SEASIDERS BACK ON TOP
Llandaff 5 Penarth 52
After a hairy few weeks during which they lost a five-point lead at the top of the table and dropped to third, the Seasiders took full advantage of a re-arranged fixture away at winless bottom club Llandaff to register a bonus-point victory and return to first place.
The outclassed hosts showed admirable fighting qualities in a close first half, but tries from Darroll Hawden, Aaron Ellis-Munn and Steve Roberts were an adequate response to a single score by the Llandaff blindside flanker.
Turning around on a rough track at the Old Mill 19-5 ahead, Penarth struggled to make headway until the home openside flanker was laid out trying to tackle the hard-running Rhys Lakin. Then the back three started to find all the space they needed and Chris Roberts ran back a Garryowen from his own ten-metre line to ring up the winning bonus point.
Throwing all the replacements on with another match to come next Saturday didn’t have the effect of slowing things down much, as the home side were tiring badly and the final quarter was to yield a further four tries for the rampant Seasiders.
Mike Clare took the first as the pack drove the Llandaff eight off an attacking scrum, then some precision finger-tip passing in the back line saw Chris Poole safely home. The try of the game followed as Poole again set off from his own half and sliced clean through only to be tackled short of the line; astonishingly, lock Darroll Hawden had stayed on the speedy winger’s shoulder and was able to take and return the pass for Poole to loop and score under the posts.
By way of a finale, Steve Roberts ran in a fine solo effort for his second try of the evening and his side’s eighth. Penarth have the opportunity to consolidate their position at the head of the table as they face Llandaff North at the Athletic Field this coming Saturday. Second-placed Tylorstown are without a fixture, while St.Peters in third travel to fourth-placed Aberdare.
PENARTH Chris Roberts, Chris Poole, Steve Roberts, Rhys Lakin, James Crothers, James Docherty, Owain George [Andrew Edwards], Gary Power, Peter Bennett, David Morgan [Sean O’Sullivan], James Roach [James Beaton], Darroll Hawden, Elliott Smith [Chris Mortimer], Mike Clare, Aaron Ellis-Munn