On Friday evening, March 20, Bedwas allowed a 24-11 advantage going into the final quarter of the game to slip away and with it almost any hopes of making the end of season play-offs in the Principality Premiership.
In near perfect conditions for running rugby, both sides looked to move the ball in the early part of the game. The hosts took first blood through a James Garland penalty after six minutes and two minutes later right wing Richard Williams popped up on the opposite flank and his run was rewarded with a try. Garland missed the conversion.
Bedwas countered and with Llandovery down to fourteen men due to prop Greg Cunniffe’s yellow card took advantage of the extra man and worked the ball across the line for Lewis Hudd to cross in the corner. Powell successfully added the conversion.
Both sides had opportunities to add to their scores but scorned the opportunities. Richard Powell extended Bedwas’s lead as the half-time whistle approached adding two penalty goals to extend his sides lead to thirteen points to eight at the break.
The early exchanges of the second half saw Bedwas on the attack, Mike Callow made an excellent break deep into the Drovers half but the resulting pass to prop Dan Preece didn’t go to hand and a good opportunity was lost. The home side retaliated and reduced the deficit via a James Garland penalty.
Two Richard Powell penalties either side of a Mathew John try put Bedwas 24-11 points ahead, the second penalty seeing the hosts again down to fourteen men as lock Bryn Griffiths saw yellow for dissent. With the home crowd becoming increasingly upset at some of the referees decisions Bedwas looked to turn the screw but the pendulum swung the other way and replacement Sam Soul crossed for a try converted by Garland.
Bedwas were reduced to fourteen men after 69 minutes when Deri Mattravers was sin-binned for a ruck offence and shortly afterwards the home side earned a penalty try as Bedwas were adjudged to have pulled down a maul close to their try line. Garland added the extras to put his side a single point ahead.
With four minutes of play remaining Garland added a penalty to clinch the win for the hosts and although Bedwas are able to claim a losing bonus point their hopes of making the end of season play-offs are now hanging by a very slender thread.
Bedwas will need to quickly shrug off this disappointment and dust them themselves down as next Saturday March 28, they visit Cross Keys in a Swalec Cup quarter final match, kick off at 2.30pm.
Match report and photography by Ian Lovell.