Ebbw Vale visited Pandy Park for the clubs’ first fixture in the Fosters Challenge Cup, on a wet and windy Wednesday night. Both sides included players from other clubs in their squads, one of the purposes of this competition being to give opportunities to individuals playing in the lower leagues who might be able to step up to a higher level.

Given the awful weather conditions, an expansive game of flowing back play was never on the cards, but both sides did their best to entertain. Oakdale’s Simon Veall got the game’s first score with a penalty that gave the Steelmen a 2-0 lead, but it was Ebbw’s last visit to the scoreboard as the more experienced Keys side pulled 8-2 ahead by half time, with a try by Elliot Jones, converted by Ethan Davies. They crossed twice more after the interval, through Jones again and full back Owen Howe. A Davies penalty also contributed to the final 22-2 scoreline.

Ebbw coach Nick Wakley commented, ” The boys put in a tough shift tonight! We had lots of new faces, and plenty of positives to work on! The conditions were tough, but the future looks promising for us.”