Team manager Mark Leyshon said: “We had lost 12 players with injury, retirement and transfers, but it has been nearly five seasons and only Merthyr have come here and beaten us. We were very confident we could get a result this time.
“In the first half we led 9-6 thanks to three penalties from fly half Russell Price, but then we started scoring tries two by open-side flanker Chris Gerry and one by prop Darren Alford. Russell converted them all and then we had a drop goal from our young full back Danno Roberts. Now we want another home game and hopefully another league team to beat.”
Felinfoel secretary Steve Howells was not concerned about the club’s top scorer Jason Davies missing all his side’s conversions, but very happy with the 38-7 win at Cardiff University.
“We have not played well over the last two weeks after being last season’s Division Three West winners. It was just good to get back to form and we ran in seven tries. Amazingly, Jason didn’t kick one conversion, but they were all scored way out and he did score two tries and a penalty.”
Abercynon registered a good win away to North Wales champions Nant Conwy and press officer Gareth Withey commented: “It was a tribute to the club that all 15 players who started were products of our youth system. “We have lost players and indeed the youth cannot raise a side, but these fellows did well to win.”
Nant Conwy led 11-9 at the interval and scored 2-1 on try-count, but it was a rare day to see Peredur Ellis outkicked by ‘Cynon’s Matthew Turner.
Division Three South West side Skewen held too many guns for Crynant, two divisions lower, and they romped into the next round of the WRU Challenge Cup with a 45-8 success.
“Despite the scoreline it was a hard-fought victory and Crynant battled well for the first half,” said Skewen manager Mark Thomas. “We had to stick with our game plan and eventually it paid dividends as we came good after that difficult first half. It is always satisfying to win a game like that and now we are looking forward to the draw
for the next round.”
In a battle between Five South West’s Cwmtwrch and Five South East’s Llantwit Major it was the West side who came out on top 13-5. “We won it up front during the first half and went in at the interval 13-0 ahead,” said Cwmtwrch treasurer Andrew Dady. “But we were pressed back on defence in the second half and really needed a strong performance to keep out a spirited second half revival.”
Wrexham made the long trip to Abercrave but it proved fruitless as the home side hung on for a nailbiting 10-7 success. “We needed to win the game up front as there were few chances for the threequarters to shine today,” said Abercrave skipper and prop Nigel Hickey. “It was touch and go for a time when the scores were level at 7-7 but we forced them back, earned a
penalty, and that decided the game.”
Prop Wynn Evans crossed and outside half Chris Stoneman converted for the first Abercrave points and just as extra time was beckoning, Stoneman landed a penalty to win the game.
North Wales will have just three representatives in the second round draw and one of those, Caernarfon, are there at the expense of Rhyl. The Caernarfon hero was fly half Kelvin Morris, who scored two tries, two conversions and a penalty hat-trick to add to a try by centre Arwel Davies in a 28-19 success.
Rhos, only a second-class club, had one of their best-ever wins as they turned over Pontyates by 18-6 to go through. The home tries came from lock Mark Davies and wing Paul Basson and fly half Nick Carlton landed eight points from the boot.
Dunvant star in their 48-5 beating of Glynneath was the veteran back-row forward Paul Morris, who was playing for Llanelli in Heineken League rugby 12 years ago. Morris, now a forwards coach at Broadacre, ran in three tries with his intelligent backing-up play and Dunvant ran in four more to record their third successive victory this season.
Aberystwyth lost key players in the summer, but they still rose up to defeat Tenby Utd 38-12, aided by 18 points from fly half Gareth Roberts. However, the nearby University side crashed out 40-0 to Mid-Wales club Gwernyfed.
Mumbles ran riot to defeat Ynysybwl 58-21 and scored eight tries with three of them coming from scrum half Richard Harris and 23 points from wing Nick Thomas.
It was a good day for the west to come east and Tonna won 36-30 at Crumlin with centre Luke Sorokin scoring three of the six tries against a home brace from Rob Alexander; New Dock Stars gained a 25-18 win at Clwb Rygbi Caerdydd as flanker Adam Garner touched down all three tries and Gorseinon went to Garndiffaith and came away winners by 36-6 with full back Lee Evans scoring two of the five tries against a penalty and drop goal by Andrew
Manley.
Barry did strike a blow for the east however as they fought off a Haverfordwest comeback and won 35-23 with Chris Cummings, Geraint Manning, Ashley Brown and Peter O’Sullivan crossing and Cummings kicking 15 points.
North Wales clubs rarely come south to win, but Llangefni did so. They won 20-11 in a battle at Ferndale, where two home players were red-carded as Ian Parry and Iwan Davies notched the winning tries.
Macchen skipper Johnny Wright scored 32 points including three tries in a 72-7 thrashing of Bala and Jamie Lane’s two tries helped Newport HSOB beat Cardigan 19-14 in a fiery match.
Ben Keane ran in for four tries as Heol-y-Cyw defeated Welshpool 37-7 and Llantrisant had to fight back from 5-12 to just outgun a battling Bargoed 18-12 with tries by Ian Worgan and Mike Jones against those by David Lynch and Ivor Bowen.
