Ammanford Sport

Principality Premiership Llandovery 16 Bedwas 12

7:40am Wednesday 25th January 2012

LLANDOVERY recorded their 13th win in 19 league outings to go six points clear of Neath at the top of the Principality Premiership, writes Huw S Thomas.

With threequarters of the season gone, the Drovers are contenders for the title but have played more games than their challengers, none of whom were in league action on Saturday.

With seven games left coach Lyndon Lewis must target at least five more wins if the Drovers are to make the top three and the end-of-season title play-offs.

Outplayed in the first half, Bedwas dominated the second period and it was only great defensive work by the home side that denied them.

In a free-flowing opening, Llandovery had the advantage of a strong wind but Bedwas defended well to restrict the interval deficit to 10-0.

A great try from centre Adam Warren was the result of slick handling. Fly half James Garland converted and added a penalty.

Full back Lee Rees thrilled the crowd with some fine sidestepping runs and but for some hesitant finishing in sight of the try line, the Drovers would have been comfortably ahead.

Bedwas rallied bravely in the second half with their forwards counter-rucking with huge gusto to monopolise possession and force the home defence into errors.

The Premiership’s top points scorer, fly half Richard Powell, closed the gap to 10-9 with three penalties in very quick succession and an upset looked very much on the cards.

Garland and Powell swapped penalties in a frenetic finale to make it 13-12 before Llandovery back rowers Shaun Miles and Luke Kendall carried ball deep into the Bedwas half.

A third Garland penalty gave Llandovery a four-point buffer but it took a magnificent try saving tackle by lock Shaun Jones on wing Ross Wardle to get the Drovers home.

• Email this page