DIVISION 3 WEST
PONTYCYMER 8 PYLE 20
PONTYCYMER welcomed Pyle to Lawrence Park, looking to complete a seasonal double over the Brynglas outfit who are coached by former Pontycymer prop Gareth Edwards.
Home flanker Steve Lacey was the human equivalent of a barricade in the first 20 minutes, making an impressive 11 tackles.
Lacey was into everything and part of a dominant back row in the early exchanges.
It was Pyle outside half Joe Gallafant who broke the deadlock with a penalty after 11 minutes.
Back came the Green and Ambers with a touchline penalty from scrum half Geraint Gillet.
Huge first-half performances for Ponty came from full back Garin Hawkins, pacey winger Jordan Lewis and burly centre Dave Upton. At half time it remained 3-3.
The second half started the way the first half ended with both sides playing cat and mouse. Then, in the 61st minute, Mattyo Payne had a clear-cut chance of a try and scored in the corner.
Two minutes later, the Brynglas side was at it again with sterling work from centre David Pound cashing in for their second try, Gallafant added the conversion.
Ponty then hit a 10-minute purple patch which resulted in powerhouse prop James Benbow grabbing a fantastic longrange solo try making it game on at 15-8.
With eight minutes left, Pyle skipper and flanker Gareth Cox made sure of the victory with his side’s third touchdown ending Pontycymer’s recent rich vein of form.
Pyle Man-of-the-Match was Gareth Cox.
The next league game for Pontycymer is on March 4 when they travel to the Memorial Ground to take on basement club Bryncoch.