Cefni expect testing clash against Cofis
EARLY joint-leaders Llangefni will have a third straight Division One North win in their sights when Caernarfon visit Cae Smyrna this Saturday,
Last weekend saw the islanders pull off a 24-17 success at Bethesda.
The hosts dominated the early stages but got no change out of a very well organised Cefni defence.
The closest Pesda came to a score was when their dangerous full-back Gethin Long just missed out after a skilful kick-and-chase.
When Cefni finally got hold of the ball, the pack with Bedwyr Williams, Aron Oliver, Will Bown and Declan Griffiths to the fore started to make big dents in the home defensive line.
Around the 20-minute mark, Cefni won their attacking lineout about eight metres out. Bown drove towards the posts allowing Mark Gray the space to pick out Sior Grieves on the scissors who raced over under the sticks. Gray added the extras.
Pesda hit back to gain a lineout on the Cefni 22. However, they were inaccurate and Gray was able to relieve the pressure with a 50-metre clearance.
When Llangefni had a similar situation near the home 22, Gray was able to find Richard Foulkes, who ran in powerfully from 30 metres.
Another Gray conversion made it 14-0, which it remained to the break.
Any thoughts of an easy second half for the visitors were soon dispelled when a poor Cefni clearance allowed Long to set off from his own 10-metre line and put on the after-burners for a superb solo try which Rhys Jones converted.
It was now a pulsating end-to-end contest, and soon Cefni were being held up on the home line after a lineout, When the islanders were awarded a scrum on the home 22, as on several occasions during the match, they were shunted backwards. The scrum was their Achilles heel throughout.
When Pesda moved the ball right from a lineout near halfway, Long provided the extra man. After some neat inter-passing Danial Jones was on hand to take the inside pass to cross wide out to make it 14-12 - game well and truly on!
Cefni looked to attack on the right flank, and Foulkes did very well to hang on to a Gray pass. Declan Griffiths’ close support led to an away penalty, from which Dion Oliver charged linewards. When the ball went loose Griffiths gathered it and stormed over. Gray split the posts for 21-12 with 10 minutes to play. Back came Pesda, No8 Llion T Jones running in from 15 metres to cut the arrears to four points.
Once again Cefni responded with urgency. After a good Gray kick-off, Pesda ran the ball from deep but got caught and penalised in their own 22. Gray calmly slotted the penalty
A ding-dong battle and a good advert for Division One rugby. In the final analysis the Cefni bench made a truly winning impact, especially Dion Oliver, Aaron Jeffreys and Rhodri Owen.