Fixture

Games between these two sides have always been close with normally only a couple of points separating the sides, especially in Newcastle Emlyn. Up to the seventy minute mark this looked like following a similar score line with Glynneath leading by the slender margin of eight points to eleven. Then the home side managed to turn their territorial supremacy in to points to win by a score which was by no means as comfortable as it suggests.

The first half was a rather dour encounter to say the least, with both sides attempting to overcome the difficult, wet, slippery conditions. Newcastle Emlyn started positively and territorially dominated the first twenty five minutes but were unable to put any points on the board. A long range penalty attempt by full back Llyr Davies after two minutes fell just short. Then from a quick tap penalty taken by live wire scrum half Mike Jones play was taken up to the Glynneath line but some stubborn defending by the visitors saw the ball eventually knocked from the grasp of an Emlyn attacker. It was all Emlyn at this stage and when awarded another penalty wide out, they opted for the kick to touch. From the resultant line out they set up a driving maul and looked certain to score only for eagle eyed referee Andy Davies to spot an infringement in the way the maul was set up and the visitors were able to clear their line.

It took, in fact, until the twenty fifth minute before Glynneath manged to get in the Newcastle Emlyn twenty two and they showed how clinical they could be with a well taken try.  Glynneath went for the scrum five metres out but the home side managed to halt the drive. Their scrum half Alex Burton was quick enough to pick up the ball and he managed to wriggle his way out of a tackle and score wide out.

Newcastle Emlyn were the next to score the ball reaching the hands of centre Steffan Evans and he timed his pass well to allow winger Llyr Jones to cross in the corner for Emlyn’s opening score.

The second half opened in a similar fashion to the first half with the home side exerting a great deal of pressure on the visitors but struggling to score any points. The closest Emlyn came was after some ten minutes when they were awarded a penalty and opted for touch only for a succession of drives concluding in the ball being knocked forward. On the quarter hour mark full back Llyr Davies, who had a fine game, did put Emlyn in the lead with a penalty kick.

Sensing their opportunity Glynneath put together a series of attacks and Emlyn were eventually penalised in front of their posts for off side and outside half Dylan Francis brought the scores level with the penalty kick. A couple of minutes later he put Glynneath in front when Emlyn were penalised for not releasing the ball and he converted the kick form the twenty two metre line.

A penalty to Newcastle Emlyn declined to go for the posts with only a couple of minutes left on the clock and went for the line out. Glynneath halted the initial drive but could do nothing to stop replacement prop Emrys Davies peeling around the front of the line-out to thunder over in the corner. Jones kicked a superb conversion from the touchline to extend Emlyn’s lead to four points.

Glynneath were forced to concede a scrum five metres out and after a couple of phases scored in the corner . Desperate for a losing bonus point Glynneath came at Emlyn from the restart but the home side managed to hold out to deny the visitors anything.