Facing their most crucial match of the season, Tenby Tourers sponsored Tenby United travelled to crowned league champions Felinfoel knowing only a win with a bonus point for four tries would guarantee them retaining their brief status as a Division One West club.

There was another equation that would see them retain their status and that was if near neighbours, and in form Crymych, were to beat visiting Kidwelly, with Tenby securing just the win, but with no extra four try bonus point being required.

As the Crymych v Kidwelly result was totally out of their control, the target was easy forget you are playing the already declared league champions and focus on achieving a four-try bonus point win easier said than done!

In brilliant sunshine, and playing on the local Penygaer Playing Fields, in front of a sizable and vocal local crowd, the match started at a frantic pace, with Felinfoel running everything, with forwards and backs joining in with quick interchange and backing-up moves that had Tenby at times grasping at thin air, and clearly illustrated to the visitors what to expect as the afternoon progressed.

But undeterred by this expected threat, Tenby defended well and a steal at the tackle by Matthew John prevented one promising move developing and allowed Lloyd Thomas to clear the Tenby lines with a raking touch finder.

The pressure continued and paid dividends for the home side as number t10 Jordan Dunne slotted over a penalty for holding on at the tackle area, giving Felinfoel an early 3-0 lead.

Sticking to their cavalier attack at all times approach, Felinfoel met with a stout and resolute Tenby defence, with Barry Parsons, Cookie, Jack Tucker (being watched by Dad and ‘old’ Tenby United prop Lee Tucker who rattled up 126 games in the red and black jersey), Joe Poole and Alex Jenkins all putting in crunching tackles.

It was not all one-way traffic, with youth player Ben Pugh, Alex Jenkins, skipper Luke Hansford, wingers Jack Parkinson and Jordan Asparassa, along with centres Matthew John and Mauritz Neumann, all testing the home defence as Tenby threw several threatening attacking moves together.

With the first scrum of the afternoon awarded by referee Mathew John Thomas collapsing, it could have signalled a red flag amongst the Tenby coaching pair of Cone and Mogs, but Ethan Morgan, Joe Poole and Huw Evans held firm with the reset scrum against a solid home front three and continued in that way for the rest of the match.

Winning the ball on their put-in, Felinfoel, with a move initiated by number eight Jonny Roberts and scrum-half Luke Marsh, threatened, but the situation was handled by Barry Parsons, Luke Hansford, Andrew Cooke, aided by Ben Pugh.

Securing the ball from the ensuing breakdown, Felinfoel transferred the ball wide quickly, with some sharp inter-passing and well-timed and angled supporting runs involving both backs and forwards, but solid tackling by Tenby, with Roy Osborn and flankers Luke Hansford and Andrew Cooke adding weight to the solid midfield defence being put in by Mauritz Neumann, Matthew John and Lloyd Thomas, drove the home side backwards and forced them into throwing a wild and long miracle pass that sailed harmlessly into touch.

From the lineout, Barry Parsons secured clean ball and his swift transfer to scrum-half Ben Pugh allowed the young half-back to link with Lloyd Thomas, whose well-imed pass to Mauritz Neumann saw the burly centre carve through the stretched home defence to cross the whitewash for the first try of the afternoon, which added weight to him deservedly being selected as coaches’ man of the match at the end of the game, and made it a well deserved 5-3 lead for Tenby, as the conversion by Lloyd Thomas ricocheted off the upright.

With the home side suffering a bit from the hectic pace they had set in the first 30 minutes or so, that had flown by, Tenby started to gain the momentum and bring their fitness and resolve into play with some scintillating inter-passing and aggressive running involving Barry Parsons, Lloyd Thomas, centres Mauritz Neumann and Matthew John, along with the ever-present Cookie, which ended with Barry Parsons being put away for try number two and a 12-3 lead as Lloyd Thomas stroked the conversion over the crossbar.

Somewhat taken aback by being put under the cosh by the visiting, bottom-but-one club in the table, the league leaders were again embarrassed less than 60 seconds later when the lead was increased to 19-3... as capitalising on a great clearance kick by Lloyd Thomas and gaining valuable possession, wing Jack Parkinson, Luke Hansford and Matthew John breached the stretched home defence, releasing young scrum-half Ben Pugh to outsprint what was left of the Felinfoel defence and cross for a superb try number three, which was again converted by Lloyd Thomas.

With referee Mathew John Thomas bringing the half to a close, it was Tenby who formed a huddle in midfield that could get the message of “just keep playing the same type of rugby” from the delighted coaches, while the home side, with heads down, were told in no uncertain manner to “get their act together.”

Tenby stormed into action as the second half got underway, trying to maintain the momentum that had built up as the first half came to a close and Felinfoel were again on the backfoot as Tenby laid siege to their line, with three attempted efforts to cross it somehow not yielding what the efforts deserved, with skipper Hansford probably being the nearest player to add to the try count as he was held up inches from the line.

If white line fever had not entered the equation as the threat developed and was maintained, Tenby would have come away from an attacking position with an increased lead, but in the heat of the moment that’s what sometimes happens and the pressurised home defence somehow managed to stay firm, aided by a penalty awarded for holding on at the tackle area, allowing the penalty kick to get Felinfoel out of their 22.

Not wanting to allow the home side back into the game, and maintaining the high ground, Tenby were immediately back into attack mode, with Cookie again aggressively bursting through several attempted tackles and linking with the impressive Barry Parsons and taking a slick return pass to release supporting Alex Jenkins to canter over the line and raise his fist to the air as he touched down for the all-important bonus point earning fourth try.

With Lloyd Thomas adding the extras, via the post, Tenby were now comfortably 26-3 up… but the match still had 30 minutes to go before referee Mathew John Thomas would be blowing for time.

Still in control, however, Tenby again went on the attack and a fortunate intercept, of what would have been a fifth try pass, was prevented at the other end of the field from being turned into a score for Felinfoel by an excellent covering tackle by Matthew John, who, along with Cookie, seemed to be everywhere.

In one of their very few successful attacking moves. the home side did trouble the scoreboard with an unidentified player going over for an unconverted try, closing the score to 26-8.

Despite this score, Tenby were in no mood to allow Felinfoel back into the game and moves involving tricky running by Jordan Asparassa, linking with Roy Osborn, Huw Evans and Alex Jenkins, who were also supported by Ethan Morgan and Joe Poole, kept them on the defensive and when they did secure the ball and attempt to breach the visiting defence, it held firm and forced the home side across the pitch as well as going backwards as the aggressive tackles were put in.

A high tackle by a desperate home defender on Matthew John could have sparked off some hand-bagging, but referee Mathew John Thomas quickly got on top of the situation and unfortunately the penalty kick to the corner yielded nothing as Felinfoel countered as the ball sailed way over the last man at the lineout, but the effort to score from deep was again well-handled by the Tenby defence.

With both sides emptying their benches as the game progressed, and if anything the weather reaching south of France proportions and players flagging in the heat, Jack Guerreiro made a very brief appearance coming on for the impressive youth player Jack Tucker, only to injure his knee and be replaced by forward Mike Davis, causing a reshuffle in the Tenby threequarters.

Drawing to a close, with Lloyd Thomas pumping the ball way upfield every time Felinfoel put in any probing attacking kicks, the game was eventually brought to an end with Tenby more than satisfied with their improved team performance and Felinfoel trooping off with two hard play-off games to play next week against Maesteg Celtic, to determine who goes up to the Championship - for which all at Tenby United wish them well.

With Kidwelly coming away from Crymych with a hard fought win, it was essential for Tenby that they also won, but in addition needed to come off the park also having clinched the all-important bonus point, which they did, putting them in league points terms on a par with Penclawdd.

With those not familiar with the process from there, the full ruling is - National League placings - where teams have gained equal numbers of league points, the team with the most wins shall be given preference. If the number of wins is equal, then the club having recorded the most tries in the season shall be given preference. With the initial two decision terms equal, Tenby with 62 tries, as compared to the Penclawdd total of 46, stay in Division One West, while unfortunately Penclawdd get relegated…time for a beer to celebrate what has turned out to be a crazy end of season dogfight involving at least five teams all attempting retain the much coveted Division One West status.

Coaches Cone and Mogs were both very pleased with the performance and were left wondering where it had been over the last couple of months, but were more than happy as, when it was really needed, everybody stepped up to the plate and delivered big time. Just what is needed to bolster players, and coaches, going into the close season which these days comes early… and doesn’t last long… and with the challenges of another season of Division One rugby to face-up to, will need planning and commitment.

Tenby: Jack Tucker (Jack Guerreiro) (Mike Davis), Jack Parkinson, Mauritz Neumann, Matthew John, Jordan Asparassa, Lloyd Thomas, Ben Pugh, Ethan Morgan, Joe Poole, Huw Evans (Wyndham Williams), Alex Jenkins (Luke Dedman), Roy Osborn, Barry Parsons, Luke Hansford (Charlie Patching) Andrew Cooke.