Cefneithin 20 pts.

Pembroke Dock Quins 24

The Quins held off a determined fightback at Cae Carwyn James on Saturday, after seemingly being in an impregnable position at half-time leading 24-5.

The visitors got off to a fantastic start with a try after just 10 minutes when a well-timed pass by tighthead prop Richard McIntyre sent Lee Scourfield away on the Quins 10-yard line, before linking with Chris Harries, who cut inside, before returning the favour and feeding the powerful centre, who ran down the left-hand touchline and dived over in the corner.

Neil Brace missed the early conversion.

Ten minutes later, the Quins were back on the scoresheet again, this time after a quick free-kick, when flanker Phil Hughes brushed off would-be tacklers to race in from 25 yards to score halfway out.

Brace banged over the conversion to put the visitors 12 points in front.

Cefneithin were now up against it and things got a lot worse when, after what looked like a dangerous threequarter move, fullback Paul Jonkers intercepted and raced 60 yards for a try between the posts, which Brace converted, to put the Quins further ahead.

The Quins once again went back on the offensive and soon scored their fourth and bonus point try when Scourfield, on an arcing run, went over in the opposite corner for his first try to stretch his side's lead, with Brace missing the conversion.

Cefneithin got back into the game before the interval when on the break centre Scott Mills forced his way over to open the scoring for the hosts.

Owain Lewis missed the conversion.

If the Quins thought they were going to repeat last season's 39-21 victory, they were in for a shock, as just 10 minutes into the second half, after huge pressure from the home side, the Quins cracked when left wing Sean Walker scored in the corner.

Lewis couldn't add the conversion.

At 24-10 the hosts were well in the game, as the Quins were giving away far too many penalties, but by running the penalties they were really playing into the Quins' hands, as time was starting to drift away.

When flanker Andrew Cudd scored an unconverted try with 10 minutes left, the alarm bells in the Quins' ranks were ringing loudly.

The visitors now just could not get out of their own half, with only some fine tackling by the Quins keeping Cefneithin out.

With just two minutes left on the clock, centre Jonathan Morgan scored in the right-hand corner for the hosts, but a quick drop goal attempt at the conversion came to nothing, so it was now down to who would win the restart.

This went the home side's way but, after the ball went forward on the Quins' 25-yard line, the referee blew for time, to send the visitors home with the spoils, knowing that if the game had gone on a few more minutes longer, it could easily have been a different story.