Cross Keys stunned Bedwas with a 19-17 win in an ill-disciplned WRU National Championship affair at Pandy Park on Saturday, January 4.
Having won their first nine games of the season, Bedwas have slumped to two consecutive defeats following a loss at Bargoed.
Cross Keys on the other hand have experienced somewhat of a renaissance in recent weeks, winning three of their last four league games and rising to ninth in the table.
After a strongly contested opening ten minutes, Keys No8 Spencer Gibson was sent to the sin bin, but his undeterred teammates took the game to the visitors.
Ill-discipline hit Bedwas as James Hallett was sin binned for ‘killing the ball’ and Jordan Rees was sidelined for ten minutes for a deliberate knock-on.
Rees’ sin-binning also resulted in a penalty try to the Keys to open to the scoring.
Bedwas soon equalised when their forwards drove the ball over the line for Mike Dacey to claim the try from under a pile of bodies.
Dion McIntosh levelled the score with a successful conversion attempt.
The hosts were a man light once again when prop Jordan Rogers was yellow carded.
Bedwas struggled to make the most of the advantage and had to settle for a last gasp McIntosh penalty to take a slender 10-7 lead into the break.
After the players returned to the field for the second half, it was Bedwas who drew first blood – increasing their lead to ten points as Mike Dacey scored his second try and McIntosh made no mistake with the conversion.
However, the Keys refused to be beaten and clawed their way back into the game.
The hosts launched a driving maul which the referee deemed to have been stopped illegally, seeing another yellow card issued – this time for Bedwas’ James Richards.
The Keys responded with a try as No8 Gibson was driven over for a try.
Loui O’Brien missed the conversion attempt but the Keys were now just a converted try away from taking the lead.
An that try soon came from replacement hooker Connor Vaughan with just two minutes left of play.
The conversion was added by O’Brien to give the Keys the lead and wrap up the scoring.
The Keys will be hoping to build on the win when they take on Cardiff Met away on Saturday, January 11.
Bedwas meanwhile will be looking to bounce back and return to winning ways when they host Beddau on January 11.
Match report provided by Ian Lovell of Bedwas RFC.