WEST CENTRAL
AMMANFORD ............. 57 MAESTEG .................... 24
WITH eight players already missing, two late withdrawals ensured an unfamiliar look to the visitors’ line-up.
The final score belied the fact that the visitors had a great deal of the game and indeed opened the scoring when Sam Griffiths put full back Jon Phillips over for Cameron Jones to convert.
A loose ball from a Maesteg scrum saw the home side move it wide and an interception attempt was deemed accidental by the official who awarded a penalty try but no yellow card.
The conversion followed and then straight from the restart poor tackling allowed Ammanford their second try in as many minutes.
The unfamiliarity in defence by Maesteg negated their good approach work for as soon as any breakdown occurred, Ammanford moved it wide with effect to run in a few more tries.
Maesteg were still attacking and a yellow card against the home side should have been immediately followed by a red as Cameron Jones was nearly decapitated seconds later, but a talking to was the sanction.
The second half started with Maesteg scoring a smart try by debutant winger Gareth Ellis, converted by Cameron Jones before shipping two tries when attacks from their own 22 broke down.
Another try came for the home side before the last 15 minutes saw Maesteg camped in home territory.
Prop Scott Kelly, playing in the second row, showed pace and power to twice finish off the visitors pressure and with Grant Epton, now at fly half, orchestrating events they should have got a fifth as the home side gave away three successive penalties on their own line only for the referee to decide the immediate placement of the ball over the line by him was a double movement.