Bedwas squandered a 14 point half-time lead as they lost 38-32 away to Llandovery in the Principality Premiership on October 10, but did secure two bonus points.
Indiscipline was costly for Bedwas as they spent 30 minutes of the game down to 14 men due to three yellow cards.
With the breeze in their faces, Bedwas got out of the blocks in the fifth minute when scrum half Tom Rowlands wriggled under a tackle to ground the ball over the try line. Richard Powell’s conversion went wide.
Llandovery regrouped and frantic Bedwas defence saw Alun Rees sin-binned for killing the ball very close to the try line.
But, good defence kept out a succession of five metre Llandovery scrums, before scrum half Rhodri Davies found a gap to cross. Tom Maynard‘s conversion attempt went wide.
Llandovery’s winger Aaron Warren crossed for an unconverted try before Bedwas hooker Alun Rees scored two tries after 24 and 31 minutes, both coming from driving mauls. Powell converted the first effort.
As Bedwas sought to increase their lead it was Llandovery’s turn to incur the referee’s wrath as prop Berian Watkins was sin-binned for side entry at a ruck.
Bedwas made the numerical advantage pay off immediately as Mathew John showed great strength to burst through two tackles secure the four try bonus point, Powell adding the extras.
Llandovery had the last word of the half via a penalty goal from Tom Maynard.
With the wind advantage, Bedwas ought to have been confident they would hold out for the victory.
But when Brynley Toms’ was sin-binned for tackling a player without the ball it was the start of a gradual decline.
The home side began to believe they could get something out of the game as the made Bedwas them pay with a Maynard penalty.
Powell did slot a Bedwas penalty to increase the lead, but Aaron Warren added a second try on the hour for the home side, Maynard’s conversion reduced the arrears further.
Powell added a second penalty, but Bedwas found themselves struggling to find any cohesion to their game which was further exacerbated by Screech’s sin-bin for a trip in midfield.
Again the extra man proved decisive as Warren pounced for a try improved upon by Maynard to put the home side just two points behind
Llandovery threw everything at Bedwas, meaning discipline was crucial. But, With two minutes remaining, Richard Wilkes entered a ruck from the side and the referee had no hesitation in ensuring he took no further part in the game as he became the third Bedwas player to be sin-binned.
With the game into its sixth minute of injury time, former Bedwas outside half Maynard found a gap and with a grin like a Cheshire cat gleefully dived in for a try.
He recovered his composure to slot the conversion to ensure his side held on for victory.
As well as a four try bonus point, finishing within eight points earned Bedwas a losing bonus point, but they will rue the indiscipline which proved costly.
Bedwas sit ninth in the table and host Cardiff on October 17. Kick off is at 1pm.
Match report and picture by Ian Lovell.