Tenby United 17 pts. Llangefni 22
A very relieved Llangefni gave themselves a rousing cheer as referee Jenkins blew for fulltime at Heywood Lane on Saturday. Talk in the clubhouse after this end-to-end game was of 'the sternest match they had been involved in all season' and 'a match that did not reflect at all the gap that exists in the league between the two teams'. However, at the end, it was another lost game that Tenby could and should have won, but unlike some recent performances, this latest test will provide the players and Neil Machin and his coaching staff with much-needed encouragement as they play the reverse fixtures from the first half of the season. On a day made for running rugby, Tenby took the field with only six of the players in the starting XV that travelled up to Llangefni way back in September, but all were determined to extract as much advantage as they could against a side that had travelled the 160 miles down south and had been up since the crack of dawn. Nevertheless, it was the visitors who took an early lead when a rather harshly awarded penalty after only eight minutes was slotted over by fullback Roberts. Rather than settle back and bemoan this reverse, Tenby responded in splendid fashion when a bout of excellent running and handling involving Sam Smith, Alex Watt, Scott Payne, Will Crockford, Mark Stevens and Arthur MM saw Stuart Tyrie cross for an excellent length of the field try. With Mark Stevens adding the extras, the home side had surged into a deserved 7-3 lead and the visitors were very much aware they were in for a very hard contested game. Tenby started to put their running game together and, unlike the initial opening minutes when breaks were made but then petered out through lack of support, bouts of inter-passing involving both backs and forwards became common as swift transfer of the ball or off-loading in the tackle saw attack after attack stretch the Llangefni defence. Will Crockford, Mark Stevens, Mark Heywood, Jimmy Davies, Alex Watts, Sam Smith, Stuart Tyrie and Arthur MM seemed to figure prominently in the many surging runs that Llangefni had to cope wit,h but it was the hard grafting by the ball winners that made all of this running rugby possible. Steve James, Gareth Edwards, the entire front row unit, along with the hard-working Wyndham Williams, were playing their hearts out, contesting every ball and inch of ground with the well- organised Llangefni outfit. An excellent tackle and steal by man-of-the-match Stuart Tyrie, deep in Tenby territory, developed into a superb move, with quick ball enabling Will Crockford and Mark Stevens to release powerful centre Mark Heywood. His 60-metre arcing run was only halted through a desperate tackle by fullback Roberts. For all this attacking play, however, it was Llangefni wjo regained the lead with half-time rapidly approaching, when centre and captain Jones intercepted an attempted 'miss-pass', to romp over unopposed from deep in the visitors' half. With Roberts adding the extras, Tenby went 10-7 down. This situation was made worse when from a kick- off that did not make the 10-metre line, Tenby were caught on the back foot when Llangefni cleanly fielded the ball and took play to within inches of the try line, and it was only a thundering tackle by the scuttling Mike Lewis that prevented them from adding to their lead. Still penned deep in their 22, Tenby were lucky not to go into the break six points adrift when the usually reliable Roberts surprisingly missed a penalty, awarded against the impressive Sam Smith for a marginally high tackle. The half-time pep talk by Neil Machin stressed the need to maintain the high pace running rugby, with 'heads-up' being the key instruction, and following a surging run by strong running centre Arthur MM, well supported by Stuart Tyrie, it was Mark Stevens who put Tenby on even terms when a scuffed penalty attempt, awarded for the visitors not releasing the ball in the tackle, crept over the bar. Tenby were now back into their stride, but were unable to string together sufficient passes or be on hand to make the extra man needed to break the determined visitors' defence. In an attempt to inject some more pace into the forwards, coach Neil Machin brought on Nicky Guymer to replace Mike Lewis. Against the run of play, however, it was Llangefni who were next on the scoreboard when a move involving winger Ioan Davies and a miss-move, which came straight off the training paddock, ripped the home side's defence to pieces, as Iwan Davies galloped over unopposed for one of the best tries seen at Heywood Lane for many a year. With the conversion striking the upright, Tenby now found themselves 15-10 down. Rather than fold at this reverse, Tenby were quick to respond and it was the combination of Sam Smith, who made a thundering break, supported by the ever-present Stuart Tyrie, who were next to threaten the Llangefni defence, but they held firm. Last year's captain, Nicky Allen, made a very welcome return to the fold, coming on as Steve James replaced the hard-working Mark Badham at prop. Steve, who had grafted hard for 60 minutes as part of a very effective home side back-row, no doubt relished the thought of playing the final 20 minutes at prop! As is typical of a side up against it, with results not going their way, Tenby found themselves even further behind when a speculative chip over the defence, when an attack was on the verge of breaking down, saw a lucky bounce from the kick by Llyr Hughes provide Arwel Roberts with a chance to scamper over close to the sticks. The added extras by Roberts saw Tenby enter the final quarter 22-10 down and the game seemingly out of sight. Favouring an injury he took the field with, Arthur MM was replaced by Llewellyn Rose who slotted in at fullback, allowing the strong running Alec Watt to move to centre. Within minutes of this latest change to personnel, it was Tenby who were next on the scoreboard with two penalties in quick succession allowing Mark Stevens to take play deep into the visitors' 22. Yet another surging run by Stuart Tyrie, who skilfully off-loaded to Alec Watt, was halted inches from the line and it was left to the supporting Nicky Guymer to scoop up the loose ball and crash over for a very well-deserved try. Stevens added the extras and with the game finely balanced at 22-17, the home side were still very much in it. Despite another searing break by Mark Heywood, the home side could just not raise their game sufficiently to cross the visitors' line and the reaction of the Llangefni players when referee Andrew Jenkins, who played his part very well in a thrilling game, said it all. With a trip tomorrow (Saturday) to Newcastle Emlyn, who have only managed one league point in their last three outings, Tenby will be hoping to carry on where they left off against a very relieved Llangefni side. The scramble for valuable league points among the teams at the foot of the table is beginning to hot up, as within the last three weeks all five teams have only managed one win between them (and that was in a game involving two of the teams in question) and one draw. Match sponsors were Bourne Leisure, Kiln Park, ball sponsors were Mike Fry and Des Brace - their support and sponsorship is greatly appreciated, as are the T-bone steaks, kindly donated by J. V. Rowe & Sons and presented to man-of-the match, Stuart Tyrie. Tenby fielded: Alex Watt - Tenby Auto Centre Car Sales; James Davies - Tenby Glass; Mark Heywood - N. D. Toy & Partners Ltd, Independent Financial Advisors and Mortgage Brokers; Arthur Maulio- Martino (Llewellyn Rose) - Anne and Jeremy Rossiter, of Londis Stores, Manorbier; Randell Watkins - W3 Designs, Affordable Web Design; Mark Stevens - Rossiters Funeral Directors of Tenby & District; Will Crockford - Pam Pam Restaurant, Tenby; Scott Payne (capt.) - Lewis, Lewis & Co Solicitors; Mike Lewis (Nicky Guymer) - John Boot, of Lydstep; Mark Badham (Nicky Allen) - The Bay Tree Restaurant, Tenby; Wyndham Williams - Alan Jones, Tenby Utd. RFC chairman; Gareth Edwards - Rumbleway Caravan Park; Steve James - Gavin and Dudley Scotcher, Capital Roasters Coffee Co; Sam Smith - Mike Brace Home Maintenance Service; Stuart Tyrie - Neil Findlay Car Sales. Sub not used - Del Brace.