QUINS EDGED BY BURNELL’S BOYS
CARMARTHEN QUINS ..... 15 PONTYPRIDD .................... 21
FIVE days on from their first win of the season against local rivals Llanelli, Carmarthen Quins were brought back down to earth as Justin Burnell’s Pontypridd outfit claimed their first triumph on the road this season.
But a tight tussle went down to the wire, with the match officials dissecting the match-winning try from centre Jordan Howells, who found himself at the back of a driving maul in the 77th minute.
He picked up and managed to squeeze over and that proved to be decisive after the Quins had led 1514.
Penalties from Jac Wilson and Joe Scrivens kicked off the scoring before both teams found themselves playing a player short for 10 minutes in the first half.
Ponty lost No. 8 Joe Miles to the first yellow card for a high tackle before home tighthead prop Alex Jefferies saw yellow later in the half for killing the ball.
Ponty hit the front in added time at the end of the first half when arch poacher Dale Stuckey raced on to a Scrivens kick through to score in the left corner to make it 8-3 to the visitors at the break.
The Quins started the second half strongly and took the lead after a break from full-back Dale Ford set up flanker Lawrence Reynolds to score at the posts.
Wilson added the extras. Scrivens responded with a penalty for Ponty in the 49th minute to edge them back in front, but just after the hour mark the home side made the most of an error in defence by Fijian international Nico Matawalu.
He threw the ball infield to stop it going dead and only managed to gift it to Jefferies.
The ball was recycled and eventually worked wide to the right for Dylan
Richards to cross.
Scrivens made it a one-point game moving into the final 10 minutes with a third penalty before Howells ended up the hero at the death.
CARMARTHEN QUINS: Tries: L Reynolds, D Richards. Con: J Wilson.
Pen: J Wilson.
PONTYPRIDD: Tries: D Stuckey, J Howells. Con: J Scrivens. Pens: J Scrivens (3).