Determined Dowlais show

DOWLAIS YOUTH ....... 20 LLANTRISANT YOUTH 7 (FRIENDLY)

down the ball carrier and frustrated the Llantrisant attack.

This frustration manifested itself in repeated infringements by the Black Army and towards the end of the game Llantrisant earned another yellow card, meaning they would eventually end the game with 14 players.

The final try for the home team came from their regular number eight Jarrad Kahn. Kahn had rushed to the game from work, joining the fray for the last quarter and making an immediate impact. Pritchard missed the conversion and the match ended with the home side gaining an important 20 points to 7 victory.

Whilst the team can take a lot from the performance there were still elements of the match which will require a focus during training. The home side had difficulty retaining possession when receiving the kick off and the front row of Mathew Davies, Captain Shane Chambers and hooker Rhys Powell were given a tough afternoon by their larger, more experienced counterparts. Dowlais still relinquish possession too easily with aimless kicks.

On a more positive note the team is beginning to look more comfortable with the ball and against Llantrisant they maintained possession and territory for long periods of the contest.

This is the team’s second win of the season. The players and the coaches are all aware of the challenges which face them during this season. The majority of the side is made up of first year youth team players from last season’s Under 16 outfit. The team has already shown how much character there is amongst the players and this victory was a reward for hard work and perseverance shown in training. There is a steely determination amongst the group to continue their development through this transitional phase.

The team has an end of season tour planned for Portugal. Their next home game is before Christmas when Dowlais welcome Aberdare for the start of the second round of league fixtures.