DIVISION 1 WEST
SEVEN SISTERS ............ 7 BRIDGEND ATHLETIC 52
THE Athletic struck early in the third minute. Outside half Luke Bevan put them within five metres of the home try line with a well struck 45 metre penalty to touch.
A driving lineout maul was halted, but scrum half Dan James darted through a gap to cross for his sixth try of the season. Bevan converted.
In glorious sunshine the next half-hour was evenly balanced with both sides looking to play 15-man rugby in ideal conditions.
With five minutes remaining in the half, full back Caine Woolerton ran out of defence and won a penalty. Bevan’s touchline penalty kick set up a lineout 20 metres from the Sisters try line.
A drive was halted but centre Tom Jenkins was held just short of the try line. Acting scrym half Aled Thomas timed a short pass to flanker and captain Ben Howe who dived low to cross for the second Ath try. Bevan converted to give the Athletic a 14-0 half-time lead.
The first minute of the second half saw the try of the game and the reason why Athletic Youth full back Caine Woolerton has been awarded a full-time Ospreys Development contract.
A bouncing ball on half way saw hooker Nathan Holman knock the ball backwards. Scrum half Thomas found Bevan who passed wide to Woolerton on his own 22 metre line. The youngster beat seven players effortlessly gliding in Barry John-like mode inside and outside wouldbe tacklers, before throwing a final dummy to cross in the corner completing a 75-metre run that had class written all over it. Bevan converted from the touchline.
Four minutes later the Athletic put the game to bed with their fourth and bonus-point try.
The front row Matthew Muir, Nathan Holman and Wayne Fooks aided by the back five drove Seven Sisters backwards on their own scrum put in five metres from the Sisters try line to get the scrum reversed. Another drive saw No 8 Sean Williams pick up from the back of the scrum and run to the blind side to cross wide out. Bevan again converted.
Good driving play by locks Jamie Doherty and Jonathon Stoker put the Athletic on the front foot. Centre Chris Price made a break and was held just short of the line, where another combination of Thomas and Howe saw Howe cross for his second try of the match and fifth of the season. To their credit Seven Sisters kept their heads up and kept playing.
An attempted Athletic interception saw the home side break through and quick inter passing saw flanker Rhys Davies cross under the posts for a try converted by full back Ieuan Eltham.
The Athletic responded with good interpassing which saw Woolerton find Doherty who passed inside for Aled Thomas to cross for the sixth Athletic try. Bevan’s conversion brought up the 40 points for the Athletic.
Athletic prop Andrew Brown, lock Ben Cording and wing Liam Philips then came off the bench.
A clean break and touchline run by Chris Price, who with three inpressive displays in a week has cemented the No 13 jersey, created a second try for No 8 Sean Williams with a well timed inside pass. Williams is now the leading try scorer this season for the Athletic with 10 touchdowns.
Bevan’s conversion took him to 191 points for the season.
MoM Williams then turned provider making a touchline break before putting wing Jacob David over for the final Athletic try and his second in successive games.
This win guarantees the Athletic, currently second in the league, a minimum of third place this season.
This coming Saturday the team visit Bonymaen who will be smarting from a final play 17-15 Athletic win against them last week.
Coaches John Apsee, Stuart Morris, David Williams and Gerald Williams will be looking to visit unbeaten league leaders Maesteg Quins in the Athletics’ final game of the season on May 5 with their own winning sequence intact to set up a fitting final game of a great season for the Athletic.
After losing three of their opening four fixtures the coaches have supervised a remarkable transformation winning 15 of the last 16.