With the atrocious weather conditions overnight, Tenby's vital National League division three (west) clash with fellow strugglers Birchgrove was in doubt as late as 11 am on Saturday morning.

However, after inspecting Heywood Lane, the decision was taken to play on, a decision the Seasiders may come to regret at the end of the season as they slumped to a 23-10 defeat.

With both teams languishing in the drop zone of the division, the United knew that it was a vital three-pointer for both clubs.

As such they fielded their strongest possible side, a team further boosted by the return to red and black on permit of Dean Hadley and Steve Hartland.

However, the Seasiders let the visitors steal a march on them, opening up a comfortable 20 point lead which Tenby, although enjoying most of the possession and territorial advantage in the second half, found it impossible to overcome.

With a heavy pitch from the overnight rain, and a strong cross wind, the visitors adapted better to the cloying conditions in the first half, capitalising on some lose field kicking and poor protection of the ball carrier on Tenby's part to open up a 13-3 lead at the break.

Although Hadley played his part attacking from the base at every opportunity to break the gain line aided by skipper Nicky Allen, flanker Justin Richards and lock Paul Broaders the Seasiders had difficulty retaining the ball in the contact, allowing Birchgrove to turn over and give outside half Justin Evans the space he needed to harness the wind and gain useful attacking field position.

Very much an up front contest, with Tenby driving at the visitors, both sides to their credit, tried to be as inventive as possible with the ball in hand despite the conditions, but the Seasiders suffered a set back early on when quick-thinking Birchgrove centre Matthew Morgan charged down a speculative chip from Tenby stand-off Dean Bowen just outside the visitors' 22.

The centre showed footballing skills David Beckham would have been proud of as he dribbled the ball on upfield and then won the race to the touchdown near the posts.

Evans added the extras to put Birchgrove seven points ahead.

Tenby came right back at the visitors with driving forward play but were guilty of taking the ball back into the pocket too often, leading to a string of unforced errors and turn-over which allowed Birchgrove to ease the pressure.

When they moved the ball wide, they looked more dangerous, with threes and pack combining well in a recycling attack which almost saw Neil Powling through in the corner.

The wing was denied by a foot in touch a yard out, but was given a second chance to get his name on the score sheet as referee, Mr. Mark Williams, of Haverfordwest, had spotted a Birchgrove infringement in the build up.

Powling accepted the opportunity, banging the ball between the sticks to open the United's account.

With number eight Steve Jermaine and scrum-half Mike Clement controlling things behind the Birchgrove pack, and lock Harold Morgan disrupting in the lines out, the visitors put pressure on the Seasiders in the second quarter with Tenby failing to halt the tide effectively by failing to get their first tackles in.

Evans failed with a drop goal attempt and a penalty before a second drop goal from turnover ball just outside the home 22 found its mark to make it 10-3 in Birchgrove's favour.

In the dying minutes of the half Tenby made the curious decision to bring sub Steve Hartland on in the back row to replace Justin Richards but the visitors had the last word before the interval, when Evans added another penalty to open up a 10 point gap.

Evans again found the target after the change around before Morgan claimed his second touchdown in an almost identical manner to his first, although he had less distance to cover in the kick and chase after hacking on loose ball.

Another successful conversion from Evans saw the United trailing by 23 points to three.

Coach Gary Price sought to add some penetration to the Tenby three-quarter line by bringing 'veteran' Mike Evans on into the back row, freeing Hartland to replace Powling on the wing.

It certainly added dimension to the United's game plan, with the Seasiders capitalising on platform ball from Mat Cammack in the lines out and the three-quarter line, particularly Oliver Brace, Bowen, Jonathan Dodd, Gavin Brace and Carl Broaders running off at angles to put the Birchgrove defences under pressure.

Fullback Sion Brace and Hartland combined well to split the Birchgrove cover wide out, but Hartland was halted on the line and Brace was unable to hold onto the pass in the slippery conditions.

Tenby were not to be denied, however, good control at the line out walking possession forward and drawing in the Birchgrove cover to send Bowen through.

The Tenby stand off still had plenty to do though, wrong-footing the visitors twice with neat dummies before crossing near the posts.

Bowen converted his own try to reduce the arrears to 13 points.

Although Birchgrove made a couple of sorties into Tenby territory during the closing stages, it was their tenacious defence that saw them through.

Tenby continued their attempts to batter through at forward with Lee Tucker, Mark Badham and Richard Rossiter working both the narrow side and straight up the middle in a bid to gain better field position for their threes to use as a launchpad, but their were unable to turn pressure into points.

It leaves the Seasiders with plenty to do in the closing stages of the season if they are to avoid the drop.

Tenby fielded:Sion Brace, Jonathan Dodd, Gavin Brace, Carl Broaders, Neil Powling, Dean Bowen, Oliver Brace, Lee Tucker, Richard Rossiter, Mark Badham, Matt Cammack, Paul Broaders, Nicky Allen (capt.), Justin Richards, Dean Hadley.