Fixture

BURRY Port moved into fourth place in League 2 West on Saturday (Apr 6), as they beat St Clears 32-17. However, the Saints were well in the game until, in the final ten minutes, they conceded two tries in quick succession as the Blacks took advantage. If you saw the first twenty minutes you would have wondered who was at the bottom and who was mid table in the league; St Clears were absolutely dominant, but the failure to score was crucial and the first foray into the home side’s territory produced a try for the visitors, albeit a very good one with excellent handling skills from the dangerous visitors back division producing a touchdown in the corner for right wing Ashley Phillips End to end play was the subsequent pattern of play with both sides pushing for the next score with Saints number 8, Owain Stacey breaking the deadlock ten minutes later with his debut try for Saints, converted by captain Adam Phillips, to put the home side in front. It was short lived however, with a penalty conceded by Saints ten minutes later, providing the impetus for the very effective visitor‘s back division to cross in the other corner allowing left wing Owen Thomas to restore the lead for Port at the half time break with the score at 10 points to 7. In the second half a high tackle provided an easy penalty in front of the posts for Port’s number 10 Ben Williams and a very good kick from distance against a strong wind from Captain Phillips, thanks to the crossbar, maintained the score differential, only for an interception by Owen Thomas to extend the lead once again with an unchallenged simple run in under the posts for his second try, which with the conversion, extended the lead to ten points. Five minutes later in this very evenly contested challenge, left wing Jonathan Gostling finished off good work to reward the territorial advantage enjoyed by the home side for a try which, with another good conversion from Phillips, produced the finely balanced score of 17-20. However, with ten minutes remaining, the Saints saw that narrow gap increased with two tries conceded far too easily from the Black's Captain Andy Francis and a second for Winger Ashley Phillips, taking the score to 17-32. It left the Saints gutted with what they saw as another unjust result. On Saturday (Apr 13), the Saints will look to bounce back as they travel to Mumbles while Burry Port will look to keep hold of fourth place as they travel to bottom side Tumble.