WHITLAND 13 pts

TREORCHY 13

Whitland lost out on a golden opportunity to improve their standing in National League division one on Saturday as they allowed the Zebras to claw their way back into this nail-biting encounter at Parc Llwyn Ty Gwyn.

Although gaining a vital league point, and going some way to avenge the 25-7 defeat inflicted by Treorchy at The Oval in September, the Borderers will be kicking themselves for failing to turn pressure into points.

On top for most of the game, the Green and Whites were 13 points ahead going into the final third, but the Zebras had the better of the close exchanges in the later stages as both sides tired in the cloying conditions.

After missing an early penalty, Daniel Griffiths made amends in the eighth minute when Whitland pressure gave him the space to slice through and touch down.

The Borderers stand-off converted his own try and then added a penalty to give the homesters a 10-nil interval lead.

It could have been a lot more with the Green and Whites' pack well in control up front, particularly Steve Gerrard, Dai Ebsworth, Romeo Collella, Phil Morgan, Rob Norton and Fakataha Molitika.

However, usual back row man Mike Buckingham looked out of sorts in the centre berth alongside Domenic Setaro, who did go close, but lacked the support wide out for the Borderers to reap the rewards.

While they defended well, all Treorchy had to show for their industry in the first half was a missed Dai Owen penalty, and things looked bleaker still after the break, with Whitland continuing to dominate.

However, the Borderers were still unable to turn pressure into points, Griffiths missing a penalty and wing Steve Hartland being held up short of the line after Griffiths and Setaro combined to send him through.

Griffiths added another successful penalty to put the homesters 13 points to the good, but the Zebras gained a foothold from the restart when a defensive error by the Green and Whites allowed scrum-half Carl Hamans to dive over for a try which Owen converted.

The Treorchy stand-off missed another penalty, before reducing the arrears to three points with a successful place kick.

As both teams started to show the stresses and strains of the underfoot conditions, Griffiths had a chnce to pull the homesters two scores clear, but was off target with another penalty and with 10 minutes remaining Owen put the teams back on terms with another three-pointer.

That was how the scores remained, although the Borderers will be disappointed in having to share the spoils after all their industry and effort.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Whitland travel to Llanharan.

Whitland fielded: Wayne Lewis, Gavin Morris, Domenic Setaro, Mike Buckingham, Steve Hartland, Daniel Griffiths, Rob Phillips, Gareth Williams, Steve Gerrard, Romeo Collella, Fakataha Molitika, Dai Ebsworth, Rob Norton, Phil Morgan.