan Sankala ran left to right around the Penallta defence, before outlaying to hooker Harrison out on the far right, to cross the try line uncontested. Ellis missed the conversion along with a penalty two minutes later. Penallta replied with a try by Carl Rees on 25 minutes. With Caerphilly second row Justin Benfield in the sin bin following a cynical foul close to the line, Penallta made the number count pay. Winning scrum ball against the head, In front of the posts, the backs cycled the ball left, and with a numerical advantage, Rees crossed in the corner for an unconverted try. Penallta cleared ahead from the restart, only for Caerphilly to take play deep into Penallta territory, before winning a penalty as the Penallta defence entered the ruck on the wrong side, Ellis converting. A period of sustained pressure on the Penallta line resulted in a yellow card for second row G.Davies, taking a player out from a quickly taken penalty in the 22 by Alun Ford. The home side failed to capitalise however, losing their own lineout ball on the 5mtr line. Justin Benfield was Caerphilly’s second player in the sin bin, the result of a harsh decision by the referee, stepping over the ruck to claim loose ball, believing the ball to out, on 38 minutes. This made no difference to the half time score of 11-5 however. Caerphilly started the second half strongly, scoring in the second minute. A strong break by the forwards left the home side inches from the line, recycling left, Miles left the defence for dead, breaking through the gain line to score uncontested from the 22. Ellis’s kick looked good but struck the left hand upright, leaving the home 16 points to 5 ahead. Penallta’s reply was almost instantaneous. A Series of penalties for Penallta took play deep into the Caerphilly half. Good lineout ball saw a break through the cheesemen’s defence line for centre Robson to score under the posts. Rees added the spoils bringing the score 16-12. A penalty by Rees on 60 minutes set up a tense finish for both sides, before the home side finally nailed the game on 78 minutes with a penalty on the 22 for ex Penallta player Ellis. |
| Caerphilly Team | Penallta Team | |
Nathan Gittings |
15 - Fullback | J.Powell |
Steffan Sankala |
14 - Right-wing | K.Rees |
Gareth Miles |
13 - Outside-centre | S.Davies |
Huw Locke |
12 - Inside-centre | S.Richards |
Paul Adams |
11 - Left-wing | S.Robson |
Dan Ellis |
10 - Outside-half | R.Rowe |
Alun Ford |
9 - Scrum-half | H.Walsh |
Sam Feehan (c) |
8 - Number 8 | G.Thomas |
Gareth Johns |
7 - Openside-flanker | R.Hollister |
Steffan Edwards |
6 - Blindside-flanker | D.Morgan |
Chris Payne |
5 - Second-row | K.Mahoney |
Justin Benfield |
4 - Second-row | G.Davies |
Dan Evans |
3 - Tighthead-prop | M.Bassett |
Peter Harrison |
2 - Hooker | D.Powell |
Craig Gane |
1 - Loosehead-prop | R.Shannon |
Keiron Hughes |
Replacement | D.Davies |
James Greenfield |
Replacement | M.Palmer |
John Griffiths |
Replacement | H.Stevens |
Celyn Ashton |
Replacement | A.Soroko |
James Thatcher |
Replacement | L.Thomas |
| Caerphilly Scorers | Penallta
Scorers |
|
| Peter Harrison (7 min), Gareth Miles (41 min) | Tries | Karl Rees
(25min), Shaun Robson (44 min) |
| - | Conversions | Karl Rees
(45min) |
| Dan Ellis (5 + 78min) | Penalties | Karl Rees
(60min) |
| Dan Ellis (38 min) | Drop-goals | - |
| Justin Benfield, Steffan Edwards | Yellow cards | G.Davies |
| - | Red Cards | - |