Bargoed leapfrog Neath with six-try salvo

BARGOED made up for the heartache of losing the WRU Championship final to Neath by winning the Championship with a 36-0 home win over Trebanos.

Despite injuries and unavailabilities, Trebanos, who beat Bedwas to win the Premiership Plate, made the trip to Bargoed Park and gave the home side the chance to shoot for the title. Neath had overtaken them at the top the night before with their 2016 win over Cross Keys in the final game of their 150th anniversary season. That took them two points clear.

Bargoed got the job done by scoring six tries, with Jordan Howells bagging two and Callum Jones, Dylan Williams, James Leadbetter and Keegan Bale getting the others.

“We were very grateful to Trebanos for making the trip and their young side played their hearts out,” said team manager Brett Wakefield.

With only one defeat in 13 games they ended on 56 points. Neath were second with 53 and Pontypool ended their season on 46, with two games unplayed. Pooler were unhappy that they couldn’t rearrange their abandoned game against Ystalyfera or encourage Beddau to play their allotted fixture. Even so, having lost two games during their season, had they picked up the 10 points on offer from their last two matches they wouldn’t have been able to unseat Bargoed from the top spot as the number of wins was the next determining factor in who goes above who in the table.

Ystalyfera have decided not to play their final two away games.

Neath had tries from

Sion Crocker and Nicky Griffiths, as well as 10 points from the boot of No.10 Iestyn Morgan to thank for their win over Keys. Centre Adam Tetley kicked three penalties for Keys and converted their try by Louis Tovey.

Glynneath beat Nantyffyllon 20-17 to finish sixth in Division 1 West Central, while Aberystwyth and Newcastle Emlyn played out a 31-31 draw in the final of the Scarlets Cup.