Ystradgynlais 12 Abercraf 16

This seasons Swansea Valley cup final was played Glais RFC. The two competing teams were age old rivals Ystradgynlais and Abercraf.

In perfect conditions the game began at a quick and exiting pace with both sides taking it to each other. Ystrad broke the deadlock when 26 year old number eight David Love made a telling break crashing through tackles before releasing the Ystrad back line for permit winger Andrew Penhale to finish superbly in the corner. Outside half H Evans superbly converted the try form the touchline.

Abercraf immediately went on the attack from the kick off and used the slope to gain territorial advantage. They managed to hit back with a try of their own soon after when a well worked move out into the open allowed powerful blonde centre Liam price t break the tackle to score. The conversion was badly missed and Ystrad held on to a 7 – 5 lead.

The Abercraf pack seemed to have edge in the first half set pieces with some superb line out throwing from you hooker Owen Phillips. Their pressure paid off with the referee awarding them a penalty to which full back Daniel Norton comfortably slotted over. More points soon followed for Aber when a stray pass and a lucky deflection from the boot of centre Price allowed winger Carwyn Owen to cross for a vital try on the half time mark.

Ystrad made some wholesale changes on the half and they immediately paid off when sub prop David Jones crossed in the corner to bring the Blues within a point of the opposition. Abercraf hit back quickly with a penalty kick from Daniel Norton extending their lead to four points.

The movement of Gareth Thomas to hooker and David Jones to prop managed to settle the Ystrad set piece and gave them a far more stabile base to play off. Ystrad managed to dominate the second half with pressing runs from Mathew Owen and David Love testing the opposition defence.

Unfortunately for the Blues the Abercraf defence stood strong and with the extremely talented Bradley Williams at scrum half they had a general to control their clearance. Ystrad did come close to scoring when 26 stone prop Adrian Lock was pushed out to touch in the corner by some determined defending.

The game finished with Abercraf deserved winners and the mystery of whether these two rivals will meet next year in the league!