April 2nd: Carmarthen 12 Ebbw Vale 14

HOME > April 2nd: Carmarthen 12 Ebbw Vale 14

The casual observer would have struggled to identify which of these two teams was at the summit of the Premiership and which was one off the bottom, so close was this match throughout. Ebbw showed little of the scrum power or back line flair that bested Pontypridd and Cardiff, while Quins played with the determination and defensive bravery that saw them to the win at ECP earlier this season.

Quins had most of the possession in the first quarter and several chances to put points on the board but, with Ebbw’s Luke Crocker in the bin, the home side repeatedly opted to kick to touch, only for Ebbw to take the subsequent line outs and clear the threat. With Crocker back, Ebbw’s first attacking line out on 20 minutes, showed how to execute the drive and, when Quins stopped it illegally, the second led to a try for Cameron Regan.

It was a forward battle; neither side put the ball beyond their 10s and the only backs attack of the half came from a great run by Nathan Preece. It was 6-0 at half time.

The mighty boot of Craig Evans got Quins on the board a couple of minutes after the restart and it was 4-6 when Ebbw were penalised for what referee Gwyn Morris signalled as an excess of chat.

As Ebbw’s forwards began to turn the screw, Quins infringed regularly and eventually earned a yellow card. Ebbw replacement Ronny Kynes snaffled the inevitable Catch’n’Kynes and Dai Langdon’s excellent conversion made it 14-6.

Carmarthen did not give up and Dylan Morgans found that rarity, a gap in the Steelmen’s midfield defence, to race in under the posts. Evans made it 14-12 and that’s how it ended, much to the relief of the hundreds who’d made the trip west.

A win, as the saying goes, is a win. Ebbw will need to go up a few gears on Tuesday at Crosskeys if their amazing 10-match victorious sequence is to continue and keep play-off hopes alive.

*By the way, Mr Palo Flori, the Argentinian referee scheduled to take charge of this match, was replaced by Mr Gwyn Morris when it was realised that his name is an anagram of April Fool. Sorry to all those taken in by my seasonal ruse!

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Ennillodd Glynebwy’r gêm hon – y 10fed yn olynol – ond, a dweud y gwir, gwaith caled oedd e yn erbyn tîm sy’n sefyll yn isel yn y cynghrair ond sy’n chwarae gyda chryn dipyn o ysbryd a nerth.

Doedd dim sgorio yn y chwarter cyntaf, er bod ambell i gyfle gan Cwins pan oedd Luke Crocker oddi ar y maes am 10 munud. Yn lle anelu at y pyst, aeth Craig Evans am y cornel, ond cipiwyd y bêl gan flaenwyr Glynebwy. Ar ôl 20 munud cafodd Glynebwy gyfle i sefydlu sgarmes ar ôl llinell, ac aeth Cameron Regan drosodd am y cais.

6-0 i Lynebwy oedd hi ar yr egwyl ond yn agos iawn, â phac Glynebwy yn methu meistroli eu gwrthwynebwyr i’r radd bod nhw wedi gwneud ym mhob gêm, bron, y tymor hwn. Yn fuan iawn yn yr ail hanner, roedd Craig Evans yn llwyddianus gyda dau gic cosb i ddod â’i dîm dau bwynt tu ôl i Lynebwy. Pe tasen ni wedi bod yn gwylio gêm pêl droed, byddai’r disgrifiad “dour midfield battle” yn hollol addas, ond, fesul tipyn, dechreuodd blaenwyr Glynebwy ddangos mwy o reolaeth, a rhoi’r Cwins o dan bwys, gyda Cameron Regan, Damien Hudd ac Ashley Sweet yn amlwg iawn. Daeth llwyth o giciau cosb ac, o’r diwedd ac yn anochel, “Catch a Kynes” i Lynebwy a cherdyn melyn i Gaerfyrddin. 14-6 oedd y sgôr, ar ôl trosiad bendigedig o’r ystlys gan Dai Langdon.

Doedd Cwins ddim wedi gorffen, a daethon nhw yn agosaf at Lynebwy pan aeth canolwr Dylan Morgans drwy fwlch yn yr amddiffyn – a phrin iawn ydy shwd beth eleni – a dan y pyst. Trosiodd Evans am 14-12 i Lynebwy, a dyna oedd y sgôr terfynol.

Yn ôl y sôn, y timau mwyaf llwyddianus yw’r rhai sy’n ennill heb chwarae ar eu gorau, ond mae hyfforddwyr a chwaraewyr Glynebwy yn gwybod bydd rhaid iddyn nhw godi safon eu perfformiad yn erbyn Crosskeys nos Fawrth.

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