Merthyr RFC 31-29 Cross Keys
Saturday, August 26, The Wern
Merthyr left it late to claim victory on the opening day of the new Principality Premiership East season, as a resilient Cross Keys side threatened to ruin the reigning champions’ party atmosphere at The Wern.
Keys looked comfortable with a 12 point lead with five minutes to play, but a stunning comeback from the Ironmen saw two last-gasp tries snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Merthyr will count themselves more than a little lucky to have won, with Keys dominant for large parts of the match and capitalising on their opponents’ nervy start.
However, the home side did work a 17-10 half-time lead thanks to scores from Phil Rees, Ben Jones and Ben Murphy.
Keys hit back after the break and piled on the pressure. Merthyr were all at sea as the opposition’s Nathan Buck and Matthew Prosser followed captain Scott Matthews in crossing for a 17-29 lead with 75 minutes on the clock.
The title holders were not yet beaten, and scored two tries in a thrilling end to the match.
Strong work by the Merthyr pack saw hooker Matthew Dwyer crash over, and from the restart they drove back up the field once again. Replacement back Rowman Ed Siggery was the beneficiary of some lovely hands to cross from close range and level the scores at 29-29.
The pressure rested on the shoulders of full-back Matthew Jarvis, who stepped up to coolly slot the winning kick.