There was far more water than milk to be seen on the surface of the Dairy Field as the game got underway in very mucky conditions. Inevitably there were numerous errors made from the start, but an opportunist kick and chase by flanker Lee Evans giving Ponty the initiative to advance. Forging their way into the home twenty-two, Ponty were rewarded as outside half Richard Langmead converted a penalty to open the scoring. Llanharan were already running up a tally of penalties for infringing and straying off side, with Ponty making advances in the mud. A driving maul from an attacking line out set up no 8 Dan Godfrey for a try, converted by Langmead to hoist Ponty into a 10 point lead with twelve minutes gone.

Llanharan’s first cautious approach into the visitors’ half was rewarded as full back Marc Davies slotted over a penalty. Ponty in turn attempted to generate some momentum, but the conditions already dominating the game to its detriment. With Carl Thomas on as temporary blood replacement for Paul John, Ponty conceded ground, and Llanharan unlucky to see a penalty attempt rebound off the post. The visitors’ response was a break from deep instigated by winger Chris Clayton, with Dafydd Lockyer up in support and Jason Lewis hauled down just short of the line. Home flanker Jon Myatt was duly sin binned for blocking the flow of possession, and Richard Langmead on hand to stroke over the ensuing penalty.

Llanharan responded immediately with a penalty of their own, kicked from forty metres out by full back Davies. Both teams were slogging it out for possession in the mire, as Paul John returned to the fray, his facial wound repaired. Ponty took ball against the head with a driving scrum allowing no 8 Godfrey to charge into the home half. A series of drives and mauls took the visitors further upfield, a close range burst by Chris Martenko registering a try, once more converted by Langmead. Ponty were attempting to give the ball some width, defying the slippery conditions, only for Llanharan to strike back with a snap offensive, showing good support work and sending scrum half Jon Hooper over for a try, the conversion from Marc Davies registering an interval scoreline of 13 pts to 25.

Llanharan made early second half advances through a rather porous Ponty defence, only for the visitors to counter with a kick and chase led by flanker Rhys Shellard. The home team’s tight forward drives were more suited to the conditions, and asking questions of the Ponty tacklers, but with the game once more bogged down in the mud and riddled with handling errors. Ponty launched a concerted phase of attack, spurning kickable penalty opportunities to set up camp in the home twenty-two. Llanharan continued to infringe, with a yellow card dished out to prop Gareth Edwards, and Ponty settling for the three points from Langmead’s penalty.

Ponty to their credit were at least attempting to spread the ball wide, but the game as yet failing to ignite in the dire conditions. The visitors’ pack wrestled a turnover in possession, a neat break from Langmead resulting in a touchdown for the fly half, but play called back on the advice of the touch judge. A fresh downpour of rain compounded the slippery conditions, as Ponty kept play up in the home half, and rewarded with a well struck penalty from outside half Langmead, with sixty-five minutes on the clock. Against the run of play, a darting run by home scrum half Hooper caught the Ponty defence cold, the valleys team back tracking to clear their lines. Grant Harrington was now on in place of Lee Evans as the game continued to degenerate into a dogfight in the mud, now into its last ten minutes. A flash of inspiration was provided by scrum half Paul John as he sniped away from twenty metres out to claim another try for Ponty, the conversion added from a wide angle by Langmead.

A late double substitution saw Carl Thomas coming back on for Paul John, followed by Wayne O’Connor in place of Rhys Shellard, as both teams gamely tried their hand in attack going into injury time. It was aptly a knock-on, one of many that had blighted the contest throughout the afternoon, that brought events to a close, Ponty registering a valuable away win by 13 pts to 38.

Pontypridd:

15.Jason Pocock. 14.Chris Clayton. 13.Jason Lewis. 12.Dafydd Lockyer. 11.Lloyd Warner. 10.Richard Langmead. 9.Paul John (Carl Thomas).

1.Gerald Cox. 2.Ben Phillips. 3.Geraint Liddon. 4.Dale McIntosh – cpt. 5.Chris Martenko. 6.Lee Evans (Grant Harrington). 7.Rhys Shellard (Wayne O’Connor). 8.Dan Godfrey.

CROSS KEYS Robert Beale had a big smile on his sun-tanned face after this hard-earned win by his side in the rain and mud at Pandy Park.

Beale had just returned from South Africa where he had been on World Cup duty with the Wales Under-19 squad and, in his absence, Keys had slumped to two heavy defeats against Aberavon and Neath.

Ben Watkins and his men were in no mood for another reverse.

The home pack, in which flanker Dai Tovey was outstanding, scrummaged superbly for the full 80 minutes, while scrum-half Gareth Betts and full-back Darren Miles produced their best form.

Miles clocked up 12 points by scoring one of his team's three tries and kicking two conversions and a penalty goal.

However, hooker Gerwyn Price and replacement Owain Biddescombe also snapped up touchdowns.

Third-placed Bridgend, who trailed 14-5 at the break, fought their way back into contention when centre Chris Tossell went over for a 71st-minute try which Grant Epton converted.

Hooker Ieuan Dobbs had given the visitors an early lead when he crossed for an 18th-minute touchdown.