TENBY UNITED 32 pts
LLANTRISANT 42
With their fate decided, already relegated Tenby United had only pride to play for in their penultimate National League division two game against Llantrisant at Heywood Lane on Saturday.
It was a game the Seasiders could have won, with the teams level pegging at 20-all going into the last quarter, but again a catalogue of unforced errors in the loose and slipshod handling in open play, coupled with a visiting threequarter line with at least a yard of extra pace, saw the United slump to a 42-32 defeat.
The game was marred by the sendings-off midway through the second half of Llantrisant lock Simon Jenkins and Tenby stand-off Gavin Scotcher following a brief altercation between the two players.
With Scotcher claiming to be hanging up his boots at the end of the season, it marked a rather ignominious end to an illustrious career for the Seasiders' fly-half and it came as a surprise to supporters on both sides when referee Mr. R. Williams sent the two players for an early bath as the game had been an even-tempered affair up to this point, and both had almost immediately forgotten their differences to get on with play!
Tenby took the game to Llantrisant at the outset, but suffered a setback early on when centre Dean Bowen suffered a broken nose when he was tackled inside the visiting 10 as the Seasiders tried to press home a looping three-quarter attack after Stuart Tyrie had made ground off the back off a ruck.
Bowen's place was taken by Andrew John.
With acting skipper Nicky Allen leading by example alongside Tyrie and Andy Deacon and front row trio of Nicky Carpenter, Endaf Howells and Lee Tucker - on loan from Whitland - grafting in the loose, the Seasiders maintained a useful supply of possession in the first 10 minutes, but were let down by some poor handling in the threes.
It allowed Llantrisant to gain a foothold, with pacy wing Jonathan Edwards slickly carving his way through to take possession into the United's territory.
Llantrisant, playing their last game of the season and looking to end on a high note - despite the fact that half their stalwart band of supporters were stuck in a broken down bus further up the line - recycled possession through several phases, before flanker Andrew Davies burst through on the overlap to touch down.
Outside-half Kevin Jenkins added the extras and banged over a penalty minutes later to give the visitors a 10-point advantage.
Tenby struck back when quick thinking scrum-half Oliver Brace seized on a loose ball as it squirted out of a scrum five metres out, hacked on and used his pace to grab the touchdown.
Scotcher was off target with the conversion and Llantrisant extended their lead virtually from the restart when they broke through and confident handling sent centre David Atkins over.
Jenkins converted with the aid of the crossbar to make it 17-5 in the visitors' favour.
Although the Tenby pack won workable possession in the set-pieces, the mobile Llantrisant back row of Huw David, Davies and Matthew Newland, capitalised on the United's inability to make loose ball safe in open play and made plenty of yardage.
However, when concentrating on their game, the Seasiders proved just as adept at free-flowing rugby, Justin Jones winning good lineout ball for Tyrie to make ground on the drive, before freeing Brace who forced his way through for his second touchdown.
Scotcher added the extras to reduce the deficit, but Jenkins slotted over a penalty at the other end to keep the visitors' noses in front.
Going into the last five minutes of the half, Jones again set Tenby into motion, while quick recycling allowed the homesters to probe deep into the Llantrisant half.
Scotcher tried an opportunist drop goal, but, while it was charged down by scrum half Ian Worgan, the Tenby stand-off benefited from a lucky bounce which threw the ball back into his hands, allowing him to send a well-judged long pass out to Sion Brace who ran in to touch down.
Scotcher was unable to convert with the last kick of the half.
Tenby served up more of the same after the change around, with Tyrie and centre Paul Luger creating space for Brace, but the fullback was just beaten in the kick and chase by his Llantrisant opposite Owen Morgan.
However, the Seasiders were awarded a penalty at the resultant scrum which Scotcher goaled to put the sides back on terms.
Visiting stand-off Jenkins edged his side back into the lead with a try after lock Nick Jones set up a rolling maul from a lineout, but his conversion was denied by an upright.
Tenby launched another offensive, which ended with Scotcher and Jenkins being given their marching orders. Sion Brace filled in at outside-half until an injury to wing Gavin Jones allowed Tenby to bring on Aled Thomas at pivot.
Although reduced to seven men up front, Llantrisant still proved a match for the Seasiders up front, with the visitors - aided by the arrival of their colourful and very vocal supporters - capitalising on poor handling in midfield to grab two tries in quick succession.
The first came from hooker Dai Evans, while fullback David grabbed the second on the blind-side from an advancing scrum.
Jenkins converted one to give the visitors a 17-point lead.
Tenby reduced the arrears to 10 points when Luger found a gap from a quick penalty. Quick recycling at the breakdown allowed centre Andrew John to nip over, with Thomas converting from wide out.
The visitors struck back right from the restart when an enterprising Jenkins created the space to send wing Celin Morgan over on the overlap, although the Llantrisant pivot was unable to add the extras from wide out.
Play again flowed Tenby's way, with the Seasiders camping on the visiting five-metre line but, despite losing skipper Gareth Alexander through a yellow card for back-chat to Mr. Williams, Llantrisant absorbed the pressure, Tenby eventually giving away a penalty which allowed Jenkins to clear his line.
Tenby were not to be denied, however, moving the ball open from a scrum for Brace to carve his way through.
The nippy fullback was held up, but quick recycling at the breakdown saw possession moved out to prop Howells, who sucked in the Llantrisant cover before sending Deacon over.Thomas failed to convert with what turned out to be the last kick of the game.
Tomorrow (Saturday), Tenby round off their season when they take on Tredegar at Heywood Lane.
Tenby United fielded: Sion Brace, Carl Broaders, Dean Bowen, Paul Luger, Gavin Jones, Gavin Scotcher, Oliver Brace, Endaf Howells, Lee Tucker, Nicky Carpenter, Pat Nolan, Justin Jones, Nicky Allen (capt.), Andy Deacon, Stuart Tyrie.