The Gwent outfit had to come from behind before beating Carmarthen Quins 31-20 at Carmarthen Park in the play-off this afternoon in a thrilling encounter which proved a great advertisement for the Premiership.
Both sides attacked with vigour in the windy conditions and it was the home side who got off to the best start with two early penalties via full back Aled Thomas.
Second row Carwyn Jones then scored the softest of tries when he intercepted a pass just a metre out from the Cross Keys try-line to plunge over. Thomas’s well struck conversion put the home side 13-0 in front and seemingly in control.
But Cross Keys hit a purple patch and scored 22 unanswered points to seize control of the evenly contested affair.
Influential fly half Dorian Jones drilled over a penalty to begin the comeback before captain Leon Andrews combined with Nathan Trowbridge to canter over for a well worked try. Four minutes later the Keys centre bagged his second of the afternoon after taking a pass from fellow midfielder Phil Williams. With Jones adding two conversions Cross Keys had jumped to a 13-22 lead.
Quins hit back through winger Chris Banfield who danced away from the last line of defence and when Thomas added the conversion the home side had cut the lead to just two points.
Heading into a stiff wind in the second half Quins constantly attacked with ball in hand but couldn’t break the Keys vice-like defence.
Jones increased the lead with three further penalties to put clear daylight between the two sides and despite the Quins hammering away for the final 20 minutes, the Keys defence remained resolute.
Keys will now be seeking to gain revenge over Ponty for their SWALEC Cup final defeat at the Millennium Stadium last week. It promises to be a cracker.
