Carmarthen Quins gained the double over Narberth in an exciting game in which both teams had their opportunities to come out on top.
The Otters took an early lead with a 45-metre penalty from outside-half Steve Williams, which was quickly cancelled out by a penalty from Quins outside-half Mark Jones.
A penalty by Williams after 15 minutes restored the lead for Narberth. After missing out on the penalty opportunity, Mark Jones levelled the scores with a well-taken drop-goal.
Both teams played enterprising rugby, but moves kept breaking down, partly through handling errors and partly as a result of the strong wind, which was blowing from the cricket field down the pitch. The Otters took the lead again after 29 minutes with a smartly taken try by flanker Lloyd Phillips.
The 18-year-old back row forward plays with passion and commitment each week. After some excellent work by the pack and the backs, when the ball went through a number of phases of play, his pace off the mark and determination enabled him to race over in the corner for an unconverted try. Seven minutes later, left winger Andrew Jones went over the line after another exciting move by the Otters backs, but had the ball knocked out of his hands. Shortly before the interval, centre Steve Martin broke through the Quins defence, but stumbled yards from the line.
Andrew Jones had rejoined the Otters at the start of the season from Quins and was keen to make an impact in the game. He increased the Narberth lead when he went over for an unconverted try in the left corner when play had been switched quickly from a tapped penalty taken by prop Nathan Williams. The all-action prop touched and went, the ball was moved along the line quickly and Jones shrugged off the challenge of defenders to touch down over the line.
Steve Williams had a penalty attempt from the halfway line, but the ball dropped just under the cross-bar.
Trailing by 10 points at the interval, the visitors were soon back into the game and wiped out the deficit within five minutes.
When Mark Jones is in the opposition ranks, teams must be careful not to concede penalties. In the first minute of the second half, the Quins were awarded a penalty and Jones made no mistake from 42 metres to reduce the lead.
Three minutes later, the Quins drew level. Winger Wayne Price received the ball when the Narberth players had stopped thinking that an offence had been committed because of a knock-on. Price kicked over the heads of the opposition, raced upfield, caught the ball and ran around and cut inside to score under the posts for a try converted by Mark Jones.
From the Quins' aspect, it was a well-taken try, but from the viewpoint of the Otters, it was a soft give away.
After missing out on a penalty in the windy conditions, Jones had another opportunity and scored from just inside the 22 with a penalty kick and the Quins were in front for the first time in the match.
Within 10 minutes, the lead was increased when substitute winger Griff Jones scored from a counter-attack from inside their own half. Jones won the race to the touchdown to score in the left corner and Mark Jones put the icing on the cake with a conversion.
The Quins were now 10 points in front and, although the Otters kept trying, they were unable to make the breakthrough. Narberth suffered two blows when flanker Matthew Davies was yellow- carded and outside-half Steve Williams was stretchered off with a suspected broken ankle, which later turned out to be ligament damage.
Although the Otters were let off the hook when Mark Jones missed out on two penalty kicks, the breakthrough did not come until the last move of the match when flanker Matthew Davies finished off a move from a short distance tapped penalty to cross for a try converted by Nick Jones.
Narberth's director of rugby Jonathan Dodd was somewhat downbeat after the match.
Commenting, he said: "We broke their lines eight or nine times, but did not capitalise after breaking the line and only scored on one such occasion.
"Although the coaching team is delighted that we are creating so many chances, we are disappointed not to finish them. I must commend the boys on the attitude they displayed today.
"After the disappointment of defeat at Whitland last week, the attitude was spot on today and for long periods of the game we were far the better side. Unfortunately, we are not taking our try-scoring chances and we paid the penalty for a couple of lapses in defence.
"We face another big challenge at Cardiff next Saturday in the fourth round of the Konica Minolta Welsh Cup and I am sure that the players will raise their game for that special occasion".
Flanker Lloyd Phillips was nominated man-of-the- match by the Folly Farm Balcony Suite match sponsors, Young Bros, of Llandissilio. Castell Howell, of Carmarthen, acted as Otters Holt match ball sponsor. The match ball sponsors were Lloyds Bank, Kite Consulting, Graham Searle, of Llawhaden, the Landshipping Boys, Chris and Pip, Cartridge Choice - Cymru, Grahams Builders' Merchants, The White Stuff and the St. Clears Running Club.
Narberth fielded: Nick Jones, Andrew Jones, Steve Martin, Richard Davies, Mark Davies, Steve Williams (Neil Davies), Andrew Davies, Nathan Williams (Scott Payne), Dan Smith, Justin Hughes (capt.), Chris James, Emori Katalau, Mathew Davies, Lloyd Phillips (Jamie Bohata), Lewis Wood.