Match Report by Mark Tamplin

After the success of the last few seasons Penallta RFC have had a difficult journey this season. Relocated to new facilities with the new Rhymney Valley Hospital situated on their previous playing surface, the Penallta side have found it difficult keeping up with life in Division 1 East this season, winning only two games. They have much to hold their heads high, however, a new clubhouse, and playing surface, last years division 2 East champions have competed well, working within a budget, not buying in players, and working on home grown talent, they have been involved in some close results in their journey. Unluckily for them, some of the results just went against them, as was the case at Virginia Park earlier in the season as they fell to a 19-15 defeat.

The first half was mostly dominated by the Castletown side, as they mounted wave after wave of attacks at the Pitmen’s try line with no result. It was outside half Cody Rees who opened the scoring on 18 minutes, after an earlier miss, the Penallta defensive line caught offside, in centre field, during a Caerphilly attack.

Further pressure was placed upon the Pitmen on 20 minutes with the removal of Second Row Matthew Tucker to the sin bin. With the home team having received several warnings, tucker was found guilty of playing the ball on the floor as another Caerphilly assault on the try line was taken to ground, Tucker guilty of killing play, removing the ruck ball illegally in front of referee Greg Morgan.
Choosing a scrum instead of guaranteed 3 points, the Penallta pack managed to turn the scrum to secure the next put in, from which they managed to relieve pressure to the touchline.

The Penallta defence held well throughout the first half, thanks to some bad decisions by the visitors, taking play back into contact on several occasions when spaces had been created by some inventive running. Indeed the home side should have gone ahead on 27 minutes. With Caerphilly attacking down the right, a ruck was set well inside the 22. As the ball was released, space was noticed on the left, followed by a long floated pass from centre field. Anticipating the play well, Penallta’s right wing L.Thomas, intercepted the pass. With no-one in front of him, the winger, head down, sprinted for the line. Having to halt his forward run, and from a standing start, Caerphilly’s left wing Eddie Lewis sprinted the length of the field, never giving up, and catching Thomas inches from the line. The try was still on, however, as Penallta’s supporting players were on top of their fallen winger in seconds, only to knock on with the try line begging.

Losing just 3-0 at half time, it was the home side that came out of the blocks strongly, mounting pressure on the Caerphilly line in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Matching the home side in their defence, Caerphilly kept the attackers at bay before mounting their own counter attack.
Soaking up the pressure, the visitors broke down the right through winger Paul Adams, before winning a penalty, which Rees converted to give the visitors a 6 point lead.

Collecting the restart, Caerphilly won a penalty in midfield, which was taken quickly by scrum half Alun Ford. Catching the home side napping, Ford broke through the heart of the Penallta defence, taking play close to the Penallta line. An inside pass found centre Kieron Phillips, running at pace, taking play to within inches of the line. With the Penallta defence scrambling to bring the burly centre to the ground, a slipped pass just before hitting the deck found supporting hooker James Walby, who crashed over for the visitors opening try, replacement outside half Dan Ellis slotting the conversion.

Penallta exacted some revenge on the visitors on 74 minutes. Winning loose ball on half way, the home side took play up to the 5 mtr line with some intricate passing, No.8 Huw Stevens entering the line at the most appropriate of times to cross uncontested.
Another mistake by the home side from the restart gifted the visitors another chance to score, which they took gleefully. Awarding the visitors a scrum, the Caerphilly pack just turned away from the flanking defence, as the ball passed through the centres, the ball turned up in the hands of Kieron Phillips, who broke through some weak tackling to power over the line. Ellis adding the conversion to give the visitors a 5-20 victory.