Always exciting, never dull, the fixtures between these two clubs are consistently hard fought and full of skilful entertainment.
BETHESDA 13 v 22 PWLLHELI – Swalec Plate (3rd round)
Always exciting, never dull, the fixtures between these two clubs are consistently hard fought and full of skilful entertainment.
The opening score came in the 12th minute for the home side when outside half Ben Stelmazek broke free and raced for the corner for his unconverted touchdown. On restart, the pressure was on the home defence and eventually they were penalised but the attempt at goal failed. A few minutes later a second attempt yielded three points for the visitors.
The battle of attrition continued with both teams attacking and defending in turn and it was the visiting team’s scrum half Nic Butterworth who broke through from a ruck with the ball and darted over the line. Centre Osian P. Jones converted.
Bethesda upped their game for the last ten minutes of the half and hardly moved from the 22 meter area of Llyn side. Pwllheli on the other hand defended resolutely but when their lock Geraint Parry was yellow carded for a persistent ruck offence it gave an opportunity for Besda to reduce the deficit with a penalty kick and Stelmazek duly obliged.
It was Pwllheli’s turn to put pressure on the home team but from nowhere, Bethesda’s emergency scrum half Mathew Parry got hold of the ball and ran the length of the pitch for a touchdown for a half time score of 13-10 which pleased at least half of the numerous watching supporters.
The second half contest was as intense as the first in particular for the first twenty minutes. After a prolonged attack by the home team, the ball was excellently cleared upfield by the visitors and from the resultant lineout, Pwllheli’s driving maul moved the Bethesda pack backwards twenty five metres or more and over the try line for Deio Brunelli, the full back, to ground the ball. This gave the visitors the lead 15-13 and it was not until five minutes from time that outside half Owain Williams found a gap in the home defence to score the third and final try of the afternoon under the posts. Jones has no hesitation in adding the extras.
Despite desperate attempts, Bethesda were not allowed to break the stout defending of their opponents again and the score stood at 22-13 to the visitors at final whistle.
Pwllheli, together with Nant Conwy who won their match at Dolgellau, will now await the draw in the last 16 and the next game in this competition is scheduled for 17th January 2015.
Pwllheli will play Llangefni away in the NW Plate quarter final this Wednesday and are away again to Ruthin in the league next Saturday when supporters are welcomed to travel on the players’ bus – details available from the clubhouse.
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