Cardiff had a poor start to the match when Ospreys, Wales and Lions winger Shane Williams went over for a very dubious try in teh 8th minute. The miniture flyer latched onto a ball that had riquocheyed off Mike Phillips, having gone forward from Lee Bryne. The Bryne knock on went unnoticed as space seemed to open up for Williams to score untouched in the right hand corner. Fortunately, Henson, playing outside half, was unable to add the conversion.

Minutes later the Blues completed a stunning turn around to gain the lead. A Martyn Williams stolen line-out brought the Cardiff side into the Ospreys half, and when the home team were pinned for not being on their feet during the ruck, Nicky Robinson stepped up to slot over a 10th minute penalty.

Then Robinson shone again, as a perfectly weighted chip out wide found winger Mosese Luveitasau on the bouce. His neat step inside Bryne caused panic in the O's defencewith 3 players all heading stright for him, but great awareness by the Fijian as he poped a pass out to Robinson allowed the fly half all the time and space to score between the sticks. His conversion brought the scores to 10-5 in Dai Young's favour.

The rough play and fierce tackling had seen many stoppages in the first half, with Sonny Parker and Brent Cockbain needing treatment, but when Blues hooker Rhys Thomas went off with a dead leg, it opened the floodgate for a series of nasty injuries.

The Ospreys found their way back into the game not long after, when the Blues good defence was undone by the simplest of moves. Brilliant number 8 Ryan Jones wheeled around the back of a 5-metre scrum and went over unchallenged as opposing flannker Scott Morgan went for the dummy man, Justin Marshall. The scores stayed level as Henson again failed with his conversion attempt.

Opposite number Nicky Robinson however was on the button again as the half came to a close, slotting over a very neat dop goal to complete a full set of scoring (Try; Penalty: Conversion; Drop Goal).

Half Time
The Ospreys 10 Cardiff Blues 13

Having wasted a series of chances, one particularly clear from Xavier Rush who fumbled with the line in sight in the first half, it was the Ospreys who failed to take the advantage, as a break away attack look destined to bring the lead back to the home side. But with 5 metres to go, an almighted tackle from Tom Shanklin disloged the ball under the wingers arm, and the Blues were left hanging on.

Hensons levelled things up though on the hour mark, as he slotted over a simple penalty between the uprights.

The Blues had seemed to take the lead 5 minutes later, when another brilliant grubber kick from Nick Robinson rolled over the line, and Luveitasau outsprinted two Ospreys defenders to get the touchdown on the right flank - but when the referee gave a drop out 22 despite the great positioning of his linesman, it was the beginning of the end for Young's team.

Firstly, the dissapointing Rhys Williams Williams went off with what appears to be a hamstring injury only to be followed moments later by Duane Goodfield who had been brutally gouged and has blood dripping from his eyes, but worse was yet to come.

With Goodfeild and RST off, scrums bcame uncontested, and replacement prop Gary Powell was forced to take the line-outs. That badly disrupted the flow of Cardiff's game, having no real platform to build on.

However out of nowhere, Robinson dropped a supurb 40-metre goal to rupturous support from the travelling fans. It completed the perfect game for Robinson, who looked set to basque in the glory of a second season win at the Liberty Stadium.

But on the 80th minute, it was he who cost the Blues the entire match!

Having survived a flurry of pressure and wave upon wave of attack, Cardiff managed to rtain possession and stand-in scrum half Chris Czekaj looked to find Robinson and use the safety kick of his big boot. Instead, Robinson's 'clearance kick' went straight up and came down no further than a yard from his origional position. However, with noone waiting to catch it, it took the cruelest of bounces, and landed in the arms of Richie Pugh who was standing almost as back back than Nick Macleod at full back. He ran in to the corner to score an unconverted try, giving a 2-point lead.

With the game still hanging tantalisingly infront of the Blues players, it was all or nothing for whatever was left of injury time. And it was just that attitude which resulted in a sickening injury for Robin Sowden-Taylor.

The popular flanker put his body on teh line in an effort to regain Nick Robinsons kick off, but when clattered by two Osprey players trying to do the same thing, he landed awkwardly on his right ankle, such to the extent that it dislocated and snapped. When the mele around him had cleared it became obvious that his ankle had rotated a full 180 degrees, and was facing the wrong way.

He's now looking at a lay-off of up to 6 months.

Meanwhile, with the final move of the match, Cardiff snapped back into life, and running down the right wing, had a man overlap and a real possibilty of a score, but when the rather poor Luveitasau fumbled a simple pass, the Liberty Stadium errupted safe inb the knowlage off having swiped all 4 points.

Half Time
The Ospreys 18 Cardiff Blues 16

It was a suprisingly good performance by the Blues, who went into the game as massive underdogs, and can count themselves seriously unlucky not to have picked up the win. There are few teams who will go to the Liberty and come away with a bonus point this year, let alone taking them as close as we did. To gain a losing point and not to concede 4 tries is actually a good atchievement in itself, but having lead the match for the duration, it's hard to feel anythig but dissapoitment at not bagging the lot.

theArmsPark Man of the Match - Nick Robinson
Got every single one of the Blues 16 points, looked good all around the pitch, having improved his clearing kicks massively since last term. He was the cool head that we needed, and slotted his two drop goals as good as David Humphreys. His was under massive pressure when he messed up his clearing kick in the last minute, and can't take all the blame having the cruelest of bounces also to thank for showing him up. Looked up for the game from start to end, and was almost in tears at teh conclusion. A great game for the Cardiff born fly half, who can look forward to Leinster away on Saturday to make up for that one and only mistake. 

The Ospreys are favourite to win the Celtic league this year, but on teh evidence of last nights match, Cardiff will be there or thereabouts with tehm come the end of the year.

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