Cwmllynfell off the mark with derby success
CWMLLYNFELL notched up their first WRU Division 3 Cup victory with a hard-fought 16-12 success against near neighbours Amman United at a soggy Parc y Bryn.
The match was preceded by a minute’s applause for former player Jordan James, who passed away recently.
The home side took an early lead with a penalty from the accurate boot of full-back Steff Rees.
Amman’s lineout horrors again surfaced on Halloween weekend and another lost lineout on their own ball saw Cwm quickly counter attack. After good phases of play they were awarded a penalty, and Rees made it 6-0.
Amman were then held up on the Cwm tryline as prop Christian Dean was narrowly thwarted on the line.
The hosts had their prop sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on as Amman again attacked. The Reds’ solid scrum functioned well and the defence was soon sucked in, allowing captain Alun Lewis to cross for a try, which centre Foster converted.
The visitors lost hooker George Clark to a head injury as half-time arrived, his side narrowly ahead 7-6.
Steff Rees’s monster penalty attempt from just inside his own half narrowly dropped short, while Foster also failed to hit the target at the other end.
Rees made amends to make it 9-7 to Cwm lead, and an excellent passing move from the home side was rewarded when centre Carwyn Lewis cut through the United defence for a crucial try, converted by Rees.
Trailing 16-7, Amman still went at it to try to rescue the game and prop Daniel James was the latest to be held up on the whitewash.
With time running out Amman finally broke through a stubborn home defence, Ratcliffe involved before Alun Lewis took the try-scoring pass, but Cwmllynfell held on for the victory.
In the other WRU Division 3 Cup fixture in section L, Llangadog earned a surprise 25-5 win against previously unbeaten Haverfordwest.
After three games each, Haverfordwest head the fourteam table with 10 points, Llangadog are second on eight points, with Amman United next on six and Cwmllynfell fourth with five points.