Port sink Hotspur to climb to fourth Both sides spurn string of chances in open game
RGC put in one of the performances of the season to defeat Newport 28-25 at the weekend.
The fact they ran in four tries, and both attack and defence were switched on for the whole game, gained them even more respect when they had Robin Williams red-carded in the 15th minute and played the last 10 minutes with 13 men after Will Sanderson was yellow-carded.
Newport took the lead with an Andy Evans try.
Things were made worse when Robin Williams was given the red, but from that point RGC looked clinical and crisp with ball in hand and even more physical without it.
Harri Evans claimed his side’s opening try after a clever Billy McBryde crossfield kick before the winger took the ball to touchdown. McBryde added the extras.
Will Bryan and Jordan Jones were closing down carries and the hustling was causing some mistakes from Newport. O’Brien did regain the lead for his side with a penalty.
Both wingers for RGC were causing problems, and Sam Jones grabbed the
Asecond score when he raced down the line to go in. McBryde again hit a good conversion to make it a 14-8 lead at the break.
The game management of RGC was intelligent as the looked to play the game in the Newport half and looked to ramp up the pressure with a couple of lineouts and drives.
Newport hit back with a sucker punch going from their line to the tryline within two minutes for GOAL in each half proved enough to secure the 3 pts for Porthmadog in a game where both sides wasted good scoring opportunities, writes Gareth Williams.
Had Holyhead taken one or two of the good opportunites they created then, despite their rock bottom position, they could have made it an even tighter contest.
Port were again well served by keeper Paul Pritchard, not in constant action but was needed to pull off some outstanding saves when Hotspurs struck on the counter.
Craig Papirnyk predicted, in his pre-match notes, that it would be an open game with both sides requiring the points for their differing reasons.
The Islanders, with many quality performers, showed that they are in a false position in the table but, despite such a spirited performance, they are now running out of fixtures to rescue their season.
The win on the other hand lifts Port into 4th place in the table. Chay Smith to go over.
Jordan Jones made a great break to get RGC back on the front foot, then Dion Jones, Sam Jones and Harri Evans all made yards with ball in hand.
RGC needed to keep the ball, and they made sure passes went to hand and when they did kick it was into space to chase down.
Iolo Evans was next to go over after taking the pass on the run, McBryde again on fire with the boot.
Hotspurs almost got off to a dramatic start when former Port forward Chris Jones was on the end of a long cross to the back post only to guide his shot across goal and wide.
Port quickly responded with Ifan Emlyn pulling the ball back for Gruff John whose shot from the edge of the box was only narrowly off the mark.
Gradually Port were getting the upper hand and should have gone ahead on 12 minutes when a great ball put Shaun Cavanagh in behind the visitors’ defence and racing goalwards but his shot was driven wide of keeper Carl Jones’s near post.
Port continued to put the Hotspurs under pressure with Jay Gibbs firing narrowly wide until on 25 minutes they took the lead. Good work down the right from Iwan Lewis and his pull back created a shooting opportunity for Sion Edwards used in a more central role.
The forward fired low from 18 yards to net just inside the post.
The goal appeared to spark
Minutes later the bonus point arrived for a super score, started from a Dion Jones run before the ball shifted down the backline for Harri Evans to skip over. Conversion again from the boot of McBryde.
It was a frantic last quarter for RGC, chasing down balls, making big tackles and covering every blade of grass to keep the defensive line solid. Will Sanderson was yellowed after a penalty try then it was backs to Holyhead into a response and on the half hour mark Paul Pritchard was in action for the first time in the game, going down well to halt Mel McGiness.
Within a few minutes Pritchard was in the thick of the action going down at the feet of opponents twice in quick succession.
Holyhead’s good spell continued and Mel McGiness met a deep Kenleigh Owen cross and his header looked goalbound only to be denied by another good Pritchard save.
Early in the second period Paul Pritchard was in the action again as Dan McGiness cut in from the right but denied by another good save from the keeper.
Play was end to end as Shaun Cavanagh broke down the left and played it inside for Julian Williams but keeper Carl Jones dealt with the shot comfortably.
But just past the hour mark Port gave themselves a big breathing space when they went 2-0 up.
A good break from Rob Evans down the right holding off his marker to get a perfectly weighted the wall. RGC were looking to get the ball deep into Newport territory, but with two extra men the hosts could run the overlaps and make breaks. The nerves increased when Kyle Taylor went over, but O’Brien missed the chance to make it a one-point game.
There was still time for Newport to have another go, but the 13 RGC shirts made one last huge effort and forced the knock to claim a famous win. pull back for Iwan Lewis, in space 12 yards out and he coolly picked his spot.
But once again the goal seemed to spark the visitors into an immediate response.
Twice in the space of a minute they could have cut the deficit and both chances fell to John Littlemore.
The first came from a cross to the back post and Littlemore’s goalbound header was brilliantly cleared off the line.
Within a minute the same player lifted his shot over the bar when well placed.
Hotspurs were not giving up and Mel McGinness sent a shot across the face of goal.
But the Islanders were denied a way back into the game and in the closing stages it was Carl Jones in the action again diving full length to keep out an Ifan Emlyn effort and then turning Julian Williams’ shot round the post for a corner.
Port deserved to take the three points as they continue the push for a top three finish and Paul Pritchard earned his clean sheet.