WHITLAND YOUTH 48 pts.

NEYLAND YOUTH 3

Whitland Youth welcomed Neyland to Parc Llwyn Ty Gwyn for a midweek league match, and also a warm-up game for their quarter-final Welsh Cup clash with Newbridge, and ran out comfortable winners by 48 points to three.

The game was all over bar the shouting by half-time after the young Borderers had run in seven tries, one apiece by fullback Dayfydd Williams, prop Brinley Toms and number eight Owain John and four by centre James Stephenson, who also converted four to rack up a personal tally of 28 points.

With Robert Davies kicking a penalty for Neyland's only reply, it left the interval score at a healthy 43-3 to Whitland.

Early in the second half, flanker James Davies crossed for his side's eighth try, which went unconverted, and after that referee Chris Williams decided to blow up for full time.

NEWBRIDGE YOUTH 10 pts.

WHITLAND YOUTH 12

On Sunday, Whitland beat Newbridge to move into the semi-finals of the Webb Ellis Welsh Youth Cup for the second year in a row.

It was a dogged, never-say-die performance by the young Borderers as they eventually won by the smallest of margins, 12 points to 10.

Newbridge dominated first phase with a strong scrum and a faultless lineout and Whitland found it tough going, but a gutsy performance from the whole squad and their huge team spirit saw them edge home and claim, in the end, a deserved semi-final spot

Fullback James Stephenson kicked Whitland into an early lead with two penalties, before Newbridge scored the only try of the game when flanker Ben James crossed the line.

Centre Josh Steer added the extras with a successful conversion, but then missed two penalties, before Whitland's second row Carl Smith was yellow-carded for offside and outsidehalf Ben Farley stepped up and slotted the penalty to extend the home lead to 10 points to six.

Playing injury time at the end of the first half, James Stephenson slotted his third penalty, and with Steer again missing with another on the stroke of half-time, it left the score 10 points to nine in favour of Newbridge.

The second half was a very tense affair, with neither side wanting to make a mistake, and with Whitland flanker James Davies yellow-carded for hands in the ruck after 23 minutes, it looked like being a tall order for the Borderers. But Steer again missed the penalty and Whitland's young guns dug deep, tackling their hearts out and disrupting everything.

Eventually they were awarded a penalty themselves, which James Stephenson kicked to edge Whitland in front for the first time since early in the game, and for the final eight minutes they had to battle hard to keep Newbridge at bay.

But battle they did, and to the delight of the team and their vociferous band of travelling supporters, they booked their place in the semi-final after what can only be described as and heroic performance.