PEMBROKE DOCK QUINS 12 pts.

NANTGAREDIG 18

The Quins rounded off the season the way they started it with a home defeat, this time against promoted Nantgaredig.

In one of the best games seen at Bierspool this season, with no quarter given by either side, it was the visitors who were quickest out of the blocks and were six points up in the first 10 minutes, courtesy of two penalties by outside-half Barry Thomas.

If Nant thought they were going to have things all their own way, though, they were very much mistaken, as the Quins had the better of the exchanges in the last quarter where they seemed to lay siege to their opponents line.

Determined runs by Kevin Bratcher, Phil Hughes and Gareth Scourfield all went desperately close to getting the Quins on the scoreboard, and after intense pressure from the Quins, which seemed to go on for ever, the visitors finally cracked when centre Jason Keates forced his way over, which was nothing less than the hosts deserved.

Neil Brace failed with the conversion, which would have given the Quins the lead, but Nantgaredig are not in the top echelons of the league for nothing and hit back with a try just on half-time, when centre Gutto Roberts scored after some poor tackling by the home side.

Thomas converted to send the visitors in 13-5 up at half-time.

The second half started the same way as the first ended, with a second try for Nant's Roberts.

Thomas this time failed with the conversion from wide out.

It was obvious now that Nant were going to look for a try bonus point, spurning kickable penalties.

The Quins, however, were having none of it and were disrupting their opponents at every opportunity.

With the Quins' pack dominating at the scrum, penalties were starting to come their way.

They were rewarded when outside-half Dean Lawrence scored wide with barely two minutes left after more pressure.

He converted the try himself with a kick that anyone at any level of rugby would have been proud of.

With time running out, the Quins put in one more effort and it only ended when the hosts knocked on in the visitors' 25.

The Quins, however, at least matched their visitors in try count and now will have to take stock for next season to try and get out of Welsh rugby's basement.