Tries from Jake Thomas Rhys Shellard, Simon Humberstone and Owen Jenkins and eight points from Humberstone’s boot secured the win for Ponty who complete the season with just one defeat.
Playing with home advantage, Ponty exerted plenty of early pressure, which almost resulted in a try in the first three minutes, but Humberstone fumbled at the vital moment. The outside half, playing his last game before moving to Doncaster Knights in the summer, then made amends by kicking a penalty to put the home side 3-0 ahead.
Sardis Road roared when the Ponty pack set up a powerful drive to allow No 8 Jake Thomas to crash over, but Humberstone could not convert. The visitors stayed in touch thanks to a penalty from Carl Meyer, but Humberstone hit straight back with three points of his own to restore the eight-point lead.
Meyer reduced the Steelmen’s arrears with a second penalty before swathes of Ebbw Vale pressure brought another effort at goal. This time outside half Iain Smerdon was on target to make it 11-9 and put the second-placed side within touching distance.
Vale impressed in a tight first half, minimising the Pontypridd threat in wide areas with some powerful tackles, but the tide turned when referee Leighton Hodges sent prop John Lavender to the sin-bin just before the break.
The home side smelt blood and struck a heavy blow to Vale’s title hopes when back-rower Rhys Shellard ran in under the posts for Humberstone to add the extras to make it 18-9 moments before the interval.
The Steelmen could have considered themselves unlucky to trail at the break, but the champions came flying out of the blocks after the restart and skipper Dafydd Lockyer off-loaded to Humberstone, who scored a crucial try in the corner to extend the gap to 14 points.
Jason Strange’s visitors couldn’t find a way through during an often turgid second half as Ponty looked to squeeze the life out of the game. But the away side did find a late try in the corner after some good hands out wide played in Jordan Howells.
But Ponty weathered the late storm and Owen Jenkins ran the length of the field to score a spectacular breakaway try and with it seal a fourth title in as many years for the Sardis Road outfit – and make up for the disappointment of losing the SSE SWALEC Cup final against Bridgend.
Scorers: Pontypridd: Tries: J Thomas, R Shellard, S Humberstone, O Jenkins Con: S Humberstone; Pens: S Humberstone 2. Ebbw Vale: Try: J Howells; Pens: C Meyer 2, I Smerdon
Pontypridd: M Nuthall; L I Williams, G Dacey, D Lockyer (capt.), O Jenkins; S Humberstone, T Williams (J Raikes 72); C Phillips (J Howe 54), L Belcher (H Dowden 68), D Lewis (P Palmer 68), C Locke, C Dicomidis (A Jones 72), W O’Connor, R Shellard, J Thomas (D Godfrey 64)
Replacements not used: J Evans, A Webber.
Ebbw Vale: D Haymond (D Jones 54); O Williams, J Howells, C Meyer, T James; I Smerdon (D Langdon 69), C Thomas (R Downes 45); J Lavender (R Jones 69), M Williams (R Francis 69), R Sevenoaks (L Leddington 74), D Hudd (capt.), A Sweet, R Clarke (G Rusby-Davies 74), R Kynes (G Williams 75), C Regan (R Jones 36-45)
Replacement not used: G Williams.
Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU)
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