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Match Reports

Ystrad Rhondda 21 Mountain Ash 16

Those involved with the Mid Rhondda club realised Saturday’s test versus their Div Two fourth placed opponents would be their sternest challenge to date after Mountain Ash had recorded four league wins out of five.
The visitors scrum half made the challenge more difficult when he exploited a gap down the narrow side to race over for a converted try.
Outside halves Dylan Jones of Ystrad & Mathew Parfit exchanged penalties as both forward units looked to gain supremacy, Mount having the upper hand in the scrums & Ystrad courtesy of lineout forwards Greg Booth & Captain Chris Hanly plus accurate throwing of hooker John Watkins gaining the advantage in the lineouts.
Ystrad had yet another new combination in midfield with young centres Nathan Rees & Harry Allen teaming up with Jones, a partnership which looked to have been in place for years with their organised defence & abundance of skill.
Centre Rees registered his first try of the afternoon when he latched onto a long pass from his outside half & cut back inside his opposite centre before showing a super turn of speed to round the Mount full back & score under the posts for Jones to add the conversion & level the scores.
With the home team having withstood the early Mount pressure the visitors looked slightly weary when Jones added a further penalty to edge 13-10 in front for half time.
Highlights of the first half for the home team apart from a touch of class from Nathan Rees was an improved lineout display & the constant threat of number eight Thomas Hetherington picking up at the base of the scrum & usually taking three defenders to drag him to the floor.
A rejuvenated Mountain Ash came out for the second half & were allowed to draw first blood when a jersey pull was well spotted in midfield by the Premier league referee & Parfit stepped up to level the scores.
Hooker Carl Facey replaced Watkins & second row Lee Blower came on in place of Booth as Ystrad found themselves penalised eight times in the second half & Parfit kicked his team into a 16-13 lead going into the last quarter.
Second row Craig Locke was a continuous thorn in Ystrad’s side before he received a yellow card for an altercation with Ystrad prop Paul Dunning, Dunning however received a red card. As a result number eight Hetherington moved up to loosehead & flanker Neil Walker displayed another string from his bow when he moved across to eight & kept up the good work he had put in all afternoon.
Ystrad showed great character & self belief by rising to the challenge set by the visitors when with fourteen men centre Rees broke through in midfield with a carbon copy of his first try he again had too much pace for the full back & scored out wide.
Dylan Jones capped a commanding personal performance with a well struck long range penalty to seal a hard fought 21-16 victory.
Coaches Roberts & Griffiths were full of praise for their young players after another tense finish where they displayed a great passion & team spirit.

This Saturday Ystrad travel to league leaders Penallta & with both teams unbeaten it promises to be a mouthwatering clash. Bus leaves 12.15.

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