FOSTER’S CHALLENGE CUP
BARGOED .................... 18 PONTYPRIDD .............. 15
FOR the first time this season Bargoed were on the right side of a tight scoreline as they edged out Pontypridd 18-15 in a hard fought Foster’s Challenge Cup tie at Bargoed Park, overturning a sevenpoint half-time deficit.
Both sides showed a number of changes from the teams which met in the Principality Premiership at Sardis Road just four days ago.
The typically robust encounter got off to a cracking start with Ponty displaying the same desire to get the ball wide quickly as they did in the league fixture with wing Lewis Williams crossing in the corner with just two minutes gone only for referee Aled Evans to rule the final pass forward.
The Bargoed scrum looked solid and No 8 Lewis Weyman combined with scrum half Matt Bancroft to put full back Luke Smalley through a gap in the centre to make ground and relieve the early Ponty pressure.
Bargoed registered their intent with a great handling move from just inside the opposition half with flanker Alex Herbert and second row Grant Rogers prominent before outside half Greg Callow touched down but yet again the final pass was deemed forward to make it evens on the disallowed tries front with 10 minutes gone.
Two minutes later and the stalemate was broken with a well struck penalty from Greg Callow to put the home side in front.
The Bulls’ lead was short lived and Ponty outside half Callum Hall put in a fine penalty from half way to just five metres from the Bargoed line.
A clean catch-and-drive saw hooker Ashley James come up from under the pile of bodies to claim the grounding. Hall’s conversion drifted wide and Ponty were in front 3-5 after 17 minutes.
The second quarter was something of an arm wrestle with Bargoed looking comfortable in defence and the coaches will have been disappointed to have seen promising moves in good field positions not being translated into points.
Pontypridd repeated their earlier success with another Hall penalty finding touch 10m out and a clean catch-anddrive from the lineout and although Bargoed held out against the drive, Dafi Davies drove over from short range to make it 3-10 and that’s the way it stayed until half-time.
Three minutes into the second half and Bargoed levelled the scores.
Ponty were caught offside and a tap-and-go penalty by flanker Alex Herbert on the 22 turned the defence, blindside flanker Jonny Armitage looked to have crossed but it was wing Duane Dyer who eventually got the touchdown and with Callow’s conversion it was all-square at 10-10.
Bargoed’s tails were up and another opportunity went begging as centre Phil Price and wing Lewis Protheroe combined only for the final pass to go astray just outside the Ponty 22.
Great pressure on the scrum was rewarded with Armitage charging down the clearing kick and following up for Bargoed’s second try inside 10 minutes.
Callow’s conversion attempt failed but the home side were in front at 15-10 after 53 minutes.
Pontypridd hit back with another well-organised drive from a lineout just four minutes later to peg Bargoed back – replacement Corrie Tarrant credited with the score.
Bargoed hooker Lewis Lippiett was shown a yellow card for illegally attempting to stop the maul but crucially referee Evans awarded the try to Tarrant rather than a penalty try.
The more difficult conversion failed but it was evens at 15-15 going into the final quarter.
Both sides rang the changes and emptied the benches but this time it was the home side which seemed to benefit and with four minutes left Pontypridd captain Owen Sheppeard was shown a yellow card for a ruck infringement and Callow kicked beautifully from 40m in deteriorating conditions to put the Bulls in front at 18-15.
Bargoed managed the final minutes well although they were given an almighty scare as Ponty broke out of defence and made 65m before the home side reorganised to hold out for a confidence-boosting victory.