Tenby United 13 pts.

Last Thursday evening, Andrew Price, FBM Holidays and Molson Coors sponsored Tenby United 1st XV welcomed a strong Aberystwyth side to Heywood Lane as the Seasiders continued their bid to retain the Pembrokeshire Knock Out Cup.

After beating Aber in last season's cup final at Cardigan, the United were confident, but under no illusion that it would be an easy task, as the visitors are in fact a league higher than Tenby in Division Two West of the Swalec Leagues.

With the pitch in its usual good condition and a steady drizzle falling on Heywood Lane, it was a nervous start for both teams, and mistakes were made early on due to the slippery ball and the magnitude of being one step away from the final, so it would be the side that took their chances and made the most of the ball they could use that would come through victorious.

It was certainly the Seasiders who did this, in beating a very strong Aberystwyth side through determination and the ability to get a close game by the scruff of the neck and grind it out.

Credit must go to the Tenby pack for dominating their bigger, more experienced opponents, who are used to competing with and beating teams from the higher divisions, and to the young backline who tried everything to ensure the hard work of their forwards was used as effectively as possible in the slippery conditions.

The first try came from Tenby's talented young winger Greg Lees Griffiths. It followed a brilliant chip ahead from the halfway line by outside-half Lloyd Thomas and tremendous pressure on the visiting defenders, which forced the Aberystwyth fullback to kick the ball dead in a last-ditch effort to keep his line intact.

This meant that the Seasiders would have a scrum five yards out from the Aber tryline. With a brilliant effort from the Tenby eight, the ball was won for scrum-half and acting captain Will Crockford to move.

He favoured the blind side and linked up with Roy Osborn, who broke the gain line before being brought down.

Back row partners Jason Ronowitz and Luke Hansford, along with hooker Nicky Guymer, secured quick ruck ball and it was popped out to Lees Griffiths, whose speed and size advantage over the defence meant he wouldn't be stopped from five yards out and he crashed over in the corner for the score.

The try went unconverted, but still put the Seasiders in the lead after nine minutes of what was already proving to be a close match-up.

For the rest of the first half, both teams threw everything they could at each other, but seemed to cancel each other out, with excellent attack and defence being shown by both sides.

Despite the early United lead, it was all-square as the first half ended, after two missed tackles and a clever chip ahead saw the Aberystwyth winger level the scores with an unconverted try.

As the teams fuelled up on the half-time oranges, supplied as always by Mrs. Maureen Crockford, United coaches Gareth Thomas and Sion Brace instilled it into the boys that they were 40 minutes away from a cup final and one of the best days of their playing lives, and that if they could keep up the solid defence and not panic, then the opportunity would come.

The Tenby side knew that, as long as they gave 100 per cent and played their usual confident style in both attack and defence, they would come out on top.

The second half went much the same as the first, in that it was a close and equally fought affair, with both teams scoring one unconverted try apiece.

Aberystwyth's try came first on 61 minutes after a good threequarter movement, with slick passing, saw their winger scamper into the corner, while on 76 minutes, Toby Smith bashed his way over for the home side.

Smith's try came after terrific pressure from the Seasiders' pack had the visitors pinned on their own line following two strong scrummages, forcing Aber to collapse on both occasions.

The buzz around the ground was that extra-time was on the cards because, despite a period of sustained pressure from the Seasiders, they couldn't quite breach the desperate Aberystwyth defence to grab the win.

However, number 10 Lloyd Thomas had different ideas and had discussed earlier that, if the pack could get him in range, then he would do the rest.

This is exactly what happened well into injury time, as on 83 minutes, the Tenby pack secured good ruck ball five yards out from the visitors' line in the middle of the pitch. Sensing this was their final chance, the pass was rifled to Thomas, who dropped a goal with pin-point accuracy, destroying their higher ranked opponents' dreams of avenging last year's cup final defeat, while at the same time launching his own side into their second K.O Cup Final in two years.

Thanks to their determination, guts and refusal to roll over against a bigger and very well-drilled side, the Seasiders ran out winners by 13 points to 10 and will go on to face either Haverfordwest or Milford Haven in the final, the date and venure for which have yet to be confirmed.

This win was a credit to the boys and their coaches for all the hard work in training and the league.

The Seasiders will be looking forward to the final, but in the meantime will be chasing the promotion play-offs, starting with their next league game, which is on Saturday, March 23, at Heywood Lane, against Pontyberem, at 2.30 pm. Please come and support the boys.

Tenby United fielded: Dan Colley, Greg Lees Griffiths, Jack Guerreiro (Kial Keane), Toby Smith, Greg Caine, Lloyd Thomas, Will Crockford (capt.), Roy Osborn, Jason Ronowitz (Richard Rossiter), Luke Hansford, Luke Dedman, Wyndham Williams (Ashley Bonser), Johnny Palmer, Nicky Guymer, Harrison Sharma (Lee Tucker).