While the eventual score line was comfortable, the defending champions did not have it all their own way. A penalty try and scores from Tom Hetherington and scrum half Tom Williams had given Pontypridd a comfortable half time lead.
Ashley Evans had been Bridgend’s scorer and when he added a second at the start of the second half, the home side were just three points behind.
The boot of James Dixon had kept Bridgend in it but two more Pontypridd tries saw them close out the win. The first was another penalty score with wing Matthew Nuthall completing the scoring.
Dai Flanagan’s 11 points from the tee added gloss to the final result.
Bridgend had actually started the better of the sides, Dixon moving the Ravens into a 3-0 lead with a penalty almost from the kick-off. Flanagan soon levelled things up but it was the home side who crossed for the first try of the day.
Short of numbers on the blind side, Pontypridd were scrambling in defence and there was still a lot for Evans to do. The Wales Under 20 finished the move superbly though, diving in close to the corner flag. Dixon’s conversion fell short but an 8-0 lead was a deserved reward for an enterprising start.
It could have been more too. Dixon had seen another penalty effort go awry but for the rest of the half, it was Pontypridd who dominated proceedings. A huge forward surge saw referee Martyn Lewis walk under the posts for a penalty try, Flanagan adding the extra two. If Bridgend had been perhaps a tad unlucky not to receive a warning, the score certainly gave Pontypridd a lift.
Playing their first game under new head coach Geraint Lewis, the Sardis Road club looked determined to make an impression. And when the second try arrived, it came from an unlikely source. Prop Chris Phillips broke through, and refusing to panic, found Hetherington on his inside for an easy stroll under the posts. Flanagan converted and when Williams added a third on the stroke of half time, it meant the visitors boasted a comfortable 22-8 interval advantage.
As they had in the first half, Bridgend started well following the restart. Dixon hit a low drop goal through the posts after putting a penalty effort wide and with Hetherington yellow carded following a string of Pontypridd offences, the home side sensed blood. Using their man advantage, Bridgend then got right back into things with Evans adding his second.
A long kick ahead saw the Ravens flyer outstrip Pontypridd’s Chris Dicomidis and Williams, hack the ball on and ground it next to the posts. Dixon converted and suddenly, Bridgend were back in the game.
Now in a contest, Pontypridd responded well as they used the tight exchanges to regain some control. Visiting skipper Dicomidis controlled things in the pack and in the final quarter, two more scores saw them turn the screw and secure the win.
Another huge forward shove resulted in a second penalty try before wing Nuthall sprinted clear to round things off.
Flanagan converted both as his side kept up the pressure on Carmarthen Quins at the top of the table.
