Ystrad Rhondda 3pts. Narberth 9

At last Narberth's search for a place kicker may be over. Having tried five players at outside-half from the squad in previous games this season, the Otters gave Tom Lewis his Division One league debut on Saturday and the early signs are promising. Not only does he appear to have the tactical nous to play at number 10, but he also appears to have the icy cool nerve and technique required by a place kicker these days. By kicking three out of four first half penalty opportunities, Lewis gave the Otters a six points advantage at half-time, which the visitors held onto until the final whistle. His opposite number, Dylan Jones, gave Ystrad the lead with a 40-yard penalty after 12 minutes and after 20 minutes Jones was off target with a more ambitious attempt from the 10-metre line. Tom Lewis had his first penalty opportunity five minutes later. It was a difficult kick from just inside the halfway line, but much to the delight of the travelling faithful, Lewis hit the ball sweetly and it sailed through the posts, over the bar and almost out of the ground. Three minutes later, he was successful with a short-range kick and another long distance effort within minutes struck the left up right. Five minutes before the interval, Lewis had a chance to kick again and extended the lead for the visitors with his third penalty. The Otters had most of the play in the first half. The pack functioned well in the set-pieces, with lineout jumpers Emori Katalau and Chris James winning more than their share of ball. The new back row appeared to be settling down as a unit, the backs moved the ball briskly along the line and the general defensive work was excellent. In the second half, Narberth did not have quite as much of the play and the ball moved from end to end at frequent intervals. Lewis had a chance to increase the lead with a penalty after three minutes from the 10-metre line, but the kick dropped just short of the posts. Although no more points were added and no tries scored in the match, it was by no means a dull game and players kept the interest of the spectators right until the end. The Otters faced a tense final few minutes when number eight Lewis Wood was yellow-carded for a professional foul after 35 minutes of the second half. The 14 remaining players raised their game, although some were carrying minor injuries, and kept Ystrad at bay to register the first league victory since Narberth defeated Builth Wells away in the middle of October. Beaming broadly, senior coach Jonathan Dodd said after the match: "We were very pleased with the performance today, even though no tries were scored. Both sides played well. There were a lot of creative opportunities and it was a gutsy performance by both teams. "Our lineout went well and new outside-half Tom Lewis controlled it tactically, particularly during the first half, winger Josh Freeman showed that he is an excellent ball carrier and for long periods of the game our defence was excellent. "All of the boys worked together and showed a lot of team spirit. The back row combined well, the new faces we had after the transfer deadline fitted in and things are starting to take shape a bit. The players have attended training sessions and are beginning to bed in and know the game plan. "We could have thrown it away at the end through a lack of experience. There is still a lot to work on, but the result and performance today will give the team a lot of confidence "In some ways we played better against Caerphilly and lost, but we will still take the three points we picked up today!" Narberth fielded: Rob Irving, Josh Freeman (Wes Pooley), Steve Martin, Neil Davies, Mike Georgiou, Tom Lewis, Andrew Davies, Martin Bowen, Fifitipuku Faletau, Alan Phillips, Chris James, Emori Katalau, Rob James (Adrian Chiffi), Mathew Davies and Lewis Wood.