NARBERTH 12 pts
WHITLAND 22
Six points clear of third placed Narberth and with a game in hand, the Borderers' victory has also effectively put an end to the Otters' hopes of making the jump into the upper ranks as well.
The Borderers started the game three points ahead of the Otters in the table thanks to their last gasp 24-22 midweek win over Tredegar, but Narberth, who for so long had held onto top spot in the league before a shock defeat at the hands of Brynmawr set the cat amongst the pigeons, made some of the early running.
Before one of the largest Lewis Lloyd crowds of the season, the opening quarter was nip and tuck all the way, with both teams testing the others' defence to optimum level as Whitland looked to avenge their earlier home defeat at the hands of the Otters.
The Otters took the lead in the ninth minute when Julian Howells took advantage of the wind at his back to bang over a mammoth penalty from just inside his own half.
Already missing the drive of influential scrum-half Chris Macdonald, injured the previous week, Narberth suffered another blow midway through the first half when they lost the services of veteran flanker Alan Reynolds, with the Borderers capitalising by closing down around the fringes to deny the homesters the platform to use their threequarters to any real effect to break the advantage line.
Whitland stand-off Daniel Griffiths failed with a penalty for the visitors, and Howells was also off target with two further place kicks, before a successful penalty on the stroke of half-time gave the Otters a six-point interval lead.
Benefiting from the wind after the break, Whitland put pressure on the Otters and almost scored when flanker Johnny Kiloi created space and linked with his threes, but the final pass to wing Craig Richards from centre Brad Baker went astray.
Griffiths was also unable to convert a penalty for Whitland just after the turn around, but was more successful adding the extras after centre Nick Jackson grabbed the first touchdown of the game from a scrum five metres out eight minutes in.
Whitland extended their lead minutes later when former Neath back row forward, Derek Thomas, picked up from the base of a scrum on halfway.
The Borderers' number eight sucked in the Narberth cover with a neat dummy to skipper Rob Phillips - who led by example throughout - before sending Kiloi through to touch down under the posts and present Griffiths with the simplest of conversions.
Enjoying something of a purple patch in the third quarter, Whitland almost increased their lead further when hooker Steve Gerrard carved his way through up the left flank, but his connecting pass to the ever-present Kiloi failed to go to hand.
The let-off allowed Narberth to up a gear, with Andrew Bowen, Rouan Nel and Steve Hartland darting and probing whenever the opportunity arose, but good cover by Wayne Lewis, Richards and Simon Thomas denied them any real try-scoring opportunities.
That was not to say that the Otters did not return from Whitland territory empty-handed however, Howells slotting over two penalties in this pressure period to bring the homesters to within two points of the Green and Whites.
Griffiths had a drop goal attempt charged down, but Whitland had their eyes on the prize, effectively ending Narberth's resistance when Phillips worked the blind-side from a scrum, before moving play open for Lewis to cross on the overlap.
Griffiths was off target with the conversion, but put the result beyond any doubt with the last kick of the game when he goaled another penalty.
Whitland need just two wins out of their four remaining games to secure promotion and with three of those games at home, they look well placed to bag a division one place that has narrowly eluded them for the last three seasons.
Mathematically, Narberth still have an outside chance of the promotion they deserve after such an outstanding season if they bag the nine points on offer from their last three games, although it's also dependant on others slipping up.
So it's still all to play for tomorrow (Saturday) as Whitland take on Mountain Ash at home and Narberth travel to Oakdale - for as both teams know, one slip-up can prove costly!
Narberth: Ifan Jones, Steve Hartland, Andrew Bowen, Rouan Nel, John Whitticombe, Julian Howells, Scott Penney, Chris Flattery, Kevin Davies, Alun Phillips, Jamie Bohata, Jason Jennings, Alan Reynolds, Simon Davies (capt.), Gareth Bennett.
Whitland: Wayne Lewis, Craig Richards, Brad Baker, Nick Jackson, Simon Thomas, Daniel Griffiths, Rob Phillips (capt.), Gareth Williams, Steve Gerrard, Dai Jones, Dai Ebsworth, Fakata Molatika, Randall Williams, Johnny Kiloi, Derek Thomas.