A traditional blood and thunder driving maul launched Pooler on an early foray into their opponents’ half, the Ponty defence working hard to keep them at bay. The home team persevered in attack, playing through countless phases to test the Ponty cover defence to the full. Having endured ten minutes sitting back in their own twenty-two, a break by full back Richard Fussell at last took Ponty up into the home half. As the attack broke down, Pooler took full advantage with a counter offensive at pace, thwarted only by the last ditch tackling of the visitors’ defence. It was Pontypool who kept up their inititiative with some aggressive charges into the Ponty half, allowing home outside half Sam Mills to convert a penalty to open the scoring with seventeen minutes gone.

Utilising a share of set piece possession, Ponty attempted to create openings for their back line runners, but so far lacking the cutting edge to succeed. Putting together some useful phases of support play, Ponty kept plugging away in attack, and were finally rewarded as outside half Richard Langmead stroked over a penalty from the twenty-two metre line. The Pontypool response was immediate, a snap offensive culminating in a mid distance penalty converted by Mills with thirty-three minutes gone. It was Ponty who next retaliated with a fluent passage of attack, winger Darren Berry breaking the gain line with flanker Mark Lewis up in support to canter over for a well manufactured try. A late and concerted period of pressure by Pooler saw winger Ali going close to scoring, but Ponty just holding on to an interval lead of 6pts to 8.

As they had done for long periods of the first half, Pontypool began the second with some high impact drives into the visitors’ twenty-two, a series of thrusts culminating in a close range try for outside half Sam Mills, which he also converted. Kicking ahead for territory, Ponty made a gradual advance into the home twenty-two, allowing Richard Langmead to kick a straight forward penalty with forty-eight minutes gone.

Now looking far more coherent in attack, Ponty put together their best phase of play so far, moving the ball wide through many pairs of hands for flanker Mark Lewis to cross for a try wide out. Securing a good share of possession, Ponty looked to step up a gear, launching a foray at pace down the flank through Chris Clayton and Rhys Shellard, by now the more creative of the two sides. A charge by lock Chris Martenko made further yardage in attack for Ponty, but failing to add to their points tally, as Stuart Williams came on for Gerald Cox.

A fracas amongst the forwards saw Ponty prop Geraint Liddon sin binned, as the home pack set off on a rumble upfield, but contained by the Ponty defence. With Ryan Harford on for scrummaging duties, in place of Rhys Long, Ponty were now forced on the back foot against the home team’s concerted forays. The game was moving into its last ten minutes, closely contested and with all to play for. The tension was telling as errors crept into Ponty’s play, guilty of putting themselves under pressure in response to the home team’s efforts.

As Geraint Liddon returned to action, Wayne O’Connor also came off the bench, in place of Rhys Long, as Ponty strove hard to make headway out of their own half, but continually pinned back in defence. Into injury time, Pontypool threw everything into attack, setting up camp in the Ponty twenty-two, and eventually settling for a penalty in front of the posts, kicked by Sam Mills. That rounded off a competitive match, ending all square at 16pts apiece, but for Ponty, in the knowledge that it was another win that got away.

Pontypridd:

15. Richard Fussell. 14.Chris Clayton. 13.Tom Riley. 12.Greg Evans. 11.Darren Berry. 10.Richard Langmead. 9.Paul John. cpt.

1.Gerald Cox (Stuart Williams). 2.Duane Goodfield. 3.Geraint Liddon. 4.Nathan Budgett. 5.Chris Martenko. 6.Mark Lewis. 7.Rhys Shellard. 8.Rhys Long (Ryan Harford / Wayne O’Connor).