Trailing by 17 points at the interval, the Otters bounced back in the second half, but were unable to make up the deficit, despite levelling the try count.

Virginia Park in Caerphilly looked a picture under a blue sky, but a strong wind from one end of the field to the other affected the pattern of play in each half.

Relegated from the Premier Division last season, the Green Army soon showed that they meant business and initially threatened to run the Otters off the park.

Flanker Andrew Packer opened the scoring after seven minutes when he was driven over from a lineout and fullback James Palfrey made no mistake with the conversion.

Narberth outside-half Mike Georgiou had an ambitious penalty attempt from the halfway line against the wind shortly afterwards. His kick had the distance, but not the accuracy.

Within minutes, Caerphilly had extended the lead through a penalty from James Palfrey from inside his own half.

Ten minutes later when left wing Jordan Rees went over in the left corner from a tapped penalty and the try was converted from the touchline by Palfrey, it looked as if the Otters might fade away.

However, four minutes before the interval, number eight Jamie Bohata broke away from a scrum on the halfway line.

The burly forward ran 25 metres before slipping the ball inside to scrum-half Adrian Killa, who showed a clean pair of heels as he ran away from potential defenders to cross under the posts. Georgiou converted the try to reduce the deficit to 10 points.

Just before the half-time whistle, left wing Jordan Rees scored a quite brilliant try for Caerphilly. From a lineout on the left, the Green Army number 10, Kevin Maddocks, started a loop move and Jordan Rees moved from the left, ran around the right and then cut back inside to finish a superb try under the posts, which Palfrey inevitably converted.

Narberth did have a further scoring opportunity, but once again Mike Georgiou with a long distance penalty attempt had the legs but not the radar.

The Otters came back into the game even more in the second half. After just four minutes, 18-year- old centre Stephen Martin finished off an excellent move. From a scrum, the ball came out to Mike Georgiou, who combined with winger Rob Irving so that Irving cut back inside and then released Martin to cross for a try under the posts, converted by Georgiou.

The big boot of Palfrey struck again after 16 minutes with a penalty from the 10-metre line, but Stephen Martin picked up his second try of the match after clever interplay between Mike Georgiou and centre Neil Davies from a scrum near the posts.

When Neil Davies created a bit of space, Stephen Martin broke clear of the covering defence to score halfway on the left and Georgiou added the conversion points.

With only six points separating the teams, the Otters were in with a shout of pulling off a win. However, a late penalty by James Palfrey, in the last five minutes when the visitors were reduced to 14 players having used up all of their substitutes, brought the scoring to a close.

Commenting after the match, coach Jonathan Dodd said: "We came up against a well drilled and well organised team today. Caerphilly have retained most of last season's development squad and have a number of players with Premiership experience and that showed especially during the first half.

"Some of the Narberth players were a bit shell- shocked initially upon stepping up to Division One rugby and were surprised at the pace of the game. "However, they settled down gradually and each of the players played an important part.

"We did not have much territory in the first half, but in the second half it was very encouraging to see the way in which the boys responded."

Dodd's half-time pep talk paid dividends as the Otters created more territory to come back strongly.

Continuing Dodd said: "In the first half we left it too little and too late so there was too much of a gap to make up.

"We have a young squad, players combined well and we should recognise that Caerphilly are a very good side who on this form will certainly finish in the top four."

Team manager Robert Lewis was also disappointed with the result. He said: "At the beginning of a season everyone hopes that the hard work put in during the summer pays off, but unfortunately that did not quite happen today.

"Both teams had some new faces with a lot of young players.

"Although we were a little weak at times in defence, we scored some good tries and generally there were some promising performances by young players who have come into the team.

On the plus side for Narberth coaches and supporters, some of the young players such as centre Stephen Martin and second row Chris James played well and Stephen Martin combined well with Neil Davies who punched the gaps in midfield.

Fly-half Mike Georgiou has got good hands, pace and rugby vision, while scrum-half Adrian Killa always looked dangerous.

Although Captain Emori Katalau was missed, locks Jason Jennings and Chris James won a fair share of lineout ball and there were good performances in the back row by Lewis Wood, Colin Davies and Jamie Bohata.

It was good to see Simon Delaney back in Narberth colours in the middle of the front row, both props Alan Phillips and Barry Davies held their own, while winger Rob Irving showed that he will be a more than useful acquisition.

Narberth fielded, Sion Brace, Daniel Shooter (Mathew Davies), Stephen Martin, Neil Davies, Robert Irving, Michael Georgiou, Adrian Killa (Andrew Davies), Barry Davies (Jamie Parr), Simon Delaney (Jean Pierre Pretorius), Alan Phillips (capt.), Chris James, Jason Jennings, Lewis Wood, Colin Davies (Andrew Dennis) and Jamie Bohata.