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09 March 2020 / Club News

PORTHCAWL 23 BRIDGEND SPORTS 27


Matches between these two clubs are always ones to relish and this one was no different as Sports ripped up the formbook to inflict the Seagulls first league loss this season and deserved it was too.
Sports hi-intensity opening set the cast for the match and Porthcawl seemed strangely out of sorts, with both handling and kicking at times being wayward in the fact of Sports all-action approach.
The visitors struck first as No.8 Lewis Obbard snaffled a deserved try, converted by Scott Callicott for nil-7 and threw down the gauntlet to Porthcawl who responded in kind, coming close on several occasions as they tried to claw back the deficit. Outside half Josh White kicked a 30 metres penalty to bring it to 3-7 within two minutes.
As the home side started to get things together, it was No.8 Tom Butcher who found himself in space out on the left from flanker Louis Protheroe’s pass and he fairly rampaged down the touchline on a 40-metre run to dive over for a great try at the corner, improved by White’s magnificent conversion and suddenly at 10-7 it seemed that the Seaweeds had settled.
Sports had other ideas as once again a sound attack allied to some poor home tackling saw Sports left wing Liam Bevan stroll over at the posts, Callicott converting and 10-14.
Both sides continued to play with intent although Sports stubborn defence made Porthcawl work all the harder, yet without much reward although White’s huge penalty from the 10 metre line brought Porthcawl within a point at 13-14 yet Callicott once more stretched the lead to 13-17 at the break with a simple 20 metre penalty as an upset looked a distinct possibility.
The second half started with Sports  upping the ante even further as their sustained early pressure in the home 22 saw flanker Dewi Rees put the visitors firmly in the driving seat, his try, converted by Callicott push the margin to 13-24, making the most of the extra  man with Seaweeds centre Sean Wilcox in the sin bin.
Home scrum-half Tom Davies took a knock and was replaced by Jack Robbins and the Seaweeds, chasing the match as hard as possible, finally got their reward as a fine break from full-back Ben Thomas deep into Sports territory, saw him feed the scoring pass to centre Jon Phillips, who romped in behind the posts, with White converting for 20-24 and a gripping final quarter in prospect.
When Porthcaw lost flanker Louis Protheroe to what appeared to be a collarbone injury, on came substitute Will Robinson as Porthcawl tried to claw back the deficit and when White’s 40 metre penalty brought it to 23-24 with just a point in it and time fast running out, home support hoped for a result.
It may well have been the case but when indiscipline allowed the Sports a last-ditch shot at a penalty, up stepped Callicott once more with a great pressure kick to nail the points and at 23-27 the final whistle blew to signify a first win for the Sports and a first defeat for Porthcawl.
Most observers felt that the Sports well-deserved the win and Coach Rhys James will have to galvanise his troops swiftly with a trip to fellow high-flyers Pencoed on Saturday for another derby match and effectively a six-pointer to boot.

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